Recently Added or Changed OLAP Features in Crystal Reports

This section is specifically targeted for users of older versions of Crystal Reports. Table 16.2 lists the new OLAP-oriented features of recent versions and their practical use or benefit. If you are a new user to Crystal Reports or you have not previously used the OLAP reporting features in the product, you might want to skip directly to the next section.

Table 16.2. New OLAP Features in Crystal Reports 9, 10, and XI

OLAP Feature	Feature Benefit and Value
Row/Column Dimension Parameter links	Enables the direct linking of report parameters to member selection and filtering in the column and row dimensions of the selected cube. The feature is accessed either through the OLAP Report Creation Wizard or the OLAP Report Settings option under the Report menu.
Slice/Page Dimension Parameter links	This Productivity feature enables the direct linking of report parameters to pages and slices in the OLAP grid. This enables the end user to dynamically specify the values of slices and pages in the OLAP grid. The feature is accessed in either the OLAP Report Creation Wizard or the OLAP Report Settings option under the Report menu.
Interactive OLAP Worksheet (Analyzer) in new Cube tab	The New OLAP Analyzer feature (a Cube tab in Crystal Reports Designer) is accessed by right-clicking on an existing OLAP grid object and selecting the Launch Analyzer option. The Cube tab provides a fully functioning drag-and-drop OLAP worksheet that enables rapid selection of the most appropriate OLAP viewpoint for the Crystal Report. All changes made in the Analyzer worksheet are reflected in the associated Crystal Reports OLAP grid, where advanced formatting can be applied.
Interactive drill-down of OLAP grids in Preview tab	The OLAP grid presented in the Crystal Reports Preview tab has now been made more fully functional. In addition to having access to advanced OLAP grid functionality from the right-click button including calculations, exception highlighting, sorting, filtering, and member reordering, the OLAP grid now enables the report designer to expand (drill-down) and contract members directly from within the Preview tab.
New and improved data sources	At the time of writing, Crystal Reports XI provides OLAP access to multiple versions of Hyperion Essbase, DB2 OLAP, SQL Server Analysis Services, Holos, and SAP BW.

The following sections explore the creation of an OLAP report through the OLAP Report Creation Wizard, the added value of the OLAP Expert, and the advanced interactivity features of Crystal Reports.