Crystal Reports
Encyclopedia
Crystal Reports is a business intelligence
application used to design and generate report
s from a wide range of data source
s. Several other applications, including Microsoft Visual Studio
, at one time bundled an OEM
version of Crystal Reports as a general purpose reporting tool.
Crystal Reports is a popular report writer, and was especially so when Microsoft
bundled it with Visual Studio versions 2003 through 2008. Microsoft discontinued this practice and later released their own competitive reporting tool, SQL Server Reporting Services
(SSRS).
Crystal Reports for Visual Studio 2010 is still available as add-on software.
. Crystal Services was combined with Holistic Systems to form the Information Management Group of Seagate Software
, which later rebranded as Crystal Decisions
and produced versions 4.0 through 9.0. Crystal Decisions was acquired in December 2003 by Business Objects
, which has so far produced versions 10, 11 (XI) and version 12 (2008). Business Objects was acquired by SAP
on October 8, 2007. Crystal Reports 2011 (version 14) was released on May 3, 2011.
spreadsheets, Oracle
databases, Business Objects Enterprise business views, and local file system information. Fields from these tables can be placed on the report design surface, and can also be used in custom formulas, using either BASIC
or Crystal's own syntax, which are then placed on the design surface. Formulas can be evaluated at several phases during report generation as specified by the developer.
Both fields and formulae have a wide array of formatting options available, which can be applied absolutely or conditionally. The data can be grouped into bands, each of which can be split further and conditionally suppressed as needed. Crystal Reports also supports subreports, graphing, and a limited amount of GIS
functionality.
, XtraReports, ActiveReports
, Telerik Reporting
, and List & Label. Crystal Reports also provides solutions outside of the Microsoft market, for instance allowing Java
developers to build applications with Crystal Reports components.
Business intelligence
Business intelligence mainly refers to computer-based techniques used in identifying, extracting, and analyzing business data, such as sales revenue by products and/or departments, or by associated costs and incomes....
application used to design and generate report
Report
A report is a textual work made with the specific intention of relaying information or recounting certain events in a widely presentable form....
s from a wide range of data source
Data source
A data source is any of the following types of sources for digitized data:*a database** in the Java software platform, datasource is a special name for the connection set up to a database from a server*a computer file*a data stream...
s. Several other applications, including Microsoft Visual Studio
Microsoft Visual Studio
Microsoft Visual Studio is an integrated development environment from Microsoft. It is used to develop console and graphical user interface applications along with Windows Forms applications, web sites, web applications, and web services in both native code together with managed code for all...
, at one time bundled an OEM
Original Equipment Manufacturer
An original equipment manufacturer, or OEM, manufactures products or components that are purchased by a company and retailed under that purchasing company's brand name. OEM refers to the company that originally manufactured the product. When referring to automotive parts, OEM designates a...
version of Crystal Reports as a general purpose reporting tool.
Crystal Reports is a popular report writer, and was especially so when Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
bundled it with Visual Studio versions 2003 through 2008. Microsoft discontinued this practice and later released their own competitive reporting tool, SQL Server Reporting Services
SQL Server Reporting Services
SQL Server Reporting Services is a server-based report generation software system from Microsoft. It can be used to prepare and deliver a variety of interactive and printed reports. It is administered via a web interface...
(SSRS).
Crystal Reports for Visual Studio 2010 is still available as add-on software.
History
The product was originally created by Crystal Services Inc. as Quick Reports when they couldn't find a suitable commercial report writer for their accounting software. After producing versions 1.0 through 3.0, the company was acquired in 1994 by Seagate TechnologySeagate Technology
Seagate Technology is one of the world's largest manufacturers of hard disk drives. Incorporated in 1978 as Shugart Technology, Seagate is currently incorporated in Dublin, Ireland and has its principal executive offices in Scotts Valley, California, United States.-1970s:On November 1, 1979...
. Crystal Services was combined with Holistic Systems to form the Information Management Group of Seagate Software
Seagate Software
Seagate Software was an international software corporation headquartered in Scotts Valley, California, United States. It was a majority owned subsidiary of Seagate Technology, the largest independent disc drive and related components company in the world....
, which later rebranded as Crystal Decisions
Crystal Decisions
Crystal Decisions is the name of a company that was known for its Business intelligence products....
and produced versions 4.0 through 9.0. Crystal Decisions was acquired in December 2003 by Business Objects
Business Objects (company)
SAP Business Objects is a French enterprise software company, specializing in business intelligence . Since 2007, it has been a part of SAP AG. The company claimed more than 46,000 customers worldwide in its final earnings release...
, which has so far produced versions 10, 11 (XI) and version 12 (2008). Business Objects was acquired by SAP
SAP AG
SAP AG is a German software corporation that makes enterprise software to manage business operations and customer relations. Headquartered in Walldorf, Baden-Württemberg, with regional offices around the world, SAP is the market leader in enterprise application software...
on October 8, 2007. Crystal Reports 2011 (version 14) was released on May 3, 2011.
Report designer
Crystal Reports allows users to graphically design data connection(s) and report layout. In the Database Expert, users can select and link tables from a wide variety of data sources, including Microsoft ExcelMicrosoft Excel
Microsoft Excel is a proprietary commercial spreadsheet application written and distributed by Microsoft for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X. It features calculation, graphing tools, pivot tables, and a macro programming language called Visual Basic for Applications...
spreadsheets, Oracle
Oracle Database
The Oracle Database is an object-relational database management system produced and marketed by Oracle Corporation....
databases, Business Objects Enterprise business views, and local file system information. Fields from these tables can be placed on the report design surface, and can also be used in custom formulas, using either BASIC
BASIC
BASIC is a family of general-purpose, high-level programming languages whose design philosophy emphasizes ease of use - the name is an acronym from Beginner's All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code....
or Crystal's own syntax, which are then placed on the design surface. Formulas can be evaluated at several phases during report generation as specified by the developer.
Both fields and formulae have a wide array of formatting options available, which can be applied absolutely or conditionally. The data can be grouped into bands, each of which can be split further and conditionally suppressed as needed. Crystal Reports also supports subreports, graphing, and a limited amount of GIS
Geographic Information System
A geographic information system, geographical information science, or geospatial information studies is a system designed to capture, store, manipulate, analyze, manage, and present all types of geographically referenced data...
functionality.
Supported data sources
Accessible data sources include the following:- DatabaseDatabaseA database is an organized collection of data for one or more purposes, usually in digital form. The data are typically organized to model relevant aspects of reality , in a way that supports processes requiring this information...
s such as PostgreSQLPostgreSQLPostgreSQL, often simply Postgres, is an object-relational database management system available for many platforms including Linux, FreeBSD, Solaris, MS Windows and Mac OS X. It is released under the PostgreSQL License, which is an MIT-style license, and is thus free and open source software...
, SybaseAdaptive Server EnterpriseAdaptive Server Enterprise is Sybase Corporation's flagship enterprise-class relational model database server product. ASE is predominantly used on the Unix platform but is also available for Windows.-History:...
, IBM DB2IBM DB2The IBM DB2 Enterprise Server Edition is a relational model database server developed by IBM. It primarily runs on Unix , Linux, IBM i , z/OS and Windows servers. DB2 also powers the different IBM InfoSphere Warehouse editions...
, Ingres, Microsoft AccessMicrosoft AccessMicrosoft Office Access, previously known as Microsoft Access, is a relational database management system from Microsoft that combines the relational Microsoft Jet Database Engine with a graphical user interface and software-development tools. It is a member of the Microsoft Office suite of...
, Microsoft SQL ServerMicrosoft SQL ServerMicrosoft SQL Server is a relational database server, developed by Microsoft: It is a software product whose primary function is to store and retrieve data as requested by other software applications, be it those on the same computer or those running on another computer across a network...
, MySQLMySQLMySQL officially, but also commonly "My Sequel") is a relational database management system that runs as a server providing multi-user access to a number of databases. It is named after developer Michael Widenius' daughter, My...
, InterbaseInterBaseInterBase is a relational database management system currently developed and marketed by Embarcadero Technologies. InterBase is distinguished from other DBMSs by its small footprint, close to zero administration requirements, and multi-generational architecture...
and OracleOracle databaseThe Oracle Database is an object-relational database management system produced and marketed by Oracle Corporation.... - BtrieveBtrieveBtrieve is a transactional database software product. It is based on Indexed Sequential Access Method , which is a way of storing data for fast retrieval...
- Spreadsheets such as Microsoft ExcelMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Excel is a proprietary commercial spreadsheet application written and distributed by Microsoft for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X. It features calculation, graphing tools, pivot tables, and a macro programming language called Visual Basic for Applications...
- Text fileText fileA text file is a kind of computer file that is structured as a sequence of lines of electronic text. A text file exists within a computer file system...
s - HTML XML filesXMLExtensible Markup Language is a set of rules for encoding documents in machine-readable form. It is defined in the XML 1.0 Specification produced by the W3C, and several other related specifications, all gratis open standards....
- Groupware applications as Lotus NotesLotus NotesLotus Notes is the client of a collaborative platform originally created by Lotus Development Corp. in 1989. In 1995 Lotus was acquired by IBM and became known as the Lotus Development division of IBM and is now part of the IBM Software Group...
, Microsoft ExchangeMicrosoft Exchange ServerMicrosoft Exchange Server is the server side of a client–server, collaborative application product developed by Microsoft. It is part of the Microsoft Servers line of server products and is used by enterprises using Microsoft infrastructure products...
and Novell GroupWiseNovell GroupWiseGroupWise is a messaging and collaborative software platform from Novell that supports email, calendaring, personal information management, instant messaging, and document management. The platform consists of the client software, which is available for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux, and the server... - SAPSAP ERPThe SAP ERP application is an integrated enterprise resource planning software manufactured by SAP AG that targets business software requirements of midsize and large organizations in all industries and sectors...
: BW, Info Sets, Tables, and Business Objects Universes - Any other data source accessible through a web serviceWeb serviceA Web service is a method of communication between two electronic devices over the web.The W3C defines a "Web service" as "a software system designed to support interoperable machine-to-machine interaction over a network". It has an interface described in a machine-processable format...
, ODBC, JDBC or OLAPOLAPIn computing, online analytical processing, or OLAP , is an approach to swiftly answer multi-dimensional analytical queries. OLAP is part of the broader category of business intelligence, which also encompasses relational reporting and data mining...
.
Target Audience
Crystal Reports came integrated with Visual Studio versions prior to 2010. Crystal Reports competes with several solutions in the Microsoft market, such as SQL Server Reporting ServicesSQL Server Reporting Services
SQL Server Reporting Services is a server-based report generation software system from Microsoft. It can be used to prepare and deliver a variety of interactive and printed reports. It is administered via a web interface...
, XtraReports, ActiveReports
ActiveReports
ActiveReports is a .NET reporting tool used by developers of WinForms and ASP.NET applications. It was originally developed by Data Dynamics, which was then acquired by GrapeCity. ActiveReports is a set of components and tools that facilitates the production of reports to display data in documents...
, Telerik Reporting
Telerik Reporting
Telerik Reporting is a .NET reporting software for Microsoft Visual Studio 2010. The product is developed and sold by the .NET solutions provider Telerik and launched in 2008.- Overview :...
, and List & Label. Crystal Reports also provides solutions outside of the Microsoft market, for instance allowing Java
Java (programming language)
Java is a programming language originally developed by James Gosling at Sun Microsystems and released in 1995 as a core component of Sun Microsystems' Java platform. The language derives much of its syntax from C and C++ but has a simpler object model and fewer low-level facilities...
developers to build applications with Crystal Reports components.
See also
- Business Software Solutions Applications and ServicesSAP AGSAP AG is a German software corporation that makes enterprise software to manage business operations and customer relations. Headquartered in Walldorf, Baden-Württemberg, with regional offices around the world, SAP is the market leader in enterprise application software...
- Business ObjectsBusiness Objects (company)SAP Business Objects is a French enterprise software company, specializing in business intelligence . Since 2007, it has been a part of SAP AG. The company claimed more than 46,000 customers worldwide in its final earnings release...
- Seagate SoftwareSeagate SoftwareSeagate Software was an international software corporation headquartered in Scotts Valley, California, United States. It was a majority owned subsidiary of Seagate Technology, the largest independent disc drive and related components company in the world....