Crystal Reports is one of the world's leading software packages for creating feature-rich reports and is now fully integrated with Visual Studio .NET. With this book, you will learn how to use the software to produce elegant and effective reports for Windows and the Web. It provides a detailed guide to the functionality provided with Crystal Reports for Visual Studio .NET, and shows how to integrate reports into .NET applications.

What does this book cover?

Professional Crystal Reports for Visual Studio.NET 2003 has been expanded to include functionality of the latest offering from Microsoft’s .NET platform and also the latest release of Crystal Reports. With the release of Visual Studio.NET 2003 the version of Crystal Reports included with the product has been updated and expanded. This title covers all of the fundamentals of working with Crystal Reports including:

• Creating and integrating reports into Windows and web-based applications
• Creating XML Report Web Services
• Working with ADO.NET
• Using formulas and logic in reports
• Developing distributed reporting applications
• Deploying reporting applications

The book also explores topics covering the new features and functionality. 

In this new edition, you'll also find a number of enhancements, including the following:           

• An entire chapter focused on Report Design
• More in-depth code samples to build complex applications with an emphasis on commonly used features.
• Examples that demonstrate integration with other databases and platforms (i.e. Oracle, etc.) as opposed to just samples for Access, SQL Server, etc.
• Expanded coverage on using parameters with Crystal Reports and customizing the report content at run-time.

Table of Contents：

Acknowledgments.

Introduction.

Chapter 1: Crystal Reports .NET Overview.

What Is Crystal Reports?

What Can You Do with Crystal Reports .NET?

How Is Crystal Reports .NET Different from Previous Versions of Crystal Reports?

Crystal Reports .NET Benefits.

Installing Crystal Reports .NET.

Learning from Sample Applications.

Summary.

Chapter 2: Getting Started with Crystal Reports .NET.

The Sample Files.

Planning Your Report Design.

Creating a Crystal Report.

Working with the Report Design Environment.

Report Design Basics.

Summary.

Chapter 3: Designing Reports.

The Sample Files.

Creating a New Report.

Working with Databases and Tables.

Working with Groups.

Record Sorting.

Working with Summaries.

TopN/Group Sorting.

Using Running Totals.

Using Cross-Tabs.

Working with Charts.

Working with Subreports.

Working with Parameter Fields.

Optimizing Report Performance.

Summary.

Chapter 4: Report Integration for Windows-Based Applications.

Obtaining the Sample Files.

Planning Your Application.

Determining the Correct Object Model.

Understanding the CrystalDecisions.Windows.Forms Namespace.

Using the Crystal Report Viewer for Windows Forms.

Customizing the Appearance and Behavior of the Report Viewer.

Summary.

Chapter 5: Report Integration for Web-Based Applications.

Obtaining the Sample Files.

Planning Your Application.

A Brief History of Crystal Web Development.

Exploring the Development Environment.

Determining the Correct Object Model.

Understanding the CrystalDecisions.Web Namespace.

Using the Crystal Report Viewer for Web Forms.

Customizing the Appearance and Layout of the Report Viewer.

Summary.

Chapter 6: Creating XML Report Web Services.

Obtaining the Sample Files.

XML Report Web Services Overview.

Creating XML Report Web Services.

Consuming XML Report Web Services.

Deployment Considerations.

Summary.

Chapter 7: Working with .NET Data.

The Sample Files.

Data Access with Crystal Reports .NET.

Working with Datasources.

Working with SQL Commands and Expressions.

Working with ADO .NET.

Summary.

Chapter 8: Formulas and Logic.

Integrating Formulas and Logic into Your Reports.

Working with the Formula Editor.

Creating Formulas with Basic Syntax.

Creating Formulas with Crystal Syntax.

Creating Record Selection Formulas.

Working with Conditional Formatting.

Summary.

Chapter 9: Working with the Crystal Reports Engine.

Obtaining the Sample Files.

Understanding the CrystalDecisions.CrystalReports.Engine Namespace.

Customizing Reports Using the Report Engine.

Customizing Report Fields at Run Time.

Summary.

Chapter 10: Distributing Your Application.

Distribution Overview.

Getting Started.

Basic Deployment Requirements.

Deploying Windows Applications.

Deploying Web Applications.

Summary.

Appendix A: Troubleshooting.

Appendix B: Migrating Applications to Crystal Reports .NET 2003.

Appendix C: Crystal Syntax versus Basic Syntax.

Index.