User`s guide

Introduction to Reporting
4.1 Report creation options
Each time you create a new report, you have three options:
• Use a Report Creation Wizard.
• Use another report as a model.
• Create a report from scratch.
You will probably use each option at some time.
Report Creation Wizards
The Report Creation Wizards help create reports as quickly as possible and many new users and
developers alike prefer to create the majority of their reports using them. All you have to do is choose
the wizard that most closely matches your report type. The wizard walks you through the process of
creating reports step-by-step.
Another report
To build a new report based on one that already exists, another report can be used as a model. Open
the report you want to use in this way by selecting the Open File option and save it to a new file using
Save As (found on the File menu). This method is useful to:
• Create a new report with a different grouping or different record selection than that of an existing
report.
• Reconstruct a report based on an earlier time period using the same report structure used today.
• Create an entirely new report based on a set of databases that are linked in another report. You can
create a report and delete the fields without disturbing the underlying links. Then, without relinking,
you can build all your new reports based on this report.
Crystal Reports also lets you format a report by applying a template. See Using a template for more
information.
New report
The Blank Report option is used to create a report from scratch. This is useful when you want the full
flexibility and control of building a report from the ground up, or when a report type is different from the
many report types available in the wizards.
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Introduction to Reporting