Creating Reports

Objectives
In this lesson, you will learn to: Identify the need for generating Crystal Reports Identify the Crystal Report Data Access models Create a Crystal Report for a Windows Form application Host a Crystal Report in a Windows application Enhance the Crystal Report presentation

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Creating Reports/Lesson 8/Slide 1 of 26

Creating Reports Crystal Report

Is the standard reporting tool for Visual Studio .NET used to display summarized data. Needs database drivers to connect with the data source for accessing data. Supports two methods to access data from a data source:  The Pull model  The Push model

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Creating Reports/Lesson 8/Slide 2 of 26

Creating Reports
Problem Statement 8.D.1
The Sales Manager of Diaz Telecommunications needs to view a report containing the order details and the summarized revenue for each month. The data should be presented in such a way that it can be analyzed easily.

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Creating Reports/Lesson 8/Slide 3 of 26

Creating Reports
Task List
Identify the data that needs to be displayed in the Crystal Report and the format in which the data is to be displayed. Identify the method to create a Crystal Report. Identify the method to enhance the Crystal Report presentation. Identify the method to host Crystal Report in a Windows application. Create a Crystal Report for Windows application. Host the Crystal Report in the Windows application. View the Crystal Report.
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Creating Reports
Task 1: Identify the data that needs to be displayed in the Crystal Report and the format in which the data is to be displayed.
Result: As per the given problem statement, the data to be displayed in the Crystal Report is as follows:  Date  Inv  CustID  ProdID  Cost  Advance
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Creating Reports
Task 2: Identify the method to create a Crystal Report.
You can create a Crystal Report by using three methods:  Manually  Using Standard Report Expert  From an existing report Result:  You will create the Crystal Report by using the Standard Report Expert since it involves minimum steps.

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Creating Reports/Lesson 8/Slide 6 of 26

Creating Reports
Task 3: Identify the method to enhance the Crystal Report presentation.
The presentation quality of a Crystal Report can be enhanced by adding the following components to the Crystal Report:  Chart
Allows Is

easy analysis of the presented data.

created to present summarized fields.

 Cross-Tab object
Is

a grid and is inserted in a Crystal Report when the data is to be displayed in form of compact rows, columns, and summary fields. in comparing and identifying trends.
Creating Reports/Lesson 8/Slide 7 of 26

Helps
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Creating Reports
Task 3: Identify the method to enhance Crystal Report presentation. (Contd.)
Result: Since the data is to be used for analysis purposes, you need to insert a chart in the Crystal Report.

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Creating Reports/Lesson 8/Slide 8 of 26

Creating Reports
Task 4: Identify the method to host the Crystal Report in a Windows application.
A Crystal Report can be hosted in a Windows Form by using the Windows Forms Viewer. Windows Forms Viewer  Is present as a control in the Toolbox.  Can be inserted into a Windows application by dragging the CystalReportViewer control from the Toolbox into the form.  Can interact with other controls on the Windows Form. Result: You will use the Windows Forms Viewer to deliver the Crystal Report in the Windows application.
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Creating Reports
Task 5: Create a Crystal Report for the Windows application. Task 6: Host the Crystal Report in the Windows application. Task 7: View the Crystal Report.

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Creating Reports/Lesson 8/Slide 10 of 26

Creating Reports
Problem Statement 8.D.2
The Sales Manager of Diaz Telecommunications needs to view a summarized report containing the order details for the products with sale price greater than $3000 to identify the potential market for the products in the coming period. In addition, the Sales Manager also needs to view the percentage of the sale price paid as advance for each order.

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Creating Reports/Lesson 8/Slide 11 of 26

Creating Reports
Task List
Identify the data that needs to be displayed in the Crystal Report and the format in which the data is to be displayed. Identify the method to create a Crystal Report. Identify the method to host Crystal Report in a Windows application. Retrieve the filtered data from the database. Create a Crystal Report for Windows application. Host the Crystal Report in the Windows application. Write the code to connect to the database. View the Crystal Report from the Windows Forms Viewer.
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Creating Reports
Task 1: Identify the data that needs to be displayed in the Crystal Report and the format in which the data is to be displayed.
Result: As per the given problem statement, the data to be displayed in the Crystal Report is as follows:  ProdID  Inv  Date  CustID

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Creating Reports/Lesson 8/Slide 13 of 26

Creating Reports
Task 1: Identify the data that needs to be displayed in the Crystal Report and the format in which the data is to be displayed. (Contd.)
 Cost  Advance  Percentage of the sale price paid as advance

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Creating Reports/Lesson 8/Slide 14 of 26

Creating Reports
Task 2: Identify the method to create a Crystal Report.
Result: Since a calculated field of percentage needs to be displayed in the report, you will create the Crystal Report manually.

Task 3: Identify the method to host the Crystal Report in a Windows application.
Result: You will use the Windows Forms Viewer to host the Crystal Report in the Windows application.

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Creating Reports/Lesson 8/Slide 15 of 26

Creating Reports
Task 4: Retrieve the filtered data from the database. Task 5: Create a Crystal Report for the Windows application. Task 6: Host the Crystal Report in the Windows application. Task 7: Write the code to connect to the database. Task 8: View the Crystal Report from the Windows Forms Viewer.

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Creating Reports/Lesson 8/Slide 16 of 26

Creating Reports
Problem Statement 8.P.1
An HR Manager of Diaz Telecommunications needs to view a report containing the query handling details for each employee after 9th July 2001 (the date of creation of the HR policy). The data should be displayed in the form of compact rows and columns with an average customer feedback for each employee.

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Creating Reports/Lesson 8/Slide 17 of 26

Creating Reports
Problem Statement 8.D.3
The Sales Manager of Diaz Telecommunications needs to view a summarized product-wise order details report. The product name for each product also needs to be displayed in the report.

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Creating Reports/Lesson 8/Slide 18 of 26

Creating Reports
Task List
Identify the data that needs to be displayed in the Crystal Report. Identify the method to create a Crystal Report. Identify the method to host Crystal Report in a Windows application. Create a Crystal Report for the Windows application. Host the Crystal Report in the Windows application. View the Crystal Report from the Windows Forms Viewer.

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Creating Reports/Lesson 8/Slide 19 of 26

Creating Reports
Task 1: Identify the data that needs to be displayed in the Crystal Report.
Result: As per the given problem statement, the data to be displayed in the Crystal Report is as follows:  Prod ID  Product Name  Inv  Date  CustID  Cost  Advance
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Creating Reports
Task 2: Identify the method to create a Crystal Report.
Result: You will create the Crystal Report by using the Standard Report Expert since it involves minimum steps.

Task 3: Identify the method to host the Crystal Report in a Windows application.
Result:  You will use the Windows Forms Viewer to deliver the Crystal Report in the Windows application.

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Creating Reports/Lesson 8/Slide 21 of 26

Creating Reports
Task 4: Create a Crystal Report for the Windows application. Task 5: Host the Crystal Report in the Windows application. Task 6: View the Crystal Report from the Windows Forms Viewer.

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Creating Reports/Lesson 8/Slide 22 of 26

Creating Reports
Summary
In this lesson, you learned that: Crystal Report is the standard reporting tool for Visual Studio .NET for displaying data of presentation quality. Crystal Reports use database drivers to connect with the data source for accessing data. Crystal Reports in Visual Basic .NET supports two methods to access data from a data source:  The Pull model  The Push model

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Creating Reports/Lesson 8/Slide 23 of 26

Creating Reports
Summary (Contd.)
The presentation quality of a Crystal Report can be enhanced by adding the following components to the Crystal Report:  Chart  Cross-tab object A Crystal Report can be hosted in a Windows Form by using the Windows Forms Viewer. Apart from allowing an easy viewing of the Crystal Report in a Windows application, the Windows Forms Viewer also dynamically updates the Crystal Report that is hosted.

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Creating Reports
Summary (Contd.)
 The Windows Forms Viewer can be inserted into a Windows application by dragging the CystalReportViewer control from the Toolbox into the form.  The Windows Forms Viewer contains the following components:  Toolbar  Group Tree  Main Report Window  An interaction can be created between the Windows Forms Viewer and other controls on the Windows Form by handling the events of the Windows Form controls and the Windows Forms Viewer.
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Creating Reports
Summary (Contd.)
To display a Crystal Report, it has to be bound to a CrystalReportViewer control. A Crystal Report can be bound to a CrystalReportViewer control by setting the ReportSource property of the CrystalReportViewer control to the path of the Crystal Report file.

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Creating Reports/Lesson 8/Slide 26 of 26