Crystal Reports 8.0 Advanced (2-Days)

Course description

Overview: Students will learn how to: create advanced formulas, format reports based on calculation results, use multiple sections, insert subreports, access data from sources other than PC databases, and create user libraries.

Prerequisites: Crystal Reports 8.0 Basic Skills

Performance-based objectives

Lesson objectives help students become comfortable with the course, and also provide a means to evaluate learning. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Create formulas with multiple statements and use variables.
• Understand and control the calculation process used to compile your data.
• Control the appearance of your report using conditional format statements and multiple sections.
• Create parameter formulas that allow your users to determine what information they want to see on a report.
• Enhance the analysis capability of your cross-tabs.
• Extend your reporting capacity by utilizing sub-reports.
• Access data from SQL/ODBC data sources, and generate queries using Crystal SQL Designer.
• Create and modify dictionary files to simplify the reporting process for your users.
• Create and edit graphical representations of your data using the Chart Expert or modify existing graphs with the Chart Analyzer.

Course Content

Review Exercises

Creating a basic report

Adding and linking databases

Selecting, grouping and summarizing

Creating formulas

Formatting sections for Summary/Drill-Down

Lesson 1: Conditional Formatting

Understand the difference between absolute and conditional formatting

Apply and remove conditional on/off formatting

Assign conditional attribute formatting

Use the Highlighting Expert

Remove conditional formatting

Lesson 2: Advanced Formulas

Use variables in formulas

Create running totals

Understand multiple pass reporting

Use evaluation time functions

Create formulas using multiple variables

Lesson 3: Multiple Sections

Insert and delete sections

Move sections

Split sections

Work with multiple sections and conditional formats

Lesson 4: Parameter Fields

Define parameter fields

Create parameter fields

Create a pick list parameter field

Use parameter fields in the record selection formula

Use edit masks

Use parameter fields to specify the sort criteria

Use the Like statement

Use parameter fields to set conditional formats

Lesson 5: Advanced Cross-Tabs

Insert multiple rows, columns and summarized fields

Format cross-tab components

Use formula fields in cross-tab layouts

Use parameter fields with cross-tab reports

Insert a cross-tab for each group value

Lesson 6: Subreports

Identify when subreports are needed

Insert unlinked subreports

Format subreports

Insert linked subreports

Create on-demand subreports

Lesson 7: SQL/ODBC and Crystal SQL Designer

Defining SQL

Defining ODBC

Use Crystal Query Designer

Using a query to create a report

Lesson 8: Crystal Dictionaries

Define a dictionary

Use existing dictionaries

Create dictionaries

Enhance dictionaries

Modify a dictionary

Lesson 9: Graphing

Discuss chart types and layout options

Use the Chart Expert

Format existing graphs