Description:
Crystal Reports 9 Professional Edition is the industry-standard tool for creating report layouts based on data extracted from more than 35 different types of data sources. Its ninth incarnation, this release boasts many new features, most of which are aimed at increasing productivity. To create a report, begin by specifying a data source, which can include desktop databases like Microsoft Access, as well as enterprise data sources like IBM DB2, Oracle, and Sybase. Next, choose the tables and fields you will use via Crystal Reports' point-and-click interface. More advanced users can directly edit SQL to select the data they require. The report can then be designed using a comprehensive set of tools offering more than 100 formatting options. These can include different fonts, text rotation, and images, as well as subreports and special functions to control report formatting, data selection, and more. With this edition, Crystal Reports has the ability to handle Unicode, which allows you to produce reports in almost any language, including those which write from right to left. You can even mix and match multiple languages within the same report. Crystal Reports 9 Professional offers many features beyond those in the standard edition. In addition to supporting enterprise-level data sources including IBM DB2, Oracle, and Sybase, it also works with several OLAP data providers. Furthermore, the Professional edition supports XML, both as a data source and as an export option. Viewing options have also been improved with the ability to display and zoom in reports built within .NET and Java environments. Mobile devices are also catered to, with support for iPAQs and WML phones. This power doesn't come cheaply, however. Crystal Reports is an extremely complex program to become familiar with, and new users may struggle with it initially. Luckily, there are a number of books and courses available to get you up to speed if you feel you need a little extra help. That said, the online help is extremely comprehensive. In addition to covering each and every function in detail, it also includes a quick-start guide, plus information on design concepts and an introduction to reporting. The publisher's Web site includes further help and examples. Crystal Reports 9 Professional Edition offers an extremely powerful reporting environment, packed full with features. Existing users may find that features such as Unicode support, the repository (a report object database), and the powerful new support for Microsoft Office XP smart tags provide an incentive to upgrade. --Iain Laskey, Amazon.co.uk
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