Benefits of Using Cross-Tabs

Cross-tabs are actually one of the most common types of reports created with Crystal Reports. There are a number of reasons why cross-tab reports are created, but most often it's because they deliver data in a format we are all familiar with: a spreadsheet. They also summarize both vertically and horizontally, have a grid format, and can change size depending on the data.

Several of the most compelling reasons for using cross-tabs will be the focus for this hour:

  • Making better use of space

  • Leveraging experience with the spreadsheet format

  • Horizontal expansion

  • Custom formatting

Making Better Use of Space

Because cross-tabs are grouped and summarized both vertically and horizontally, they are incredibly efficient on saving space as compared to a typical grouping report. They are very good at showing key information if the information required has at least two levels of grouping.

Let's look at an example: a report that most of us can relate to in some way school grades for the end of the year. These need to be grouped by course, student, and term. If the report were shown in a standard grouping layout like we've been working with previously, it could be several pages long. Figure 14.1 shows a typical Crystal Reports in which three pages display one course with only 10 students in one class hardly the most efficient use of the world's number one reporting tool!

Figure 14.1. Standard grouping style used on a typical school grades report.

graphics/14fig01.jpg

But what if there were a way to replicate the information contained in a teacher's grade book? This commonly looks a lot like a spreadsheet. Also, teachers get a one-stop glance at all the students and all their grades. Figure 14.2 shows how the information is more efficiently presented when a cross-tab is used to display the same information. Now the teacher can view all the student grades information at a glance.

Figure 14.2. Student grades shown in a cross-tab.

graphics/14fig02.jpg

Leveraging Experience with the Spreadsheet Format

Another benefit of the cross-tab format is its familiarity to many users of spreadsheet applications. Many people use spreadsheets in their daily routines and are accustom to their look and feel. If we could replicate this in a report style or format, chances are, more people would use them. Because cross-tabs do appear very much like spreadsheets, Crystal Reports offers a familiar format and reporting style for many users.

Horizontal Expansion

Cross-tabs, as with spreadsheets, can expand both vertically and horizontally. In Crystal Reports, cross-tabs are one of only two object types that account for expansion across horizontal pages. Crystal Reports handles this expansion automatically, so the designer of the report doesn't have to worry about this feature. This means that if there is more data to display than the original size of the cross tab allows for, it doesn't cut off any critical data from the cross-tab area.

Custom Formatting

As with other objects in Crystal Reports, cross-tab objects are also highly customizable in terms of formatting. Everyone has different needs from their data, so Crystal Reports allows for a great deal of changes to the formatting of these objects. Some of the most highly useful formatting features that are used in cross-tabs are

  • Customizable Styles (colors, grid lines, and so on)

  • Vertical and horizontal placement of summaries

  • Formatted grid lines

  • Toggle for summary totals (rows/columns)

  • Cell margins

  • Indented row labels

  • Location of totals (beginning or end for both rows/columns)

  • Repeatable row labels

The preceding list is just a glimpse at how powerful the customization of cross-tabs can be. Chances are, some ideas of how your reports could benefit from cross-tabs have already come to mind, so let's get started with learning how to create them.



Sams Teach Yourself Crystal Reports 9 in 24 Hours
Sams Teach Yourself Crystal Reports 9 in 24 Hours
ISBN: B003D7JUVW
EAN: N/A
Year: 2005
Pages: 230

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