Creating Summary Reports

So far in this chapter, you've created detailed reports that display every record that makes up your totals. However, you'll find that often your report users will desire two types of reports, one that shows detail (such as what you've created so far in this chapter) and one that provides a summary (just the totals and no details).

Crystal Reports makes creating summary reports easy. When creating a summary report, all grouping information displays; only the information within your Details section is suppressed.

The great thing about Crystal Reports is that it also provides the ability for your report users to view (on demand) any detail from a summary report. This technique is known as drill-down. Drill-down allows report users to expand view detail information.

Let's try the following to familiarize yourself with the creation of a summary report. Try the following exercise, using the report you've been creating within this chapter.

1. Select the Design tab.

2. Right-click on the gray area of the Details section.

   An Options menu displays with two options available for summary reports. These options are:

   • Hide (Drill Down OK): This option hides the section whenever a report is previewed. This option allows users to drill down to see the detail contents of this section.

   • Suppress (No Drill Down): This option hides a section whenever a report is previewed. However, this option does not allow users to drill down to see the detail contents of this section.

3. Since you wish to create a summary report with the ability to allow users to drill down, select the Hide (Drill Down OK) option.

   You'll notice the Details section now displays slash marks. This indicates that the section is hidden.

4. Select the Preview tab.

   You'll notice the Details section is not displayed. Your screen should look something like Figure 9-7.

   
   Figure 9-7: Creating a summary report within Crystal Reports

Drilling Down for Details

Once you've created a summary report, let's check out the drill-down functionality. The drill down is only available within the Preview tab.

To use the drill down, move your cursor over the Alley Cat Cycles group (specifically, the group for which you wish to view the detail records). The cursor will turn into a magnifying glass icon. When this happens, double-click. A new tab is created, which contains the group's supporting information. Figure 9-8 displays an example of the drill-down functionality.

Figure 9-8: The drill-down functionality

Note

Crystal Reports will only print drill-down information when the drill-down tab is open. If you're in the Preview tab, your drill-down tab information will not print.

One thing you might notice when viewing a drill-down tab is that the headers above your information have disappeared. You can fix this with the following steps:

1. Select the Preview tab.

2. Select File, Report Options from the menu bar.

   You'll receive a warning message stating that your drill-down tabs will disappear. This is not a problem; you can recreate them if necessary. Press OK on the warning message.

3. The Report Options dialog box displays. Check the Show All Headers On Drill Down option.

   Your screen should look like Figure 9-9.

   
   Figure 9-9: Modifying the Report Options dialog box for the drill-down functionality

4. Press OK on the Report Options dialog box.

Once you're back at the Report Design area, double-click on the Alley Cat Cycles group again. Notice the headers now display, as shown in Figure 9-10.

Figure 9-10: Drill-down functionality with the headers information displayed

Closing Drill-Down Tabs

After a while, the drill-down tabs might be getting in your way. That's not a problem; you can close them and then recreate them as necessary.

To close a drill-down tab, first make sure that you're in the tab you wish to close. Notice a red "X" near the page navigation buttons. Simply press this red "X" and the drill-down tab is closed.