The Crystal Reports Underground News - September 2001
an independent source for Crystal Reports Information
by Ken Hamady, MS
Contents for September 2001:
** Support changes at Crystal Decisions
** Getting free help from the experts at Tek-Tips.com
** Crystal information at KenHamady.com
** The "Ask Crystal" feature at Crystal Decisions
** Hot tips for the month of September
Putting a Title onto a Cross-tab
The Saved Data trap
Calculating the number of "Work Days"
between two dates
Using the Compile feature in Versions
8 and 8.5
** Getting expert on-site training
** Public Crystal Reports class schedule
** Getting trained or getting help by phone.
** My Quick Reference to Crystal Reports in Visual Basic
In 2000 I was able to purchase a full year of priority support from Crystal Decisions for $250. That included a toll-free number and going to the head of the phone queue. Now the charge is $195 per incident. So where would I go if I wanted a more cost effective way to get help. Here are some great options:
Tek-Tips.com
I have visited newsgroups, consulting group sites, managed forums and even the Crystal Decisions support forum. The clear winner for Crystal Reports is Tek-Tips.com. It has over 100,000 registered members, and over 8,000 members in the Crystal forums alone. It is the most active Crystal Reports forum that I have found on the web. Most importantly, it has many experts, like me, who have a friendly competition to see who can provide the best answers. There are FAQs that answer common questions, and you can do keyword searches through the entire archive.
KenHamady.com:
Most of you are receiving this because you have visited my site at one time or another. But, if you haven't visited my site recently, you should. Not only does it tell you all about what I do, but it also has loads of free information to help you use Crystal Reports more effectively. You will find:
> Settings that you should change
before you even start using Crystal
> Bugs and/or design flaws by Version
> More than 20 commonly requested formulas that you can paste into your reports
> Seventy five review questions to test your knowledge
> Dozens of 3rd party products that work with Crystal Reports
Check out the rest of this site
using the buttons above.
Crystal has a pretty good site with a searchable Knowledgebase and many useful articles. See the LINKS page above for the link for key links to the Crystal Site.
Hot tips for September:
1) Putting a Title onto a Cross-tab. This technique will even carry the title to the "virtual" pages that are created when the Cross-tab is too wide.
http://support.crystaldecisions.com/kbase/c2005273.asp
2) The Saved Data trap, when VB
applications wont refresh reports:
http://www.tek-tips.com/faqs.cfm?spid=766&sfid=1006
3) Calculating the number of "Work
Days" between two dates:
http://www.kenhamady.com/form01.html
4) Using the compiled report
feature in Versions 8 and 8.5:
http://www.tek-tips.com/faqs.cfm?spid=149&sfid=277
If you enjoy Crystal Tips and
Tricks you should check out my "Expert's Techniques"
books. Each volume is only $19
Or check out the Expert's Guide to Crystal Reports
Formulas
for only $36.
I have personally taught over 1500 satisfied students in more than 30 states. On-site training is my specialty, and I charge about half of the "List Price" for Crystal Training.
Do I know my stuff? Go to Tek-Tips (see above) and you will find me listed as the all-time top rated Crystal Reports expert out of 30,000 members in the General Crystal Forum.
Do I teach a good class?
Ask to speak to a recent customer as a reference.
Click the "Public Classes" button above for Dates.
Call for more information at (540) 338-0194.
Telephone training available :
If you don't want to sit in class, you can get the same training one-on-one over the phone. You can often cover the same material, for about the same cost as coming to class. Or you can buy a small block of time to use in emergencies or to solve a particular problem. All levels of instruction are available when you need it. Call for more information at (540) 338-0194.
VB Quick Reference Guide:
If you plan on incorporating Crystal Reports into a VB application, you should get my Quick Reference Guide. It gives an overview of the different integration methods, and gives syntax examples for the most common commands in the 3 most common methods. It is only $16 and can be emailed to you within 24 hours. Follow the link below for more details:
http://www.kenhamady.com/vbref.html
Copyright 2001 by Ken Hamady
All rights reserved - Republishing this material requires written permission