Crystal Reports XI — Features

Data Access

Crystal Reports provides broad data connectivity options making it easy to access enterprise data and satisfy end user information requirements. Whether you require access to databases, files, logs, application systems (CRM, ERP, etc.), or program elements, you can use Crystal Reports.

More than 35 data drivers. Access virtually any data with native, ODBC, OLE DB, and JDBC connectivity to relational, OLAP, XML, legacy, and enterprise data sources including, Oracle, IBM DB2, Sybase, Microsoft SQL Server, and Informix.
Custom data. Access user-defined (in-memory) application data by connecting to JavaBeans, ADO.NET, and COM Data Providers.
Tight control over database connectivity. Write your own SQL commands or use the Crystal Reports proven query generation capabilities for flexible control over database connectivity.

Write your own SQL commands or use the Crystal Reports proven query generation capabilities for flexible control over database connectivity

zoom in Write your own SQL commands or use the Crystal Reports proven query generation capabilities for flexible control over database connectivity.

Multi-data source access. Connect to a unique data source or combine multiple data sources in one report.
XML support. Integrate Crystal Reports with your B2B or B2C applications via XML data access or export.
Unicode support. Use Unicode strings to display data stored in almost any language and present multiple languages in a single report.

zoom in Use Unicode strings to display data stored in almost any language and present multiple languages in a single report.

Formatting and Design

Crystal Reports offers a high degree of flexibility and control over how data is presented and formatted.

Visual report designer. Quickly design interactive reports using an intuitive, drag-and-drop interface and object-oriented explorers.
Experts and wizards. Use optional experts and wizards to simplify common reporting tasks such as connecting to a data source, selecting, grouping, sorting, and summarizing data.
Any report type. Create virtually any report you need including cross-tab, conditional, top N/bottom N, summary/drill-down, form, mailing label, OLAP, and subreport.
Charting and mapping. Increase the graphical impact of your reports by choosing from a wide variety of map and chart types including bar/3D bar, pie/doughnut, line, Gantt, gauge, funnel, XY scatter, ranged map, dot density map, and more.

zoom in Increase the graphical impact of your reports by choosing from a wide variety of map and chart types.

Reusable report objects. Expedite the report design process by storing key report objects—including text objects, SQL commands, bitmaps, and custom functions (formulas)—in a central managed library (provided in Crystal Enterprise) for sharing, reuse, and single-point updating across multiple reports.
Customizable templates. Spend less time formatting individual reports. Design and apply customized templates that specify standards in formatting and logic—including data access operations—to ensure design consistency across reports. You can even use existing reports as templates.
Powerful formula language. Use the extensive formula language in Crystal Reports with over 160 built-in and user-defined functions and operators to tightly control report formatting, complex logic, and data selection. A call-stack makes debugging data-level errors easy. A formula extractor and formula workshop are also included.

Use the extensive formula language in Crystal Reports with over 160 built-in and user-defined functions and operators to tightly control report formatting, complex logic and data selection

zoom in Use the extensive formula language in Crystal Reports with over 160 built-in and user-defined functions and operators to tightly control report formatting, complex logic and data selection.

Custom functions. Eliminate redundant formula creation. Extract business logic from formulas to create custom functions so you can use them across multiple reports.
Asymmetric reporting. Provide a customized view of OLAP grids. With asymmetric reporting, you can hide specific dimensions of data so that end users only see relevant and valuable data.
Access and Excel add-ins. Use an intuitive wizard to easily design a Crystal report right from within Microsoft Access or Excel.

Report Viewing and Interaction

Crystal Reports provides flexible options that let end users view and interact with information in familiar formats and via familiar environments.

Multiple export formats. Provide end users with reports in the format they prefer. Export reports to popular formats, including Excel, PDF, XML, HTML, RTF, and more.
Customizable report viewers. Choose from a variety of server-side and thin-client report viewer controls, including DHTML page (WebForms) viewer, .NET WinForms viewer, Java viewer, ActiveX, and Report Part viewer (mobile viewer), to render reports into various output formats without additional coding. End user report interactivity options—including page forward/back, drill up/down, export, and print—are automatically included and can be customized based on your requirements.
Parameters. Let users view the same data in different ways without creating multiple reports. End users can select predefined parameters in a single report to receive a subset of customized data.
Alerting. Highlight specific information for your end users with report alerts—user-defined messages that appear when certain conditions are met by the data in a report. Use this feature with Crystal Enterprise so that alerts can be sent out to end users with direct links back to the original report.
Guided navigation. Define specific navigation paths between report objects within the same or different reports for easier end user navigation.
Hyperlinks. Use hyperlinks to turn reports into interactive web documents that connect to related information, including web sites and other reports.
Drill-down. Without additional coding, create reports that allow end users to drill down on relational and OLAP data to uncover details that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Report parts. Repurpose existing reports for use with wireless devices and corporate portals. Provide end users with access to charts, summary tables, specific records, and other key report information via portals, WML phones, RIM Blackberry, and PocketPC devices.
Support for Microsoft Office Smart Tags. Insert key report objects—including charts and tables—into Microsoft Outlook, Word, or Excel for instant viewing and refreshing from within an Office document.

Application Integration

Crystal Reports provides a range of proven Java, .NET, and COM components that help reduce the complexity of integrating dynamic reporting functionality into your applications. Whether you need to build a web, windows, XML web services, or mobile application, you can use Crystal Reports for your data presentation requirements.

Interface SDKs. Use the Crystal Reports comprehensive interface SDKs in J2EE, .NET, and COM applications for flexible control over how end users interact with reports. Choose from a variety of report viewing, creation, and modification APIs to implement a range of interactivity capabilities—from static report processing/viewing to complex runtime report creation/modification.
Reporting components. Embed the Crystal Reports powerful Java, .NET, and COM reporting components in your application for powerful report processing and rendering.
Custom tag library. Reduce the amount of coding required to embed report templates into JSP pages. Using custom JSP tags, you can now easily add a customized viewer to your web applications, dramatically reducing the amount of code required.
Customizable report viewers. Choose from a variety of server-side and thin-client report viewer controls, including a Java viewer, DHTML (WebForms) Viewer, WinForms Viewer, ActiveX, and Report Part Viewer (mobile viewer), to render reports into various output formats without additional coding. End user report interactivity options—including page forward/back, drill up/down, export, and print are automatically included. Plus, you can customize and implement most viewer options based on your requirements.
IDE integration. Use a custom bundled edition of Crystal Reports from within leading Java and .NET IDEs for report integration from within a familiar environment. You can currently access Crystal Reports technology from within Microsoft Visual Studio .NET, BEA WebLogic Workshop, Borland JBuilder, and Borland C#Builder. Upgrade from these bundles to Crystal Reports XI for additional functionality and scalability.
Visual control library. Integrate reports into Delphi and C++Builder applications using the Crystal Reports Visual Control Library (VCL).
Royalty-free runtime. Integrate hundreds of royalty-free runtime properties, methods, and events into thick-client applications for deployment at no extra cost.