Crystal Reports is a Business Intelligence application used to design and generate reports from a wide range of data sources. Several other applications, such as Microsoft Visual Studio, bundle an OEM version of Crystal Reports as a general purpose reporting tool.
The Band Model
Crystal Reports is based on the common "band" model of report writers where different bands represent different totalling levels. For example, the inside band may represent the detail, the second band represents sub-totals (such as per region), and the outside band may represent the final total. Here is a rough illustration:
Total band (upper, start)
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Sub-Total Band (upper)
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Detail Band
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Sub-Total Band (lower)
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Total band (lower, end)
Place-holders are added to the horizontal spots where actual data goes. The computer then inserts
actual values during a production run and applies the appropriate grouping and totalling based on
various band settings.Although Crystal Reports did not originate the banding approach, it is the
most popular report-specific software that uses it.
Origins
The product was originally created by Crystal Services Inc., which produced versions 1.0 through
3.0. The company was subsequently acquired by Seagate Software, which later renamed itself to Crystal
Decisions, and produced versions 4.0 through 9.0. Crystal Decisions was acquired in December 2003 by
Business Objects, which has so far produced versions 10 and the current 11 (or XI).
Supported data sources
Accessible data sources include:
databases such as IBM DB2, Microsoft Access, Microsoft SQL Server, MySQL and Oracle
spreadsheets such as Microsoft Excel
text files
XML files
groupware applications such as Lotus Notes, Microsoft Exchange and Novell Groupwise
any other data source accessible through ODBC or OLAP
Our Crystal Reports Design courses cover Report Designs 1& 2 & 3:
 Object & Data Labs Certificate Program
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With each of our course areas we offer a corresponding certification program consisting of core and elective courses. Object & Data Labs's certification is a great way to enhance and advance any career involved with cutting-edge technology. See Certificates for more information. There is also a substantial discount available for purchasing a certification course block in advance, see our Tuition Discount page for details. |
Class Schedule
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