Understanding the Report Designer Component
Crystal Decisions has long viewed the Component Object Model (COM) development platform as one of the key areas it needed to embrace to become successful. Although there were other popular developer platforms in the market, the trend for development projects concerning information delivery was to use Visual Basic. This was because of its good mix of power and simplicity. Now part of the Business Objects product line, Crystal Reports 10 mirrors these attributes and delivers a powerful yet productive reporting solution. This chapter covers Crystal Decisions reporting solutions for the COM platform, specifically, the Crystal Report Designer Component.
Although the chapters covering the Java and .NET components focused primarily on Web-based applications, this chapter concentrates on desktop applications because that is the focus of the Crystal Decisions COM Components. Desktop applications, although still popular today, were what started it all. These are standalone applications that run on a single tier and are installed locally on a users machine. These applications are most commonly built using Visual Basic, but are also sometimes built using Visual C++ or Delphi.
For more information on Java, p. 654
NOTE
All sample code in this chapter uses Visual Basic 6 syntax, but can easily be adapted to other languages that support COM. For sample code in other languages, visit the Business Objects support site at http://support.businessobjects.com.
Many development environments support Microsofts COM technology. COM (Component Object Model) is a standard technology used for exposing Software Development Kits (SDKs) in the Windows world. It implies a set of objects with properties and methods. Much of Microsofts own SDKs are based on COM. It follows that the recommended Crystal Reports SDK for desktop applications would also be based on COM. Its name is the Report Designer Component, and it consists of the following pieces:
- A report designer integrated into the Visual Basic environment
- An object model built around the report engine used for manipulation of the report
- A report viewer control used for displaying reports inside an application
The following sections describe each of these components in more detail.
Part I. Crystal Reports Design
Creating and Designing Basic Reports
- Creating and Designing Basic Reports
- Introducing the Crystal Reports Designer
- Understanding Data and Data Sources
- Introduction to the Data Explorer
- Adding Database Objects to Your Report
- Joining Database Objects Together
- Understanding the Different Join Types
- Using the Report Creation Wizards
- Understanding the Crystal Reports Gallery
- Using the Standard Report Creation Wizard
- Creating a Report Without Wizards
- Troubleshooting
Selecting and Grouping Data
- Selecting and Grouping Data
- Introduction
- Understanding Field Objects
- Working with Groups
- Understanding Drill-down Reports
- Troubleshooting
Filtering, Sorting, and Summarizing Data
- Filtering, Sorting, and Summarizing Data
- Introduction
- Filtering the Data in Your Report
- Learning to Sort Records
- Working with the Sort Expert
- Creating Effective Summaries
- Troubleshooting
Understanding and Implementing Formulas
- Understanding and Implementing Formulas
- Introduction
- Using the Formula Workshop
- Using the Workshop Formula Editor
- Creating Formulas with the Formula Expert
- Using the Formula Extractor to Create Custom Functions
- The Multi-Pass Reporting Process of the Crystal Reports Engine
- Troubleshooting
Implementing Parameters for Dynamic Reporting
- Implementing Parameters for Dynamic Reporting
- Introduction
- Understanding the Value of Parameters
- Creating and Implementing Parameters Fields
- Using Parameters with Record Selections
Part II. Formatting Crystal Reports
Fundamentals of Report Formatting
- Fundamentals of Report Formatting
- Introduction
- Positioning and Sizing Report Objects
- Modifying Object Properties for Formatting Purposes
- Exploring the Format Editor Dialog Common Options
- Combining and Layering Report Objects
- Configuring Report Page and Margin Properties
Working with Report Sections
- Working with Report Sections
- Introduction
- Formatting Report Sections
- Modifying Report Section Properties
- Using Multiple Report Sections
- Troubleshooting
Visualizing Your Data with Charts and Maps
- Visualizing Your Data with Charts and Maps
- Introduction to Charts and Maps
- Using the Chart Expert
- Using the Map Expert
- Modifying Chart and Map Properties
- Troubleshooting
Custom Formatting Techniques
- Introduction
- Making Presentation-Quality Reports
- Common Formatting Features
- Conditional Formatting Using Data to Drive the Look of a Report
Part III. Advanced Crystal Reports Design
Using Cross-Tabs for Summarized Reporting
- Using Cross-Tabs for Summarized Reporting
- Introduction to Cross-Tabs
- Benefits of Cross-Tabs
- Using the Cross-Tab Wizard
- Using Top N with Cross-Tabs Reports
- Using Advanced Cross-Tab Features
Using Record Selections and Alerts for Interactive Reporting
- Using Record Selections and Alerts for Interactive Reporting
- Creating Advanced Record Selection Formulas
- Adding Alerting to Your Reports
- Performance Monitoring and Tuning
Using Subreports and Multi-Pass Reporting
- Using Subreports and Multi-Pass Reporting
- Understanding Subreports
- Understanding Linked Versus Unlinked Subreports
- Considering Subreport Execution Time and Performance
- Using Variables to Pass Data Between Reports
- Emulating Nested Subreports
- Troubleshooting
Using Formulas and Custom Functions
- Using Formulas and Custom Functions
- Becoming More Productive with Formulas
- Choosing a Formula Language: Crystal Versus Basic Syntax
- Using Brackets in Formulas
- Using Characters in Formulas
- Recent Improvements to Formulas
Designing Effective Report Templates
- Designing Effective Report Templates
- Understanding the Importance of Reuse in Reporting
- Understanding Report Templates
- Using Report Templates
- Using Existing Crystal Reports as Templates
- Understanding How Templates Work
- Creating Useful Report Templates
- Using Template Field Objects
- Using Report Templates to Reduce Report Creation Effort
- Applying Multiple Templates
Additional Data Sources for Crystal Reports
- Additional Data Sources for Crystal Reports
- Understanding the Additional Crystal Reports Data Sources
- Connecting to COM-based Data Sources
- Connecting to Java-based Data Sources
- Understanding Solution Kits for Crystal Enterprise
- Troubleshooting
Multidimensional Reporting Against OLAP Data with Crystal Reports
- Multidimensional Reporting Against OLAP Data with Crystal Reports
- Introduction to OLAP
- OLAP Concepts and OLAP Reporting
- Recently Added or Changed OLAP Features in Crystal Reports
- Using the OLAP Report Creation Wizard and OLAP Expert
- Advanced OLAP Reporting
- Introduction to Crystal Analysis
Part IV. Enterprise Report Design Analytic, Web-based, and Excel Report Design
Introduction to Crystal Repository
- Introduction to Crystal Repository
- What Is the Crystal Repository?
- Why Implement the Crystal Repository?
- Installing the Crystal Repository
- Adding Objects to and from the Repository
- Migration of the Crystal Enterprise Repository
- Troubleshooting
Crystal Reports Semantic Layer Business Views
- Crystal Reports Semantic Layer Business Views
- Introduction to Business Views
- Why Implement Business Views?
- Performance and Implementation Considerations
- Business Views Architecture and Implementation
- Troubleshooting
Creating Crystal Analysis Reports
- Creating Crystal Analysis Reports
- Introduction
- Introducing Crystal Analysis
- Accessing OLAP Data with Crystal Analysis
- Designing Crystal Analysis Reports and Applications
- Adding Crystal Analysis Objects to a Report
- Troubleshooting
Advanced Crystal Analysis Report Design
- Advanced Crystal Analysis Report Design
- Introduction
- Advanced Crystal Analysis Designer Tools
- Custom Calculations and Advanced Data Analysis
- Setting Report Options
- Troubleshooting
- Crystal Analysis in the Real World MDX
Ad-Hoc Application and Excel Plug-in for Ad-Hoc and Analytic Reporting
- Ad-Hoc Application and Excel Plug-in for Ad-Hoc and Analytic Reporting
- Introducing Ad-Hoc Reporting Conceptually
- Introducing the Crystal Enterprise Ad-Hoc Reporting Application
- Crystal Reports Excel Plug-in
- Crystal Analysis Excel Plug-in
Part V. Web Report Distribution Using Crystal Enterprise
Introduction to Crystal Enterprise
- Introduction to Crystal Enterprise
- What Is Crystal Enterprise?
- Why Implement a Crystal Enterprise Solution?
- Versions of Crystal Enterprise
- Understanding the Core Functions of Crystal Enterprise
Using Crystal Enterprise with Web Desktop
- Using Crystal Enterprise with Web Desktop
- Introduction
- Crystal Enterprise User Launchpad
- Crystal Enterprise Web Desktop
- Customizing the Web Desktop and Report Viewers
- Publishing to the Web Desktop
- Customizing the Web Desktop
- Troubleshooting
Crystal Enterprise Architecture
- Crystal Enterprise Architecture
- Introduction
- Crystal Enterprise Architecture Overview
- The Client Tier
- The Application Tier
- The Server Tier: Introduction to the Crystal Enterprise Framework
- The Server Tier: Overview of the Crystal Enterprise Services
- The Data Tier
- The Crystal Enterprise Architecture in Action
- Taking Advantage of the Crystal Enterprise Distributed Architecture
- Extending Crystal Enterprise
Planning Considerations When Deploying Crystal Enterprise
- Planning Considerations When Deploying Crystal Enterprise
- Ensuring a Successful Crystal Enterprise Implementation
- Approaching the Project
- Identifying Business Pain
- Establishing Project Requirements
- Understanding Organizational Reporting Requirements
- Troubleshooting
Deploying Crystal Enterprise in a Complex Network Environment
- Deploying Crystal Enterprise in a Complex Network Environment
- Introduction
- Understanding Network Protocols
- Understanding Firewall Types
- Configuring the Crystal Enterprise Architecture for Your Network Environment
- Interaction Between the WCS and the WC
- Deploying Crystal Enterprise with an IP Packet Filtering Firewall
- Using Crystal Enterprise with NAT
- Exploring the NAT and Crystal Enterprise Relationship
- Crystal Enterprise and Proxy Servers
Administering and Configuring Crystal Enterprise
- Introduction
- Using the Crystal Management Console
- Managing Accounts
- Managing Content
- Introducing Servers
- Managing Crystal Enterprise System Settings
- Using the Crystal Configuration Manager
Part VI. Customized Report Distribution Using Crystal Reports Components
Java Reporting Components
- Java Reporting Components
- Overview of the Crystal Reports Java Reporting Component
- Understanding the Java Reporting Components Architecture
- Differences with the Java Reporting Engine
- Configuring the Application Server
- Delivering Reports in Web Applications
- Using the Crystal Tag Libraries
- Exporting Reports to Other File Formats
- Printing Reports from the Browser
- Common Programming Tasks
- Troubleshooting
Crystal Reports .NET Components
- Crystal Reports .NET Components
- Understanding Microsofts .NET Platform
- Understanding the Different Crystal .NET Components
- An Overview of the Crystal Reports 10 .NET Components
- The Report Designer
- The Report Engine Object Model
- Delivering Reports with the Windows Forms Viewer
- Delivering Reports with the Web Forms Viewer
- Database Credentials
- Setting Parameters
- Troubleshooting
COM Reporting Components
- COM Reporting Components
- Understanding the Report Designer Component
- Building Reports with the Visual Basic Report Designer
- Programming with the Report Engine Object Model
- Delivering Reports Using the Report Viewer
- Troubleshooting
Part VII. Customized Report Distribution Using Crystal Enterprise Embedded Edition
Introduction to Crystal Enterprise Embedded Edition
- Introduction to Crystal Enterprise Embedded Edition
- Introduction to Crystal Enterprise Embedded Edition
- Understanding Crystal Enterprise Embedded Edition
- Crystal Enterprise Embedded Edition Samples
- DHTML Report Design Wizard
- Troubleshooting
Crystal Enterprise Viewing Reports
- Crystal Enterprise Viewing Reports
- Viewing Reports over the Web
- Introduction to the Crystal Report Viewers
- Understanding the Report Source
- Implementing the Page Viewer
- Implementing the Part Viewer
- Implementing the Interactive Viewer
- Implementing the Grid Viewer
- Troubleshooting
Crystal Enterprise Embedded Report Modification and Creation
- Introduction
- Deploying RAS Environments
- Loading Report Files
- Locating RAS Components in a Network Architecture
- Installing the RAS SDK
- Best Practices in RAS Exception Handling
- The RAS SDK in Action
Part VIII. Customized Report Distribution Using Crystal Enterprise Professional
Introduction to the Crystal Enterprise Professional Object Model
- Introduction to the Crystal Enterprise Professional Object Model
- Understanding the Crystal Enterprise Object Model
- Establishing a Crystal Enterprise Session
- Querying the Crystal Enterprise Repository
- Viewing Reports
- The Crystal Enterprise Java SDK
- Accessing the Java SDK
- Troubleshooting
Creating Enterprise Reports Applications with Crystal Enterprise Part I
- Creating Enterprise Reports Applications with Crystal Enterprise Part I
- Advanced Scenarios with the Crystal Enterprise Object Model
- Scheduling Reports
- Scheduling to a Destination
- Using Crystal Enterprise Notifications
- Scheduling to a Server Group
- Scheduling to a Specific Format
- Setting Database Credentials
- Troubleshooting
Creating Enterprise Reporting Applications with Crystal Enterprise Part II
- Creating Enterprise Reporting Applications with Crystal Enterprise Part II
- Querying the Crystal Enterprise InfoStore
- Creating and Responding to Crystal Enterprise Alerts
- Creating Schedulable Program Objects
- Troubleshooting
Appendix A. Using Sql Queries In Crystal Reports
Creating Enterprise Reporting Applications with Crystal Enterprise Part II
EAN: 2147483647
Pages: 341
