Crystal Report 85 Guide

Crystal Reports 8.5 — Quick Start & Practical Guide

Modern operating systems do not natively support software from 2001. However, with tweaks, it can run.

Sections: Report Header, Page Header, Details, Report Footer, Page Footer — place static info in headers/footers and repeating rows in Details.
Fields: Drag database fields from Field Explorer into the design grid.
Grouping: Insert → Group to group data by a field; use Group Header/Footer for summaries.
Sorting: Report → Record Sort Expert.
Formulas: Field Explorer → Formula Fields. Use Crystal syntax; example:
```
if Orders.ShipDate <= Date(2005,12,31) then "Old" else "Current"
```
Totals/Running Totals: Insert → Summary for sums/averages/counts; use Running Total if need conditional accumulation.
Cross-Tabs: Insert → Cross-Tab for matrix-style summaries.

Security: Allowing dynamic URL execution could expose the system to malicious formula injection. The formula engine must sanitize output strings to prevent command execution.
Export Limitations: When exporting to PDF, hyperlinks will function (using PDF Link annotations). However, exporting to Microsoft Word or Excel may strip the link functionality depending on the export DLL's ability to write OLE hyperlinks. This should be documented as a known limitation.
Viewer Compatibility: The Hyperlink feature will only function in the ActiveX Viewer and the DHTML Viewer. It will not function in the standard Windows Preview window unless the application developer writes specific code to handle the HyperlinkClicked event.