Bugs and Design flaws in Crystal Reports

Design flaws, bugs and my recommendations, by version:

(see desctiptions below table)	v11-v14	v10	v9	v85	v8	v7	v6	v5	v4
0. Can't go through the Standard Wizard a second time	X	X	X
1. Can't shut off Smart Linking (without using the registry)		X	X
2. Field Clipping as the default		X	X	X	X	X	na	na	na
3. Field Clipping is the ONLY option							X	X	X
4. Can't Save as a previous version			X			X	X	X	X
5. Cross-Tab TopN hidden	X	X	X	X	X	na	na	na	na
6. 'condField' argument for Summaries	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
7. Reimport Subreport changes links			X	X	X	na	na	na	na
8. Grand Totals and Group Selection	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
9. Subreport Linking Scroll Arrows				X
10. Xbase Driver error				X
11. Linking Cursor not aligned				X	X	X	X	X	X
12. QRY file converts DateTimes to Strings	na	na	na	X	X	X	X	X
13. Group Menu Options				X	X	X	X	X	X
14. Database Menu Options				X	X	X	X	X	X
15. File Menu Options				X	X	X	X	X	X
16. Subtotal vs Summary				X	X	X	X	X	X
17. Exiting the Custom Graph Editor	na	na	na	na	na	X	X
18. Using IsNot in the Select Expert						X	X	X	X
19. Cross-tab Summary Operations						X	X	X	X
20. Sort fields must be on the report						X	X	X	X
21. TopN activates automatically						X	X
22. Sort fields become Groups							X
23. Val() function chokes on strings							X
24. Graph's 'data' tab has labels reverse								X

0) In versions up to 8.5 you could go through the Wizard as many times as needed.
    This is very handy for adding columns and having CR fit them in, laying out a clean, evenly spaced details band.

1) In all older versions you could shut off 'smart linking' in Options.

2) The bug that grew into a feature - "Field clipping".
If you place a numeric field onto a report, and the data is wider than the field object, Crystal will simply cut off any characters that do not fit. Sometimes you can see that something is missing, sometimes you can't. This happens particularly in Total fields and in Cross-Tabs. It is up to you to make sure that your field is wide enough to display the largest possible value. Starting with version 7 they gave this 'feature' a name, "Field Clipping", and gave the user an option to shut it off. The default is to maintain field clipping, although I have yet to meet a single user who ever wanted this feature.

3) See above.

4) Can't save as a prior version
In v8 or v.85 you could save your work as a v7 report. With v9 you can't save as ANY prior version

5) TopN of Cross-Tab.
Starting with version 8 you are allowed to use TopN with a crosstab, but not within the Cross-Tab design window.   You must select the cross-tab and then use the regular TopN menu option.   This is so counter-intuitive that some experts don't realize that this feature is available.

6) Summary functions argument should be 'groupField' not 'condField'.
All summary functions have an optional second argument that will tell the function to summarize once for each group, as opposed to a grand total. For some reason this Group Field argument is listed as a 'condField'. This makes users think that this function allows you to summarize only records that meet a certain logical condition. I would change it from condField to Group Field.

7) Reimporting Subreports changes your links
If you use the "Reimport Subreport" feature for a linked subreport, Crystal will create it's own link and parameter, which may or may not match the link and parameter you had in the subreport.

8) Inflated Grand Totals with Top N (and no "others") or with Group Selection (running totals in v7 help).
If you use a selection formula that is based on a subtotal (Group Selection) or if you use the Top-N feature and don't include the "Others" Crystal will eliminate groups from the report, with their subtotals, but the Grand Total of the report will still include those missing subtotals. In other words the Grand Total will be more than the sum of the visible subtotals. I understand why this happens (Crystal calculates the Grand Totals with the subtotals), but not why Crystal Decisions thinks this is acceptable. Starting with version 7 you can easily create running totals which allows you to add a corrected total in place of the inflated one.

9) Invisible scroll arrows when linking subreports.
When you link a subreport you should be able to select the existing parameters in the subreport, or have CR create your own. However, starting with 8.5, if you go to select one of your existing parameters in link window, the window only drops down far enough to show you the parameter that CR will add for you. No way to scroll down is apparent, unless you look carefully below the drop down arrow on the right side of the selection window. If you look closely you can see two minuscule scroll bar arrows that will scroll down to expose your existing parameters. This was fixed in version 9.

10) The database driver for Xbase (Dbase/FoxPro) is incompatible with some indexes.
I have only seen this when using Goldmine 5.0, but I can imagine it occurring in other environments.   If you try to link two Goldmine DBF tables together that have a one-to-many relationship, and you link from the 'one' table to the 'many' table, the link will produce an error message. However, if you switch back to the v8 database driver you can get it to work. The file name is P2Bxbse.dll. Rename the v8.5 dll, put the v8 dll in the same directory and restart Crystal Reports. This was fixed in Version 9.

11) Dragging a Link to the top field in a table, may not create a link (if you place the cursor right on the field). (fixed in v9)
The linking cursor and the field highlighted are not aligned correctly. So, if you are dragging a link from table A to table B, and the field in table B is the first field in the list, you have to make sure that your cursor (the arrow shaped like a "Z") is not directly on the target field. If it is directly on the target field, even though it is highlighted, the link may not "take". You have to place the cursor under the field slightly, making sure that the appropriate field is still highlighted, before you release.

12) Date Time String fields in QRY files are converted to strings.
If you create a Crystal Query, and it includes a Date-Time field, the query will store the Date-Time value as a string. When you create a report off of that query, even if you have the option set to "Convert Date Time to Date" Crystal will bring in the field as a String. You can use the DTSToDateTime() function in a formula to make a date field out of it, but the global option won't do it for you.

13) To Add, Change and Delete Groups you have to use 3 different menu columns (fixed in v9).
You have a "Change Group Expert" that does not allow you to add or delete groups, and yet I can't imagine why it couldn't.. Especially since you add, change and delete sorts all in one window.

14) Export and Preview Sample are under File-Print menu. (fixed in v9)
Preview Sample should be an option under File Preview, and Export should be in the main File menu.

15) Database menu options "Add Database to Report" and "Remove from Report" should be renamed (fixed in v9).

16) The confusing difference between a Subtotal and a Summary. (corrected in v9)
A Grand Total can use any type of summary operation. These include sum, average, count, distinct count and others. So you would think that a Subtotal would also include these options. But the word Subtotal in Crystal only refers to the "Sum" operation. All other operations, at a group level are called Summaries rather than Subtotals. But, summaries can also use the "Sum" operation. When you select "Insert-Summary" for a numeric field, Crystal is going to default to "Sum" as an operation, so why have a second method for creating subtotals that use the "Sum" operation?

17) Getting from the Custom Graph Editor, back into the report requires using File -> Exit (?!) (V8 has no Custom Graph Editor)
If you are in the Graph Expert, you can use the "Custom" button to make changes to the graph using the Graph Editor. When you want to leave the Graph Editor and save your changes into the report, you can't use File =>Save. This causes the file to be saved as a graphics file external to Crystal.   To bring your changes back into the report, you must use the menu options File => Exit. This will bring up a prompt asking if you want to save your changes. This "Save" is different from the one under the File menu. This will save your changes back to the Graph Expert. When you click "Graph Done" you update your report with your changes.

18) In the Select Expert you can't select "Is Not" until you go past it and select another comparison option. (fixed in V7 MR1)
When you are adding a rule for a field the default comparison uses "Any Value". As long as this is set to "Any Value" you are not allowed to change the first setting from "Is" to "Is Not".   This is awkward because the setting is first as you read the screen and first as you would say the rule. To use the "Is Not" you first have to go past it and change the middle comparison, then you can go back and change "Is" to "Is Not".   In Version 7 it got a bit worse, because they used the wrong size control and you can barely see the choices "Is" and "Is Not".

19) Can't change summary operations in Cross-Tab design window. (Corrected in V8)
Crystal assumes that you want a sum of any numeric value in your cross-tab, and a count of any other data type. If you want your cross tab to include an average, or a count of a numeric field, you have no way of telling Crystal which summary operation to use until you leave the Cross-Tab design window. Once you are in the reports design mode or preview you can right click a cell in the Cross-Tab and select "Change Summary Operation".

20) You can only Sort with fields that appear on the report. (corrected in V8)
To sort on a field that is not currently on the report layout you must first add it somewhere, and then change the sort. Once you have changed the sort you can delete the field from the report. It will remain in the sort list.

21) The Report Expert in 6.0/7.0 activates the TopN feature whenever you click on or view the TopN tab.
This is particularly confusing for new users who simply look at each of the tabs as they design their fist report. The report export in 5.0 required that you make a change on the TopN tab before it used the TopN feature. In 6.0 you get your top 5 groups. In 7.0 the setting stays at Sort All, but you are sorting on a subtotal even if you didn't want to. Looks like they tried to fix the 6.0 problem and only got half way.

22) The Report Expert in 6.0 will group on every sort field, even if you don't want subtotals.
In 5.0 and 7.0, if you select a field on the Sort tab, and don't add a subtotal for that sort level, you get a sort level instead of a group level. It is confusing that the "Sort" tab can only be used to create groups. This tab should be named the "Sort/Group" tab.

23) Val() function worked correctly in 5.0, but it chokes on fields that contain text in 6.0 (fixed in 6.0 patch and 7.0).
If you read the online help for Val() it is supposed to take the numeric equivalent of all numbers it finds, until it hits its first alpha character. For instance, if your address value was "125 Pine" , the VAL() should change the 125 to a number and ignore the text. In 6.0 the Val() of this entry would return a zero.

24) In v5 the Data tab in the Graph expert has the labels for "on change of" and "show" reversed.