The World of Formulas

So what are formulas?

Formulas are symbolic statements that control how data displays within your report. In Crystal Reports, you may create formula fields, which contain calculations based on existing database fields. Formula fields are a combination of two parts: the components and the syntax.

Components are the pieces that you add to create a formula. Syntax refers to the rules that dictate how you must organize the components. You'll learn about both components and syntax as you work your way through this chapter.

Once you've created formula fields, you may insert them within your reports, formatting them just as you have other objects (such as database fields or text objects).