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Writing Database Reports Using Crystal Reports

One of the powerful features of Visual Studio is the report designer by Crystal Decisions called Crystal Reports. The Crystal Report Gallery contains wizards to guide you in creating standard reports and forms or you can use an existing report.

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Objectives

Create a Crystal Reports template and display the report from a Windows Form or a Web FormUse advanced reporting features, such as numeric functions, grouping, sorting and special fieldsBase a report on a data file or a datasetDisplay a report at run time based on a user request

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About Crystal Reports

Visual Studio 2005 (Professional Edition and above) includes CR.NET 2005 which is based on Crystal Reports Version 10

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Creating and Displaying a Report

Steps to create and display a simple report

1. Add a Report Designer and design the report template.

2. Add a CrystalReportViewer control to a form and connect it to the report template.

Once a report is added to a project it can be viewed and sent to the printerWhen creating a report template, the format is set up for the report

The data are not included in the report layout

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Adding a Report Designer

Select Add New Item from theProject menuChoose theCrystal Report templateGive the report a name; the .rpt extension is added by default

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Report Type OptionsChoose Using the Report Wizard option to open a wizard to step through the report creation processChoose As a Blank Reportto create your own report from scratchChoose From an Existing Report to create a modification of a report from one that is already created

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Selecting a Data Source

Crystal Reports can connect to several types of dataSQL ServerAccessExcel and others including an ADO.NET DataSet

Dataset can be based on many different types of objects, including business objects and collections

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Completed Report

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Selecting a SQL Server Database

Important:File must be installed on the server

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Selecting an Access Database File

An Access file can be stored in the project folder and is more portable than using a SQL Server database

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Report Creation WizardSelecting the Tables

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Report Creation WizardLinking Tables and Selecting Fields

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Report Creation WizardGrouping, Sorting and Summarizing

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Crystal Reports Report Designer

The Crystal Reports report designer with the selected options

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CrystalReportViewer Control

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Toolbox and Field ExplorerUse to show and add new fields to a report.

Add lines, boxes, or additional text that is not bound to a data field

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Modifying a Report Design

Move, resize, reformat fields in the designerTo reformat a field, right-click and select Format Objectfrom the context menu

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Formula Editor

Use the Formula Editor to create or edit formulas

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Adding a Special Field

Specify that the subtotal for each group should appear

The subtotal is in a Group Footer section and the grand total in the Report Footer section

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Report Formatting Modifications

Field Spacing, Alignment, and Column Headings can be modifiedView the report when making modifications to see the result of the modificationAs an option, run the application and set the form’s WindowState property to Maximized to more easily view the entire report

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Displaying a Report from a Web Form (1 of 2)

Add a CrystalReport Source control from the Crystal Reports section of the toolbox to the Web page

In the control’s smart tag, select Configure Report Source and select the name of the .rpt fileAdd a CrystalReportViewer control and set its ReportSource to the CrystalReportSource that was added

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Displaying a Report from a Web Form (1 of 2)

Create a SelectedReport property for the ReportFormBegin a new Web Site project and copy the two files for the reportAdd the .rpt file to the project using WebSite/Add Existing ItemAfter adding, the report name appears in the configuration for the CyrstalReportSource control

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Basing a Report on a DataSet

A Crystal Report can be based on a dataset either when a new report is created or for an already created report

To display, the report code must be written to fill the dataset and assign the dataset as the data source

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Report Based on ADO.NET DataSet

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Selecting From Multiple Reports

In order to pass the selection to a second form, set up a property of the form and create an enum to assist in the selectionWhen a user selects one of the menu items, the event handler must pass the selection to the second form—ReportsFormOn ReportsForm, a single CrystalReportViewercontrol can display the selected report

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Create a SelectedReport Property for the ReportForm

The MainForm menu commands must pass data to ReportsForm indicating the report to display

' Module-level property declaration.' SelectedReport property of the form.

Private selectedReportType As ReportType

WriteOnly Property SelectedReport() As ReportType' Set SelectedReport property using the ReportType enum. Set(ByVal Value As ReportType)

selectedReportType = valueEnd Set

End Property

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Moving a Crystal Reports ProjectThe location of the database file may need to be reset unless:

The report is based on a dataset in the current project and assigned at run time – or –The report refers to an instance of SQL Server that can still be accessed from the new location

Right-click in the report’s designer and select Database/Set Datasource location; in the Replace with pane of the Set DataSource dialog box, select Create New Connection and make the same selections to match when the original report was created