The Crystal Reports Underground News - Volume 2007.03 (March 2007)
an independent source for Crystal Reports Information by Ken Hamady
Contents for March 2007:
** Expert Techniques for Crystal Reports Volume III
** My Library of Crystal Reports Guides
** Upgrade to Crystal Reports XI for only $99
** Convert Crystal Reports to SSRS XML files
** Stop struggling with your reports, let me help:
** Recent BLOG articles
Daylight Saving Time this weekend!
Are you LinkedIn?
Oracle buys Hyperion
Crystal Decisions is back - BO Enterprise 'lite'
Crystal Reports Web App licensing & throughput clarified
Business Objects XIr2 wins a "prestigious" CODiE award
** Help Beta test a new
viewerAre you LinkedIn?
Oracle buys Hyperion
Crystal Decisions is back - BO Enterprise 'lite'
Crystal Reports Web App licensing & throughput clarified
Business Objects XIr2 wins a "prestigious" CODiE award
** Side by Side running Totals give different values
** Read back issues at http://www.kenhamady.com/news.html
Expert Techniques Volume III
Many of you have purchased one or both volumes in my Expert Techniques series. These contain my favorite tips and tricks in Crystal Reports, accumulated over the years. I have just put together Volume III with another 30 articles. Each is illustrated with an annotated report that demonstrates how to use the technique. Here are some examples:
Adjusting a fixed server timestamp to match the NEW Daylight Savings Time
Calculating Fiscal YTD and Fiscal Quarters
Two ways to create "Rolling Month" reports
Creating reports using spreadsheet data
Making a report prompt for an ODBC connection (DSN) at runtime
Check out the full list of articles on the order page. The price is only $19 per volume - a bargain even if only one article helps you solve a problem.
My complete Library of Crystal Reports Materials:
Let a master teacher help you understand these Crystal Topics. Each guide comes with clear explanations and sample files to illustrate each concept.
Expert's Guide to Formulas ($36)
Expert's Guide to Subreports, Parameters and Alerts ($28)
Expert's Guide to Totals ($24)
Expert's Guide to Cross-Tabs ($22)
Expert Techniques Vol. I ($19)
Expert Techniques Vol. II ($19)
Expert Techniques Vol. III($19)
Quick Reference to Crystal Reports in Visual Basic ($16)
Quick Reference to Crystal Reports in .NET ($14)
http:/www.kenhamady.com/tools.html
Upgrade to Crystal Reports XI for only $99
BO is offering a special offer this month, to upgrade any old version to Crystal Reports XI Developer Edition. The upgrade is only $99. It also includes some other perks, but is only good until the end of March 2007. If you were going to upgrade anyway, this would be a good time. The link isn't very prominent on the BO website so see my recent BLOG article for the direct link to the promo page.
Unfortunately, this appears to be currently available only for customers in North and South America
Convert Crystal Reports to SSRS XML files
Those of you who have considered switching from Crystal Reports to SQL Server Reporting Services may have been cowed by the thought of recreating all of your existing Crystal Reports in SSRS XML format. If so, you should check out a new tool published by KTL Solutions in Frederick, MD. Crystal Converter is designed to convert RPT files into SSRS compatible XML files. Not all features of the RPT will be converted but I was surprised at how many CR objects are supported. The list includes formulas, SQL expressions, running totals, charts, sections, groups and summary fields. It works with Crystal Reports files from v9 through v11.
You can download a demo version for free, as well as the product documentation. The product costs $445 per PC, but my readers get a $50 discount between now and the end of June 2007. Just use my promo code at checkout - CCM50D - to get the discounted price of $395. Use the LINKS above to find the link to the product page.
If you try Crystal Convert, please let me know what you think.
Stop struggling with your reports, let me help:
You need information to run your business, so stop struggling with Crystal Reports and learn how to use it. Come join one of my small classes (3-5 students) and learn how to make Crystal work for you. My Intro class makes sure you know all of the basics, including cross-tabs, charts and even some formulas. The Advanced class shows you how to solve several common reporting problems as well as when to use advanced features like running totals, subreports, parameters and commands. Users of any version are welcome. Classes are held in Frederick, MD and the next round is in April. See my web site for more details or call me at (540) 338-0194.
So what makes my class different? How many instructors teach you from a book that they wrote? How many have taught more than 2,000 students? How many give you a toll-free number so you can call them after class with questions?
Or, if you want to schedule a class at your office, using your data, let me know. That is my specialty. I have even found several top-notch instructors around the US and Canada that can deliver my class at your location. See my web site for more details.
Blog Highlights:
See my full BLOG for the full articles::
Daylight Saving Time this weekend!
Did you all know that DST starts early this year, on March 11?
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Are you LinkedIn?
I have signed up and am giving the Social Networking thing a try. If you are already in you will find me there.
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Oracle buys Hyperion:
Oracle steps directly into the BI marketplace buy purchasing one of BO's primary competitors - Hyperion. The deal closes in April for 3.3 Billion.
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Crystal Decisions is back:
Business Objects has released a scaled down version of BO Enterprise designed for Mid-Market companies who didn't want to spend six figures on a reporting platform. They have resurrected the name "Crystal Decisions" and priced it starting at $20K. It is identical to BO Enterprise, but is single server and has fewer configuration options.
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Crystal Reports Web App licensing & throughput clarified:
BO puts out a new PDF that explains this in more detail. The 3 "threads" are now called Concurrent Processor Licenses or CPLs. You can even get 3 CPLs per worker process.
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Business Objects XIr2 wins a "prestigious" CODiE award:
I think you will find this amusing. The Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) gives out roughly 70 technology awards each February, including one for "Best Business Intelligence or Knowledge Management Solution". BOXIr2 is a finalist and none of BO's main competitors were even "nominated". Apparently companies "self-nominate" to be considered, and pay a fee - then put out a press release. Read the winners listed in a few categories to see how "prestigious" this is.
Help Beta test a new viewer:
One of my colleagues is developing a new report viewer that he plans on distributing as freeware. He would like some volunteers to help Beta test the viewer in different environments and against different databases. If you would like to participate send me an Email.
Side by Side running Totals give different values:
A customer recently sent me an unusual requirement. The report had 2 groups and they needed a running total displayed at the top and bottom of each page. The idea was to see where the total ended at the bottom of the page and then show it pick up again at the top of the next page. It sounded simple, but when we tried putting a normal running total field in both the Page Header and the Page Footer we got inconsistent results.
In most cases the value in the Page Header was larger than the value in the previous Page Footer. But sometimes it was the same. It took a little testing to uncover the reason, which is related to how the Page Header and the Page Footer get their values.
When you put field, like a running total, in the Page Header, the value displayed is based on the first record on that page. The Page Footer takes its value from the last record on its page. So if the bottom of page 1 is record 36 then you would see the running total up through record 36 in the Page Footer. But, the top of the next page will usually be the next detail record, so the Page Header will pull it's value from record 37. That is why the two sections will show different values.
So why did the report sometimes show the SAME value in these 2 places? Imagine that record 36 was the last record in Group #2. If detail 36 prints at the bottom of page 1 then Group Footer 2 will print at the top of the next page. The Page Header on page 2 will still use record 36, because it is being used at the top of page 2. That is when the value stays the same.
The solution was to make a running total that uses a variable. A formula in the Page Header that refers to a variable does not "look forward" to the section below it for it's value, because variables are not tied to the rows of the report. Variables are stored separately in memory. So the value of a variable that is incremented in the details won't change between the bottom of one page and the top of the next.
For a better understanding of using variables, including variables in running totals, see my Expert's Guide to Formulas.
Contact Information:
Ken Hamady
525K East Market St.
PMB 299
Leesburg, VA 20176
(540) 338-0194
ken@kenhamady.com
http://www.kenhamady.com
Copyright 2006 by Ken Hamady
All rights reserved - Republishing this material requires written permission