Crystal Reports 9.0 Quick Start Workshop

Transcription

1 Crystal Reports 9.0 Quick Start Workshop FastPlanet Technologies Published December 26, 2002 i

2 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ISBN This course covers Crystal Reports 9.0 No part of this manual may be copied, photocopied, or reproduced in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the Author - FastPlanet Technologies and the Publisher - FastPlanet Technologies. All other trademarks, service marks, products or services are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. This course and all materials supplied to the student are designed to familiarize the student with the operation of the software programs. We urge each student to review the manuals provided by the software publisher regarding specific questions as to the operation of the programs. THERE ARE NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, MADE WITH RESPECT TO THESE MATERIALS OR ANY OTHER INFORMATION PROVIDED TO THE STUDENT. ANY SIMILARITIES BETWEEN FICTITIOUS COMPANIES, THEIR DOMAIN NAMES, OR PERSONS WITH REAL COMPANIES OR PERSONS IS PURELY COINCIDENTAL AND IS NOT INTENDED OT PROMOTE, ENDORSE OR REFER TO SUCH EXISTING COMPANIES OR PERSONS. This courseware is published, printed and bound by FastPlanet Technologies, FastPlanet Technologies Courseware is available at special quantity discounts to training companies and corporate training departments. Please contact sales@fastplanet.com or contact your preferred courseware provider. ii

3 Table of Contents Introduction... 2 Introduction Objectives... 2 About Crystal Reports... 3 Training Philosophy... 3 Class Objectives... 4 About This Manual... 5 Tips, Notes, and Warnings... 6 Section 1: Basic Reporting... 7 Lesson 1: Before You Begin... 9 Lesson Objectives Defining the Purpose of the Report Determining the Layout of the Report Finding the Data Organizing the Data for the Report Lesson 2: Creating a Simple Report Lesson Objectives Starting the Crystal Reports Program Starting a New Report Choosing a Data Source The Main Components of the Design Window Exploring the Toolbars Managing Resources with Explorers Placing Fields on the Report Selecting and Sizing Objects Browsing Field Data Moving and Aligning Objects Using Guides and Guidelines to Move and Align Objects Creating Text Objects Saving the Report Autosaving the Report Previewing the Report Refreshing the Data Getting Help Challenge Exercise Creating a Basic Report Lesson 3: Formatting Features Lesson Objectives Quick Formatting with the Template Expert Formatting Objects Inserting Lines and Boxes Drawing a Line Drawing a Box Inserting Graphics Working with the Page Commands Changing Page Orientation iii

4 Changing Margins...69 Working with Text Objects...70 Adding Fields into a Text Object...70 Formatting Part or All of an Object...73 Inserting Special Fields...74 Lesson 4: Selecting Specific Records from the Database...81 Lesson Objectives...82 Filtering Data with the Select Expert...83 Selecting Records with Multiple Criteria...88 Viewing and Editing the Select Formula...89 Case Sensitive vs. Case Insensitive...91 Record Selection Formula Templates...91 Challenge Exercise Selecting Specific Records...92 Challenge Exercise Selecting a Range of Values...94 Lesson 5: Grouping and Sorting Data for Summary Purposes...97 Lesson Objectives...98 When and Why to Group Records...99 Creating a Group...99 Group and Sort Direction Customize Group Name Field Modifying Groups Creating Multiple Groups in a Report Using the Group Tree to Navigate the Report Reordering Groups Summarizing Groups Additional Summary Options Grouping Data in Date/Time Intervals Calculating Percentages Ordering Groups Based on Their Subtotals Using the Group Sort Expert Challenge Exercise Grouping, Sorting, Summarizing Challenge Exercise Calculating Percentages Section 2: Adding Flexibility to Reports Lesson 6: Combining Multiple Tables Lesson Objectives Understanding Tables, Records, and Fields Learning About Linking Adding Multiple Tables to a Report Challenge Exercise Using the Database Expert to Link Tables Lesson 7: Creating and Using Formulas Lesson Objectives Understanding Crystal Formula Syntax without Being a Programmer About the Formula Workshop Using the Formula Workshop Using the Formula Editor The Formula Editor Toolbar Performing Simple Number Calculations iv

5 Manipulating Dates with Formulas Creating Boolean (True/False) Formulas Creating String Formulas Using Bookmarks to Navigate Through Formulas Challenge Exercise Creating String Formulas Challenge Exercise - Doing Calculations Challenge Exercise - Subtracting Dates Challenge Exercise Using Nested If Statements Lesson 8: Conditional Formatting Lesson Objectives The Highlighting Expert Setting Highlighting Priorities Formatting Sections Formatting Sections Conditionally Conditionally Formatting Fields Challenge Exercise Section Formatting and Conditional Formatting Lesson 9: Creating Summary Reports and Charts Lesson Objectives Creating a Summary Report Applying the Drill Down Feature Applying the DrillDownGroupLevel Producing Charts Editing Charts Formatting Charts Using the General Chart Options Modifying Individual Objects in the Chart Using Auto-Arrange Chart Applying Chart Templates Applying Chart Templates Challenge Exercise Creating a Summary Report Challenge Exercise - Charting Lesson 10: Exporting Report Results Within Your Organization Lesson Objectives Understanding Export Formats and Destinations Using an HTML Format for Crystal Reports Exporting to Windows Applications Exporting to a Report Definition Format Lesson 11: Setting Default and Report Options Lesson Objectives Setting the Default Layout for Design and Preview Views Lesson 12: Using the Report Wizards Lesson Objectives What are the Report Wizards? Create a Report Using the Standard Report Creation Wizard The Data Dialog Box The Fields Dialog Box v

6 The Grouping Dialog Box The Summaries Dialog Box The Group Sorting Dialog Box The Chart Dialog Box The Record Selection Dialog Box The Template Dialog Box Challenge Exercise Create a Report Using a Report Wizard Appendix A: Mapping Lesson Objectives Understanding Maps Map Layouts Map Types Formatting the Map Drilling Down on Maps Using the Analyzer Tab for Advanced Mapping Changing the Geographic Map Using the Map Navigator Changing Map Layers Resolving Data Mismatches Appendix B: Creating an ODBC Data Source to Attach to a Database Creating an ODBC Connection to Any Database Appendix C: Pre-Qualification Exercise for the Power User Workshop Pre-Qualification Exercise for the Power User Workshop Why Should You Pre-qualify Yourself for the Power User Workshop? Pre-qualification Exercise Appendix D: The Xtreme Sample Database Appendix E: Function and Operator Locations Appendix F: Glossary Index Course Evaluation vi

7 ntroduction 1

8 Introduction Introduction Objectives This manual is written to give you a step-by-step guide for your classroom training and a handy reference for your daily work. In this Introduction, you will learn how to use this training guide effectively. This section covers the following topics: An introduction to the Crystal Reports application Class objectives Help with using this training guide Information on how to start the program 2

9 Introduction About Crystal Reports In today's information intensive environment, every business has a database of some sort. After all, business today is all about information and databases give you a handle on the massive amounts of information you must deal with. Therefore, your business has a database and from that database, you need reports. The problem is, most reporting capabilities that come with database programs are limited. They only report on data from that program. Many users need to report on data from multiple sources, even databases that are in SQL (Structured Query Language), such as Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, Informix or Sybase. Crystal Reports is one of the most powerful reporting programs available with the ability to pull data from all types of data sources. You can use Crystal Reports to generate reports from any of the standard PC database programs, Access, Paradox, or FoxPro, as well as from a mainframe or server database. Crystal also has a powerful web-reporting server that allows you to distribute your reports over the web. Crystal Reports is bundled with more than 160 other programs including Visual Basic, some medical applications, many accounting packages and several ERP solutions. It makes report generation easy without requiring you to be a programmer or a database expert. If you know how to work in awindows environment and are familiar with the data you want to use, you can create a Crystal Report that looks professional and makes sense. Training Philosophy Studies show that people retain 10% of information they see, 20% of information they hear, 50% of what they see and hear, and 80% of what they see, hear and do. In line with this, this class utilizes a hands-on method of training. You will see the effects of new procedures on the screen, hear the instructor explain how and why to use features, and perform the actions yourself as you learn. In addition, this class focuses on your ability to perform tasks using the most productive techniques. The manual may contain several methods of accomplishing a certain task. However, class time does not allow for practice of all methods for each task. Your instructor will guide you in the most effective method of performing a task, but inform you of other methods that are available. Questions are encouraged. While we give our best effort to explain new concepts in understandable terms, you may need to hear the concept again or have it explained more thoroughly. Please let the instructor know when you need more information! 3

10 Introduction Class Objectives This class is a performance based instructional system. It is geared to provide you with the tools you need to build and distribute reports the quickest, most efficient way. After completing this course, you will be able to perform the following tasks: Plan and organize a report Create a new report Save and preview a report Navigate through the report Format and edit report objects Use a report style for formatting Add text objects to reports Add lines, boxes, and graphics images to reports Select specific data from a database Group, sort and summarize reports Use a Report Expert to create a report Set default options for the Crystal Reports program Create reports that pull data from multiple tables Use the Formula Editor to perform number calculations Create formulas that manipulate dates Modify string fields using powerful text functions. Conditionally format numbers with the Highlighting Expert Format sections on the report Use formulas to conditionally format any type of field Create summary reports for efficient analysis of data Add charts and customize how they look Distribute reports throughout your organization with Crystal s export feature Create geographical maps for charting Set up an ODBC connection to your database 4

11 Introduction About This Manual Each section of this manual contains objectives to provide you with the overall goals for the lesson. Lessons have descriptions of features and concepts followed by systematic directions for completing a specific task. Each section ends with a challenge exercise to help you practice the skills you learned in the lesson. Challenge exercises provide you with tasks to accomplish. Try to complete these exercises on your own. As you work in this Training Guide, certain conventions are used to identify specific procedures. Use the following table as a guide: TRAINING GUIDE CONVENTIONS Item Menu Commands Command Buttons Illustrated As Underlined letters for accessing menu commands are shown: Example: File/Open Command Buttons in dialog boxes are shown as buttons: Example: Tables Categories, Radio Buttons, Text Boxes, Check Boxes Keystrokes All options within dialog boxes are listed in italicized text: Example: the Keep Group Together check box the Other radio button Keyboard keys are indicated by uppercase text: Example: press ENTER Keyboard combinations are shown in uppercase text with a plus sign (+) between the keys that need to be pressed simultaneously. Toolbar Buttons Typing or File Selections Exercises Example: press CTRL + S to save Toolbar buttons are indicated by the button name and a graphic image of the button: Example: click the Print button Text to be typed or file names to be selected are printed in bold letters: Example: type Henry select grouping.rpt Step-by-Step exercises in the text are indicated by bold text and the symbol. For example: Exercise - Format Objects 5

12 Introduction Tips, Notes, and Warnings Tips, notes and warnings display with the following icons. Text for these additional comments display in bold and italics. This icon indicates a tip or shortcut. This icon points out a note of additional information. This icon calls attention to a warning or very important note. 6

13 Section 1: Basic Reporting Lesson 1: Before You Begin Lesson 2: Creating a Simple Report Lesson 3: Formatting Features Lesson 4: Selecting Specific Data from the Database Lesson 5: Grouping and Sorting Data for Summary Purposes 7

14 8

15 Lesson 1: Before You Begin Lesson Before You Begin... 9

16 Lesson 1: Before You Begin Lesson Objectives After completing this lesson, you will be able to: Understand and define the purpose of the report Decide the overall purpose of your report. Who will view it? What do they need to see? What decisions will be made from the data viewed? Define the layout for the report What will the title be? Do you need information in the header and footer on each page? Do you need summaries or other totals? Find the data Where is the data that you need to use in the report? Is it in a PC database file or on a client/server database? Does the data exist or does it need to be calculated? Organize the data on the report Should you sort or group your data? Do you only want to see certain records from the database? If so, which ones? Do you want to call attention to certain information? If so, how will it be identified? List the fields and tables needed for the report Create a list of the fields needed for the report and the tables in which those fields are located. 10

17 Lesson 1: Before You Begin Defining the Purpose of the Report Before you ever open the Crystal Reports application, you should do some planning on paper. A structured approach to planning a report will make the report creation process shorter and easier, with less rewriting and editing. Essential to this process is clear and frequent communication with the user of the report, if that is someone other than you. Remember that a report is a management tool. It should help the reader quickly understand the relationships and/or essential elements contained in the raw data. Good reports present the correct data in a wellorganized, easy-to-read manner. If the data is incorrect, or, if it is difficult to locate information, then the decision-making process can be slower or ineffective decisions may be made. A good starting place is to write out, in one or two sentences, the purpose of the report. A purpose statement assists you in keeping your focus. It gives the report a goal. Think about or ask about what information the report is intended to convey and how it will be used. Ask the user what decisions will be made based on the information in the report. Often, users may not know exactly what they want. Nevertheless, with your expertise in Crystal Reports, you can help them get exactly what they need. Here are some examples of report purpose statements: The purpose of this report is to show monthly sales of each product and the total dollar amount of each product sold. The purpose of this report is to keep track of inventory and quickly call attention to items that need to be reordered. The purpose of this report is to provide demographic information on our customers and suppliers in order to determine if we need to expand our supplier base. The purpose of this report is to compare year-to-date sales with last year s year-to-date sales to gauge how we are doing compared to last year. The information needs to be presented region by region. You should also be aware of who is going to read the report. Often, different people at different levels of responsibility in the organization read the same report, but for different reasons. If this is the case, you need to organize the report so that each level of information is clear and easy to find. A common example would be a company sales report. The sales representatives might use the report to evaluate individual sales performance and do comparisons to other representatives. The regional sales manager might also use the report for comparisons of the sales reps in his/her region. But this person would also want to know how his/her region compares with other regions or what percentage of total company sales are represented by his/her region. 11

18 Lesson 1: Before You Begin The national sales director might use the report to evaluate regional manager s performance. It could also be used to compare sales to forecasts and determine if company-wide adjustments are needed. The Vice President of Sales might use this report to project manufacturing needs, warehouse locations, sales campaigns, etc. Write out all these needs and formulate them into your purpose statement. If you can design the report to meet the needs of all these people, you will save yourself development time and serve your company as a whole. Determining the Layout of the Report The layout of the report is the plan for what information appears where. What should the report title be? Plan a title that encompasses all uses of the information or the most detailed use of the information. Write out the title. Is there information that should appear on each page of the report, such as the file name, author name, or page numbers? Will the users want to know how current the information is? Make a list of the items you need to include. What pieces of information need to display at each level of the report? Do you need to summarize, total, calculate averages or percentages or perform any statistical analyses? If so, which information needs to be calculated and how do you want to divide the report for the calculations? For example, in the sales report mentioned above, you might need to calculate total sales by each sales representative, also by each region, also by country, and grand total for the entire company. Write listings of what you need to see at each level of the report including totals and grand totals. Also, include the information by which you need to divide the report. Finding the Data Paramount to getting a report created is knowing where the data you need is located. You should know if the database you need to use is a PC data file or an SQL/ODBC data source or a Crystal Dictionary. Where is the database located and is there an ODBC connection already set up on your computer to access the database? If you do not know the answer, contact your MIS professional, database administrator or possibly even your co-workers to get this information. Next, decide which pieces of information you need to see at the greatest level of detail in your report. Write down these pieces of information. Once you have determined the data you need for details, you can add this to all the other information you have listed for the report. You can then use this list to determine which fields you need to access for the report. 12

19 Lesson 1: Before You Begin Organizing the Data for the Report As you look through your list of pieces of information needed, you may see three types of information: Data that is taken directly from fields in the database Data that is calculated from fields in the database (such as summary totals) Information that is typed directly into text objects in the report (such as a title) Information that is generated automatically, but not from the database (such as page numbers) Go through this list and determine which pieces come directly from fields in the database, then make a list of the field names you are going to need. After you list the fields, make a list of the table or tables that contain these fields. Obviously, you are going to have to be somewhat familiar with the database to do this. If you do not know the database well, talk with your database administrator and see if you can obtain a data map or data dictionary that tells you where specific pieces of information are stored. In addition to knowing field names, you should also become familiar with field types or data types. Many of the functions and commands used in Crystal Reports are designed to work with a specific type of data. You need to become comfortable with the types of data contained in your database. Most fields are one of the following data types: string, number, currency, date, time, date/time, Boolean, or memo. Now that you know what data you need and where it is located, what you have to pull from the database, what you can type, and what you have to calculate, you need to put all this together. In other words, you need to organize it all, so you know what will print where on the report. Each report that you create is divided into sections and the sections determine where things print on the report. The sections display in the Design view of Crystal Reports and print in the same order in which they display. Each section has its own characteristics that determine where objects print on the final report. 13

20 Lesson 1: Before You Begin Report Header Objects in this section print only one time at the beginning of the report. You might use this section for the report title (if you only wanted it to print on the first page) or for charts or maps that represent all the data in the report. Page Header This section prints the objects it contains at the top of each page of the report. This is a good location for print dates, page numbers, file name and author, or any other information that the user would want to see on each page. Group Header If you decide to divide the information in the report, you do it by creating groups. The items in this section appear at the beginning of each new group. Typically, this section contains the name of the group or other group identifying text and/or charts or cross-tabs that represent data group by group. Details This section contains the detail records for the report and gets repeated for each record pulled from the database. This is where you want to put the items that represent the details on the report. Group Footer This section prints at the end of each group in the report and only displays when the report has been divided into groups. Here is where the group subtotals and summaries appear and any other information you want included at the end of each group. Report Footer Objects placed in this section print only once at the end of the report. It is the perfect place for grand totals or other summaries for the entire report. Often it is used for charts, maps or cross-tabs that display information for the entire report. Page Footer Like the Page Header, this section appears on each page of the report, only this one displays at the bottom of the page. Use it for page numbers, print dates or other information that the user needs to see on every page of the report. Now you can design your report on paper, placing each piece of data where it belongs. It can even be helpful to indicate the sections at the left of the paper to help you remember which objects to put into each section. Basically, draw a picture of what the report should look like. You are not going to do this planning in class because there is not time. Your class time is best spent learning the Crystal Reports program. However, this is a highly recommended process for you to follow when you begin to create your own reports. If you plan your reports on paper first, it will save you time, work and aggravation later. 14

21 Lesson 1: Before You Begin NOTES 15

22 Lesson 1: Before You Begin NOTES 16

23 Lesson 6:Combining Multiple Tables Lesson Combining Multiple Tables 129

24 Lesson 6:Combining Multiple Tables Lesson Objectives After completing this lesson, you will be able to: Understand Relational Database Concepts Work more intelligently with a background understanding of the data for the report and how it is organized. Comprehend Linking and Why It Is Necessary Know why you must link tables together and how to do it. Add Multiple Tables to Reports Relational databases store data in multiple tables for more flexibility. Learn how to add more than one table to a report. Use the Database Expert to add tables and link them Let Crystal Reports help you add and link tables with Smart Linking 130

25 Lesson 6:Combining Multiple Tables Understanding Tables, Records, and Fields Understanding how to set up and use databases fully is a complex process. It is not the focus of this course to go into great detail about databases. However, if you have little or no experience working with databases, there are a few basic terms and concepts that you should understand. The bullets below should be sufficient for you to feel comfortable working with Crystal Reports. There are essentially three divisions in a database: fields, records, and tables: Tables store records and fields. For example, the customer order records are all stored in the Orders table. Records are groups of fields all relating to the same item. For example, all information pertaining to the same order are stored in one record and that record can be uniquely identified by its order ID number. Fields store specific values. These may be entered or captured by some information gathering application like an accounting system. Maybe the information being captured is for a customer order and the database holds the order date, invoiced amount and order ID number. These pieces of information are stored as fields. Learning About Linking When Crystal Reports has to pull data from more than one table, there needs to be a link between the tables. The link connects the field that uniquely identifies each record in one table and ties to it all the records that relate to it in another table. For example, suppose you have an Orders table that uniquely identifies each order by its Order ID, and specifies the customer who ordered, the order date, the ship date, etc. You also have an Orders Detail table that lists the line items on each order and their price and the quantity ordered. You need to have some way to identify the order ID for each line item, so you can track what items were ordered and when. The Orders Detail table should also have an order ID field. When you link these two tables together on their common field (Order ID), Crystal Reports can then pull accurate data regarding which line items were ordered on each order ID, who ordered them, their quantity, price, and order date. The fields that are used to create the link must be the same data type in both tables. For example: you cannot link a string field to a number field 131

26 Lesson 6:Combining Multiple Tables You can create several types of links. Different types of links are called join types. Although there are several join types, for the purpose of this class, you will learn only the three most common join types: Inner (new terminology in version 9) joins pull only records that have matching records in both tables Left-outer joins pull ALL records from the left table and only matching records in the right table Right-outer joins pull ALL records from the right table and only matching records in the left table. Below you see two tables that are related by a common field, the Dept ID field. Assume that the Dept ID field is a number field and you can already see that it has the same name in both tables. You wish to create a report that displays the Employee name and the Department description for that employee. From or Left Table To or Right Table Employee Table Department Table Name Dept ID Dept ID Description Sarah Accounting Sam Shipping Savannah Service Shannon Admin Mark 50 Tech Support If you did not link the tables at all, Crystal Reports would not know which department goes with which employee. You would get each employee name displayed five times with each department name after the employee name. Student Course Sarah Accounting Sarah Shipping Sarah Service Sarah Admin Sarah Tech Support Etc. You can see that links must be created if data pulled from multiple tables is to be meaningful. 132

27 Lesson 6:Combining Multiple Tables If the two tables are joined with an inner join, Crystal Reports only pulls records that have matches in both tables. Since Mark s Dept ID does not match any record in the Department table it is not selected. Since Department 50 is not in the Employee table, it is not selected. Employee Sarah Sam Savannah Shannon Department Accounting Shipping Service Admin If you link the two tables with a left-outer join, you get a different set of records. A left-outer join gives all the records in the left table and any matches there are in the right. Since the Dept ID 50 is not in the employee table, it is not selected, however, the record for Mark in the employee table is selected because left-outer joins automatically select all records from the left table. Crystal Reports would display the record set below: Employee Sarah Sam Savannah Shannon Mark Department Accounting Shipping Service Admin A right-outer join is just the opposite of a left-outer join and would give you the following record set: Employee Department Sarah Accounting Sam Shipping Savannah Service Shannon Admin Tech Support Once you have determined which fields you need in a report and the tables in which they are contained, you must also think about the type of join you need to pull the records required by the report. Determine if you want an inner, left-outer or rightouter join. Inner joins are, by far, the most common and simplistic. If you need to use an outer join, the order in which you place the tables is important. 133

28 Lesson 6:Combining Multiple Tables Adding Multiple Tables to a Report In version 9.0, the Data Explorer was replaced by the Database Expert. The Database Expert adds more flexibility for the user. Within the Database Expert, there is a tree view of all the data sources you can use with Crystal Reports and their corresponding tables. The Database Expert appears when a new report is started for the user to select the data source and tables for the report. It can also be selected under the Database Menu 134

29 Lesson 6:Combining Multiple Tables To add tables to the report, highlight the table and click the button. The tables selected will appear in the right list box, label Selected Tables. Once all of the tables are added to the report click TIP: To add tables quickly using the Database Expert, multiple select them using your mouse and the SHIFT or CONTROL key to highlight all of the needed tables, and then click the Move Over button to add them all at once. When multiple tables have been added to the report from the Database Expert, the Links tab automatically appears in the Database Expert. NOTE: Users have the option to add all or one of the tables from the Database Expert. 135

30 Lesson 6:Combining Multiple Tables The Links tab in the Database Explorer is the tool used to link tables in a report. In version 9 Crystal uses Smart Linking to link tables together based on common fields. Smart Linking automatically chooses links for your tables based on common fields in tables or indexed fields. You can also manually add a link between two tables by dragging a field name from one table to the other. The application will draw a new link arrow between the tables. The link is represented by a line with or without an arrow, depending on the join type. This is referred to as a link line. Personally I think it is good practice to clear all links and have the user do their own. There is no way to turn off smart linking in version 9. The Database Expert can be opened manually from the Database menu or you can use the Database Expert button. WARNING: It is IMPORTANT which table you add first! You should add the table that contains the most important or most general piece of information in the report first. NOTE: Using Smart Linking will add a link to EVERY common field between two tables. All of the unnecessary links must be removed for the report to run properly. Therefore, you may need to click the Clear Links button to un-link the tables. The option to permanently turn off Smart Linking was removed in version

31 Lesson 6:Combining Multiple Tables TIP: If you did not add all the tables you need from the Database Expert when you first created the report, you can add them by re-opening the Database Expert and select the missing tables. Suppose you need to create a report using the Xtreme Sample Database 9. This report must show the orders by supplier and by product. You need to see the Order ID, Order Date Unit Price and Quantity of each item. Before you begin this report, you should be familiar with the tables and how they are set up. The illustration on the previous page displays the tables that you will use in this report. Notice that the Supplier table and the Product table can be linked on the Supplier ID field. The Product table and the Orders Detail table have Product ID as the common field. Finally, the Orders Detail table and the Orders table can be linked on the Order ID field. Exercise Create a Report with Linked Tables 1. Start a new report using the As a Blank Report option button. 2. Open the Favorites folder, then open Xtreme Sample Database 9 if necessary. 3. Add the Supplier, Product, Orders Detail and Orders tables in this order, then click 4. Whatever order you select them in they display alphabetically? The Link tab appears displaying the four tables. Notice the links. They should indicate links from Supplier to Product, from Product to Orders Detail and from Orders Detail to Orders. 5. Click to close the Database Expert. 6. Add the following fields to the Detail section: Order ID, Order Date, Unit Price, and Quantity. 7. Group the report on the Supplier Name. Add a second group on the Product Name. 8. Save the report. Name it Linking. Preview the report. 137

32 Lesson 6:Combining Multiple Tables The report should be similar to the illustration below: WARNING: If you are using a data file connection, instead of an ODBC connection, you must create the link on an indexed field. In addition, with this connection, joins are created as left outer joins by default and you cannot change the join type. Note in version 9 indexed fields for SQL databases are now shown. 138

33 Lesson 6:Combining Multiple Tables Challenge Exercise Using the Database Expert to Link Tables Suppose you need to create a report that lists employees. You need to include the employee ID, the name and address information, their current position and salary. The work information is contained in the Employee table, while personal information, including address, is in the Employee Addresses table. The two tables have a common field, Employee ID. 1. Start a new report using the As a Blank Report option button. 2. From the Favorites folder, open Xtreme Sample Database 9 and add the Employee table and the Employee Addresses table then click 3. Verify the link is correct in the Link tab, click 4. Add the Employee ID field to the Details section. 5. Create a text object in the Details section under the Employee ID field. 6. In the text box, insert the address information putting the First Name and Last Name fields on the first line separated by a space. Put the Address 1 and Address 2 fields on the second line, separated by a space. Put the City, Region, and Postal Code fields on the third line, adding a comma and spaces so it looks like an address. Add the Country field on the last line. The text box should look like the following when it is finished: 7. Add the Position and Salary fields to the Details section to the right of the address text object. 8. Format the report to look like the example on the following page. 9. Save this report. Name it Employees. Preview the report and close it. 139

34 Lesson 6:Combining Multiple Tables The Employees report in Preview view: 140

35 Lesson 6:Combining Multiple Tables NOTES 141

36 Lesson 6:Combining Multiple Tables NOTES 142

37 Lesson 9:Creating Summary Reports Lesson Creating Summary Reports and Charts 195

38 Lesson 9:Creating Summary Reports Lesson Objectives After completing this lesson, you will be able to: Create a one page summary report Make succinct, easy to read summary reports with all the information on a single page. Drill Down in the summary to view the detail Allow users to view the underlying data by double clicking the summary number for which they want details. Produce meaningful graphs Charting is the number one way to get your point across to others. Create graphs quickly with the Chart/Graph Expert. Format graphs Add pizzazz to your graphs by controlling the formatting. 196

39 Lesson 9:Creating Summary Reports Creating a Summary Report When you create a report, you want to produce an attractive product that is easy to read and understand. You should avoid reports that look like those ancient green bar reports, with row after row of data. Generally, reports only need to show the bottom line numbers or summary figures. People only want to see the rest of the records when the summary numbers need to be validated. In these situations, you need to have a summary report and hide the underlying data. Crystal Reports makes creating a summary report an easy process to perform, once the report has been grouped and summarized. The shortcut menus for each section contain a Suppress option that hides a section completely if you do not need it at all. There is also a Hide (Drill Down OK) option that hides a section, but allows the viewer to double click a summary number to view the underlying data that went to make up that number. Once you have hidden the sections you do not wish to see in preview, you have a summary report. If you were summarizing sales by month, the summary report might look something like this: 197

40 Lesson 9:Creating Summary Reports To create a summary report and work with drill down, you are going to create a new report. This report is a monthly sales order report by day of week for Exercise Create a Summary Report 1. Create a new report. In the Database Expert, select the Orders table 2. Add the Order ID, Order Date and Order Amount fields to Detail section. 3. Filter the records to select only 2001 orders based on the Order Date field. 4. Add two groups: a. Group #1 is based on the Order Date field. Set it to print for each month. In this case we would like month name so select options and customize group name field. Select MonthName (Month (Order Date)) b. Group #2 is based on a formula. Why use a formula here but simply group for each day and then use a formula (similar to the one above) to display weekday name (DayOfWeek ({Orders.Order Date}) (Create a formula named Day of Week using the following formula text: DayOfWeek ({Orders.Order Date}) The DayOfWeek function is found in the Function Tree list under the Date/Time category. It returns values 1 to 7 with 1 being Sunday. 5. Fix Group #1 to display the month name. Hint: Right-click on the Group Name field and customize the date value to display only the month name. 6. Fix Group #2 to display the day of week name instead of values 1 to 7. To accomplish this you will need to change the group. Right-click the section name Group Header #1 and select Change Group. In the Option tab check on Customize Group Name Field. Additional options become enabled, select Use a Formula as Group Name option and then click on the button. 7. Add the formula text: WeekdayName ({@Week Day}) The WeekdayName function is found in the Function Tree list in the Date/Time category. This function will convert numbers 1 to 7 into actual week day names. We use the we created earlier to supply values for the function s argument. 8. Insert summaries for both groups and a grand total. 9. Copy the group name fields from the group headers and paste them to their respective group footers and to the left of the summaries. 198

41 Lesson 9:Creating Summary Reports Applying the Drill Down Feature 10. Format Order Date field in the Details section to display the date only. 11. Make Group Header #2 bigger and move the Field Headers into the section below the Group Name field 12. We are now ready to hide several sections in order to make the report a summary report. Using the Section Expert hide the following sections: a. Group Header #1 b. Group Header #2 c. Details d. Group Footer #2 13. Save the report as Summary and preview the report. The report should look similar to the illustration on the previous page. The powerful benefit of using the Hide feature is that you can drill down to view the data supporting the summary. When you double click a summary number to perform a drill down, Crystal Reports opens a new tab to display the detailed data. You can have multiple levels of drill-down tabs in the report, one for each level of grouping. Several drill-down tabs can be created. Once Crystal Reports creates a tab, you can save it with the report by simply saving the report. If you only wanted to verify the summary data and no longer need the tab, you can delete it by clicking the red button in the navigation area. If you perform any section formatting, Crystal Reports warns you that you are about to lose the drill-down tab. Usually you can select OK. Drill-down tabs are easy to recreate. Exercise Drill Down to View the Detail 1. Move the mouse pointer around on the Preview screen. When you are pointing to any of the group names or summary fields, the pointer changes shape to a magnifying glass. 2. With the magnifying glass pointer, double click group name for May. Crystal Reports creates a new tab with the summary information for the day of week May. 3. Double click on Tuesday. Crystal displays a tab with the customer details for those orders in May 2001which were placed on a Tuesday. 199

42 Lesson 9:Creating Summary Reports 4. To close the tabs, click the button in the navigation area. Close both the tab for Tuesday and the tab for May. Notice the second drill-down into Group #2 is not very attractive. Crystal doesn t know we don t want to see this information at this level. In the next exercise we will address the solution to this problem. 5. Point to the Grand Total figures in the Report Footer. Notice that the mouse pointer does not display as a magnifying glass. You cannot drill down on grand totals, only on summary totals or subtotals. 6. Save the report but do not close it. Applying the DrillDownGroupLevel A new feature in Crystal Reports 9 is an added function which is able to test the drilldown level being displayed. We can even use this function to display the level we are currently viewing. This is an important enhancement for drill down reports with multiple groupings. We can use the output of this function to conditionally suppress sections depending on the level being displayed. We will now use this function to correct the display issues we experienced in the previous exercise. Exercise 9.2 Incorporating Conditional Formatting in Drill-down reports 1. Create a new formula named Drill-down Level 2. In the Function Tree list, expand the Print State category and scroll down to the bottom of the category to locate DrillDownGroupLevel. Double click on it. 3. Save, close and place the formula once in the Group #1 Footer and once in the Group #2 Header. Preview report. Notice the numbers at each of the levels within the group section. Knowing the level number gives us a value to test for when applying conditional suppression. Top level is always We can now apply the conditional suppression to the Group #2 Header. Right-click in the section area for the Group #2 Header and select Section Expert. Typically I would insert a new section with just the column headings in it and conditionally suppress that as we would like to see the group name at drill down level 1. In the example below you have group 2 name in the group footer but did not actually do that in the exercise above. 5. Click the button next to the Suppress(No Drill-Down) option. 200

43 Lesson 9:Creating Summary Reports 6. In the formula text area apply the following formula: DrillDownGroupLevel = 1 Whenever the group level is equal to 1 for the Group #2 Header, suppress is turned on and the section will be suppressed. 7. Save the formula and preview the report. You should now see improved formatting when drilling down into Group # 2 as shown in the example below. 201

44 Lesson 9:Creating Summary Reports Producing Charts After creating a comprehensive report where records have been grouped and summarized, you may wish to illustrate that information with Charts. Charts are simple to create and usually, but not always, require that at least one group be defined. To create a chart you can choose Insert Chart or click the Insert Chart button on the Insert Tools Toolbar. The Chart Expert dialog box displays, to assist you in creating the chart. 202

45 Lesson 9:Creating Summary Reports The Chart Expert is a tabbed process. As you complete each step, you can click the next tab to continue to the next step. The first step is to choose the chart type. Crystal Reports has several types of charts as you can see from the above illustration. The most common charts are bar or pie charts. Use bar charts to compare like data. Pie charts are usually used to show pieces of a whole, such as sales figures for regions in the entire country. Crystal Reports includes an Automatically set chart options check box that will use the default settings in the Axes and Options tabs. Uncheck this option to override those settings. Each chart type has subtypes that let you further refine the chart. Once you select the type, click the appropriate button on the right to choose the desired subtype. Using the Data tab, you can chart data based on group summary information, or based on details in the records within a group, or based on information summarized in a cross-tab, or on OLAP data. Depending on which button you choose in the Layout: section, you see different choices in this tab. However, each set of choices is going to require you to decide where to put the chart and which field data to chart. 203

46 Lesson 9:Creating Summary Reports Chart Data Options Option or Item Layout section Placement On Change of: Show Description The chart can be set to display data from four sources: Group - the chart displays summary field values. Advanced - the chart displays individual record values for fields or formulas Cross-tab the chart displays values from a cross-tab. OLAP the chart displays data from an OLAP cube. This option specifies how often you want the chart displayed on the report. For group charts, you can place them once per report. For detail charts, you can put them once per report or once per group. This box defines the field chosen as a condition for plotting values in the chart. Points are plotted whenever the value in this field changes. This box shows the value in the specified field. In other words, this box determines the size of the pie pieces, height of the bar, etc. The text tab lets you add and format text objects in the chart. Crystal adds some default text automatically. To delete or modify the default text, click the Auto-text check mark for the one you want to change, then delete the text or edit it in the associated text box. 204

47 Lesson 9:Creating Summary Reports To help you understand the fields you need for charting data, consider the following example. Suppose you have a report that shows last year's sales for customers. The report is grouped on Region with a total sales summary field in the group footer. If you want to chart the total last year's sale by region, you should use the Group button. You would enter the Region field into the On Change Of: text box. Then enter the Sum of Last Year's Sales field from the Group Footer in the Show: text box. The chart would display a bar for each region indicating the total sales for each region. The region name would appear below each bar. From this same report, you could chart the total sales for each customer, even though you do not have a field that calculates that value. Choose an Advanced layout. You would place the Customer Name field in the On Change Of: box and the Order Amount field from the Details section in the Values: list. The chart would show a bar for each customer indicating the sum total of that customer's sales. The customer name appears below each bar. Once you are finished defining the chart, click the OK button. Crystal Reports inserts the chart in the header or footer section you specified on the Data tab. Some repositioning and sizing may need to be done. NOTE: If you are in Crystal Reports' Design Window, the chart data does not look quite right. This is because the Design Window only shows you a sample of the chart. Once you go to Crystal Report's Preview Window, the chart changes to represent the actual report data. Exercise Create a Bar Chart 1. You should still have the Summary.rpt report open. Return to Design view. 2. Now, you are ready to create the chart. Click the button. The first screen of the Chart Expert will display 3. Select Bar in the Chart Type: list. 4. Click the button, and then click the Data tab. 5. Make sure the chart is set to print only once per report in the header, the Orders.Order Date field shows in the On change of: box, and the Sum of Orders.Order Amount field shows in the Show: box. Then click the Text tab. 205

48 Lesson 9:Creating Summary Reports 6. Turn off the Auto-text check mark for the Title: then type Monthly Sales Orders. 7. Turn off the Auto-text check mark for Group Title and Data Title and delete the text in the boxes next to the options. 8. Click in the Chart Expert dialog box. Crystal Reports inserts the chart in the Report Header on top of the title. Notice the chart displays sample information, not the data you charted 9. Save and preview the report. The chart should look like the following illustration: 206

49 Lesson 9:Creating Summary Reports Editing Charts Once a chart is inserted on the report, it is an object like any other. You can move it, resize it or edit it by selecting it first. When you RIGHT click the chart, the Chart Expert menu choice reopens the Chart Expert dialog box for you to make changes. You can also add a border around the entire chart by selecting the Change Border menu choice. Exercise Edit a Chart 1. Make sure the chart is selected. 2. RIGHT click the chart, then choose Format Chart 3. Add a single line border around the chart and turn on the Drop Shadow feature. 4. RIGHT click the chart again, then choose Chart Expert 5. Click Pie in the Chart type: list. Click the button to change the chart to a 3-D pie chart. 6. Click You can also drill down on a chart. Just like summaries, charts represent the calculated data of detailed information. Click any piece of the pie or any bar, etc., to drill down to see the details. Exercise Drill Down from the Chart 1. Double click on any piece of the pie to view its data. 2. When finished looking at the tab, click the button. 3. Save the report. 207

50 Lesson 9:Creating Summary Reports Formatting Charts Crystal Reports versions 9.0 has significantly enhanced the ability to format the chart by providing the ability to right-click the chart and choosing the required formatting option. Additionally, objects in the chart can be repositioned or sized while viewing the report in the preview mode. There are four primary tools useful in formatting a chart: Chart Expert This tool we have used already, but it is important to note there are several options available in this formatting tool. However, we use this mostly to define the chart type such as pie or bar chart, define what data the chart will use to display and define chart titles. Chart Options This tool allows us to define how the information is displayed and is the most versatile of all the tools. Chart Options has five main tool sets: a. Templates There are several predefined chart templates which provide useful formatting schemes. These templates are useful once the chart is created and you wish to apply a quick format. You can also create and apply you own templates. b. General This option has several features and is customized automatically based on the chart type being formatted. In other words, there are different option for pie charts versus bar charts. We use this option mostly to define what items are display, how they are arranged and how they are formatted. c. Titles This option allows us to quickly modify or add titles which were created when the chart was first created. d. Series This option allows us to control how the data is being displayed within the lines, bar, pie or other chart graphics e. Grid This option allows us to format the grid display for chart types which use a grid to represent numerical data such as bar or line charts, but not for pie charts. There are several options in this tool which provide us the ability to display the grid in many ways f. Selected Items Every chart is comprised of several objects which can be formatted separately. Selecting this option provides us the ability change an items font, color, pattern or size Auto Arrange This is a simple tool which when selected will attempt to rearrange the chart into a cleaner view. It looks at the data being displayed and makes a decision on how to better position value labels or resize the grid. This is a useful tool to apply once most other formatting option have been implemented. With any auto tool it is a good idea to save your report before applying auto arrange although it can be undone. 208

51 Lesson 9:Creating Summary Reports Using the General Chart Options A chart will display the group information based on the group s output. In other words if the group out puts a date format, the chart will display a date for the value labels. In the sample report we are working on the Group Name fields are formatted to display a month name, but our chart is displaying the group output of month/year. We can fix this problem, but not through any chart formatting option. Instead we must change the group to output the desired result. Exercise 9.6 Modify the Group #1 to Output Month Name 1. From Design or Preview, right-click on the section name for Group #1 Header and select Change Group 2. In the Options tab check on Customize Group Name Field. Additional options become enabled, select Use a Formula as Group Name option and then click on the button. 3. Add the formula text: MonthName (Month ({Orders.Order Date})) The MonthName function is found in the Function Tree list in the Date/Time category. This function will convert numbers 1 to 12 into actual month names. We use the function Month to convert dates into numbers 1 to 12. The month function can also be fount in the Function Tree in the Date/Time category. 4. Save the formula and preview the report. Notice the chart now displays the month name and not a date. 209

52 Lesson 9:Creating Summary Reports We are now ready to make formatting changes to the chart. When you RIGHT click a chart, then choose Format Chart/General, Crystal opens the Chart Options dialog box. Here you can customize several different features on the chart. The features and options in this dialog box vary according to the type of chart you have selected. Exercise 9.7 Modify the Chart Options 1. RIGHT click the chart, then choose Chart Options /General 2. On the General tab, change the pie tilt, depth and rotation. Notice that the sample chart on the left changes to reflect your choices. 3. Try exploding the pie, but when you are finished, reset it to Click the Layout tab. Click the Ring Pie option button. 5. Click the Data Labels tab. Notice Show Labels and Show Leader Lines is turned on. We will leave them as is. Click the Show Values checkbox to turn on display of values. Then click the Values outside Slices option button if necessary. 6. Click the Numbers tab. Drop down the Category: list and choose Currency. Then set the numbers to 0 decimals. 7. Click the Look tab. Here you can set options for the Legend. Drop down the Box Style: list and choose a style you like. 210

53 Lesson 9:Creating Summary Reports 8. Click the Display Status tab. This is where you define what displays on the chart and what does not. Uncheck Show Pie Total This is not an available option unless you have changed the pie to a ring pie. 9. Now that we have changed the pie chart to Ring Pie we can modify the hole size. Click on the General tab and notice there is a new option for adjusting the hole size. Change the hole size to 16 and then click OK to preview the chart. NOTE: Depending on the type of chart you have defined, you may see other options in the Chart Options menu. For example, if you have a Bar chart, there is a Grid option. Modifying Individual Objects in the Chart At this point in our chart development we are ready to format individual items in the chart. The ability to do this within Preview is new to Crystal Reports 9.0. It is important to recognize the chart as a series of individual objects with their own set of formatting options and settings. By selecting an item those options will become enabled for our use. In this next exercise we want to format the label values, change the chart title and detach an individual pie slice. Exercise 9.8 Modify the Chart Options 1. Select one of the month names for an individual slice and then right-click. Choose Chart Options/Selected Item 2. A Formatting dialog box opens with several options to choose from. Make the font size 8pt, make the font bold and change the color to a color of your choice. Click OK when done. To change the font the selected item must be the lable and not the piece of pie. To change the color the selected item must be the piece of pie. Notice the changes applied to all slice labels and not just the one selected. 3. Perform step 2 for the sales number for each slice except just make the font bold and a different color. 4. Viewing the chart in Preview, select the Monthly Sales Orders title box. Notice by selecting it, it is now highlighted and we can move or resize it to our requirements. Right-click the title and choose Chart Options/Titles 5. In the Titles dialog box change the text to 2001 Monthly Sales Orders. Select OK when done and make any sizing adjustment necessary. 6. Save the report 211

54 Lesson 9:Creating Summary Reports Using Auto-Arrange Chart Now that we have our chart formatted to our requirements, it is time to apply the Auto-Arrange Chart feature. The Auto-Arrange Chart can be used initially after creating a chart, but it is best used once all the formatting is in place. Exercise 9.10 Modify the Chart Options 1. Right-click the chart in Preview view and select Auto-Arrange Chart. Notice how the slice labels are rearranged in a more pleasant viewing manner. 2. Save the report. 212

55 Lesson 9:Creating Summary Reports Applying Chart Templates Chart Templates are an excellent way to quickly format a chart or to save a format you have defined and apply it to new charts. To save a chart as a template, right-click the chart and choose Save as Template. A Save As dialog box opens and it prompts you to save the chart to specific directory called User Defined. It is important to use this default directory since this is the directory the where Crystal will look to when applying your saved templates. To apply a chart template to an existing chart, RIGHT click the chart, then choose Chart Options/Template from the shortcut menu. To see the templates you have defined go to the custom area and click on user defined where you will see any templates you have saved. The Gallery tab contains several basic chart types and some standard formatting options for each of them. 213

56 Lesson 9:Creating Summary Reports The Custom tab has several highly customized types of charts. Just select the one you want, then click Exercise 9.11 Save a Chart as a Template 1. RIGHT click the chart, then choose Save as Template 2. The Save As dialog box opens prompting you for a file name for the chart template. Name the chart Pie Chart1. Notice the file is being saved to C:\Program Files\Common Files\Crystal Decisions\2.0\ChartSupport\Templates\User Defined. 3. Click Save when done and return to Preview. 214

57 Lesson 9:Creating Summary Reports Exercise 9.12 Choose a Chart Template 1. RIGHT click the chart, then choose Chart Options/ Template 2. Select each one of the chart types in the Gallery to see what options are available, and then select one of your choices. Click 3. Don t like the results? It is easy to fix. Click the Undo button on the toolbar. 4. Right-click the chart and select Chart Expert and change the chart to a bar chart. Notice the chart no longer reflect your formatting changes. 5. RIGHT click the chart again, and choose Chart Options/ Template 6. Click the Custom tab. Select each of the categories in the list on the left, then scroll through and view the chart types in the category. Choose the User Defined category and select the template we saved earlier. Click OK when done. The chart should now reflect the template formatting we defined earlier. 7. Save the report. 215

58 Lesson 9:Creating Summary Reports Challenge Exercise Creating a Summary Report Create a summary report from the first quarter orders report you created in an earlier challenge exercise. 1. Open the Orders for first quarter for 2001 as percentages.rpt report. 2. Move the text box and the summary field in Group Footer #1 to the right side of the report. 3. Move the Group #1 Name field from the Group Header #1 into the Group Footer #1 section. Resize the field to be about 1 wide. 4. Move the column titles from the Group Header #2 section into Group Header #1, and then delete the second group. HINT: RIGHT click the group header, then choose Delete Group. 5. Summarize the Order Amount field using the Sum function for Group #1. Add a text box to the left of the summary field that reads Total Monthly Orders. 6. Format the summary field with a top double line border. Format the text box to be bold and right aligned. 7. Hide the Group Header #1 section and the Details section. 8. Save this report and name it First quarter 2001 orders summarized. Challenge Exercise - Charting Now create a pie chart that shows the order totals on the pie pieces and the percentages in the legend. 1. Create the pie chart on the change of Order Date, showing the Sum of the Order Amount. 2. Add the title text Order Totals by Month and a subtitle For the First Quarter Crystal Reports creates a second Report Header to accommodate the chart without laying it on top of any existing objects. Working with multiple sections is addressed in the Power User class. 3. Using the various formatting options available to you, format the chart to look like the sample on the next page. 4. Save and preview the report. 216

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