Expert Techniques for Crystal Reports Volumes 1 - 4
These guides are now FREE downloads
Volume 1 (Contents)
| I just wanted to thank
you for the help you provided to me. You sure are brilliant
and know your stuff. I also am finding your example packs
are simply the best. I'm going through all these reports and
see so many examples that will be very useful to me. K.R Manitowoc, WI |
Volume 2 (Contents)
Volume 3 (Contents)
Volume 4 (Contents)
I have released 4 volumes of my favorite tips and tricks, each with 30 articles. All include sample reports to demonstrate the techniques in action. The material is in PDF format but includes at least 30 sample reports (saved with data).
Contents of Volume 1: (Download)
(36 pages, 32 annotated reports)Cross-tabs:
1. Page numbers for cross-tabs placed in the Report Header
2. Titles on cross-tabs that spills onto virtual pages
3. Labeling each summary field in a single Cross-tab row
4. Using cross-tabs to create running totals (for advanced users)
Subreports:
5. Marking subreports
6. Finding or listing the subreports in a report
7. The Stealth Subreport
8. Shared variable from a subreport picks up the wrong value, from the prior subreport
9. Shared variable repeated when a subreport is blank
10. Keeping a Page Header from a subreport
Parameters:
11. How to get a parameter to select all, including null values
12. Printing selected values for multiple or range value parameters
13. Sort / group in the order that the multiple value parameter was entered
14. Selecting group/sort fields with a parameter
15. Adding or deleting group levels with a parameter (Group Cloaking)
16. Selecting ascending or descending order based on a parameter
17. Select the summary operation used in a TopN report based on a parameter
18. Let the user choose the number of groups to show (the “N”) in a TopN report
19. Finding where a stray parameter (or formula) is being used in a report
20. Setting the expiration date for a report
Formulas:
21. Forcing a formula to return a null value (i.e. distinct count of an if-then-else formula)
22. Printing symbols, like check marks, from formulas
23. The advantages to putting your group field inside a formula (grouping on the formula)
24. How to prevent the divide by zero error
25. The easy way to add up the distinct counts of several groups, and get a grand total
26. Printing “This group is continued on next page” or "Continued from previous page"
27. How to know when you can TopN the result of a formula
28. How to display only duplicate records
29. How to find gaps in a sequence of numbers or dates
30. Finding unmatched records in another table (in table A but not in Table B)
Contents for Volume 2: (Download)
(36 pages, 45 annotated reports)31. Find everyone that has a specific combination of records
32. Calculating prior period balances
33. Keep growing objects together within their sections
34. Forcing records to duplicate
35. Grouping subtotals into ranges
36. Reporting on the data that isn't there
37. Group Header/Footer prints with at least one Detail
38. Dragging on object past the edge of the design screen
39. Disabling drill-down for an entire section
40. Wormhole technique for moving a value backwards in a report
41. Carving a memo field into smaller pieces
42. Expanding the design area in Crystal Reports
43. Reading an external BMP file at runtime
44. Selection rules with an OR that encounter null values
45. Eliminating duplicate mailing labels (one label per group)
46. Printing the report file name, without the path.
47. Orphaned Report Headers
48. SQL expressions using unlisted functions
49. Putting a password on a report
50. Case flow in a time period (Begin/Open/Close/End cases)
51. Printing a random sample of records
52. Printing the message “No Records Found”
53. Embedding a field into the “total” text of a cross-tab
54. Different drill-downs from one row of the report
55. Select the entire group when one record meets the criteria
56. Select groups that are missing a specific type of record
57. Force column breaks in a multi-column report
58. Suppress the Group Footer or change properties on drill-down
59. Removing extra pages at the end of the report
60. Numbers that won’t align to the right
Contents for Volume 3: (Download)
(31 pages, 31 annotated reports)Date Calculations:
61. Filters that evaluate only the most recent record in a group.
62. Using date range functions in date calculations
63. Finding the first Monday in the month (or any DOW)
64. Finding the last Monday in the month (or any DOW)
65. Adjusting for Daylight Savings Time
66. Count the Fridays in a date range (or any DOW)
67. Calculating fiscal years
68. Calculating fiscal quarters
69. Calculating fiscal YTD
70. Showing pairs of records that are within 3 days of each other
71. Group records into 2 week periods that start when you want
72. Create rolling months using a cross-tab
73. Create rolling months using a manual cross-tab
Other Calculations:
74. Using the previous of the previous (i.e. rolling averages)
75. Calculating a distinct sum
76. Finding the median of an array (i.e. the median of a series of subtotals)
77. Round to nearest 5 cents or other odd increment
78. Percentages in cross-tabs beyond the ones Crystal provides
Formatting:
79. Setting a section’s height to a specific number
80. Forcing a page break after a specified number of rows
81. Conditionally suppress Details and still allow for drill-down
82. Suppress headings on the last page if there are no Details
83. A cross-tab that highlights alternate rows
84. Group level page breaks that orphan sections
Misc:
85. Selecting an ODBC Connection (DSN) at runtime
86. When using commands can slow things down
87. Using a parameter value in a pie or bar chart
88. Show TopN and BottomN at the same time
89. The key to using the mailing label wizard
90. How to create reports from spreadsheet data
Contents for Volume 4: (Download)
(33 pages, 34 annotated reports)Formulas:
91. Formula naming tips
92. Rounding positive and negative numbers in the same direction
93. Formula for finding the first and last day of a month
94. Using “feeder” formulas for dates and amounts
95. Using “feeder” formulas with parameters
96. Running total errors at the top of the page
97. Converting DateTimes stored in seconds (UTC/Unix time/Posix time)
98. Selecting, sorting or grouping based on PrintTime values (v9 or later)
(requires a Subreport)
99. Changing font properties within the text of a formula
100. Converting a decimal to an equivalent fraction
Parameters:
101. Displaying chosen parameter values with their descriptions
102. Cascading parameters when two fields have the same name (v11 or later)
103. Three-level cascading parameter that duplicates/drops values (v11 or later)
Formatting:
104. How to make a subreport show a wide cross-tab
105. Auto sizing a dotted line between two columns (like a TOC or index)
106. Cross-tabs that show totals as formatted time (
107. Suppressing vertical lines on a page, based on a condition
108. A line or box that grows based on a condition.
109. Force groups to start on the odd page number
110. How to format a paragraph with a "hanging indent"
111. Section background colors that fade gradually down the page
112. Using a subreport value before the subreport appears
113. Automatically center a cross-tab (v11 or later)
114. Prevent a chart line from dropping to zero at the end when there is no data
Exports:
115. Doing a fixed length text export (v9 or later)
116. Eliminating extra rows and columns in Excel exports (v9 or later)
Misc:
117. On-demand subreports that can use saved data
118. Hierarchical Grouping and a multi-level Bill of Materials (BOM)
119. Copying objects within a report
120. Copying objects to another report