Blank Reports vs. Report Wizards

If you're of the control-freak-type personality, you'll probably enjoy building a report from scratch. We learn about that method in this chapter. For those of you who don't mind letting Crystal Reports do a portion of the work, the Report Wizards may be your choice. Both options have their advantages and disadvantages. The truth of the matter is that most Crystal Reports users find themselves using both methods, depending on their needs.

Building a report from scratch means that you start with a blank page and then add the fonts, color, data, and layout piece by piece. While this method may seem labor-intensive, it also provides the most flexibility. Even if you build reports using the Report Wizards, you'll still need to refine most reports, using concepts involved with building a report from scratch.

In comparison, the Report Wizards are utilities within Crystal Reports that lead you through the steps of producing different types of reports. Report Wizards simplify the process of report design by using a step-by-step approach. We explore Crystal Reports' Report Wizards in Chapter 4.