Reporting with Visual Studio and Crystal Reports : Create a Reporting Application From Scratch Using Visual Studio and Crystal Reports

The simplest way to learn Crystal Reports and Visual Studio is to follow the hands-on exercises in this tutorial. In no time you'll be producing stunning charts and be able to create a reporting application from scratch. **Overview** * A step-by-step guide that goes beyond theory, letting you get hand-on experience * Utilize a dataset and table adapter as data sources for your report * Learn how to add reports to forms and pass parameters dynamically **In Detail** Reports are documents that present focused, salient content to a specific audience. Crystal Reports is a business intelligence application that will help you design and generate reports from a wide range of data sources. It helps you summarize a good deal of information in a visually appealing manner. "Reporting with Visual Studio and Crystal Reports" is a practical, hands-on guide that will provide you with a number of clear, step-by-step exercises, and help you take advantage of the real power of Crystal Reports. This book will not only help you create effective reports, but also teach you how to create a reporting application. "Reporting with Visual Studio and Crystal Reports" will guide you through the installation of Crystal Reports and Visual Studio. As you progress from one chapter to the next, you will gradually build a reporting application. You will also learn how to select the right data, and enhance your report by grouping and sorting data. This book will also help you create chart reports to improve your report design. With this book, you will learn how to create a complete reporting application and a wide variety of reports. **What you will learn from this book** * Set up Microsoft Visual Studio, Crystal Reports, and Microsoft SQL server * Create a new reporting application * Design the application GUI * Connect to a database and use a dataset and table adapter * Add Crystal Reports to the application * Add database fields to the report and format them * Group and sort report data using parameter fields and special fields **Approach** A fast-paced, example-based guide to learn how to create a reporting application using Visual Studio and Crystal Reports. **Who this book is written for** "Reporting with Visual Studio and Crystal Reports" is for developers new to Crystal Reports. It will also prove useful to intermediate users who wish to explore some new techniques in Crystal Reports using Microsoft Visual Studio. Readers are expected to have basic knowledge of C#, Microsoft Visual Studio, and Structured Query Language (SQL). Content: Preface -- Chapter 1. Setting up the requirements. Installing Microsoft Visual Studio 2012 Getting the source Installation Installing Crystal Report for Visual Studio 2012 Getting the source Installation Installing Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Getting the source Installation Installing Northwind database in Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Getting the source Installation Summary -- Chapter 2. Designing a sample application. Creating a new application Adding controls to the form Employees Beginning your design process Products and orders Beginning your design process Employees and orders Beginning your design process Validating form data Sketching your reports on paper Summary -- Chapter 3. Selecting the data. SQL queries in Microsoft Visual Studio Connecting to our database Add database diagram Test queries Populate the ComboBoxes with data Add DataSet to the application Populate the cbEmpTitle ComboBox Populate the cbEmpCity ComboBox Populate the cbEmpCountry ComboBox Populate the cbProductsCategory ComboBox Populate cbOrdersCountry ComboBox Summary -- Chapter 4. Creating first report. Preparing a report data Selecting the report data Creating a TableAdapter Adding a report to the application Working with lines and boxes Using special fields Adding the report to a form Summary -- Chapter 5. Enhancing Reports Using parameter fields Working with formula fields Working with subreport Grouping and sorting data Summary -- Chapter 6. Working with Cross-Tab reports. Creating our report Customizing the Cross-Tab appearance Performing page setup Summary -- Chapter 7. Working with charts. Creating the reports data source Creating the first report (bar chart) Removing the legend Removing the chart's title Changing the chart's appearance Creating the second report (pie chart) Removing the legend Removing the chart's title Changing the chart's appearance Creating the third report (gauge chart) Removing the legend Removing the chart's title Changing the chart's appearance Creating the fourth report (all in one) Summary -- Index.

In Detail

Reports are documents that present focused, salient content to a specific audience. Crystal Reports is a business intelligence application that will help you design and generate reports from a wide range of data sources. It helps you summarize a good deal of information in a visually appealing manner.

"Reporting with Visual Studio and Crystal Reports" is a practical, hands-on guide that will provide you with a number of clear, step-by-step exercises, and help you take advantage of the real power of Crystal Reports. This book will not only help you create effective reports, but also teach you how to create a reporting application.

"Reporting with Visual Studio and Crystal Reports" will guide you through the installation of Crystal Reports and Visual Studio. As you progress from one chapter to the next, you will gradually build a reporting application. You will also learn how to select the right data, and enhance your report by grouping and sorting data. This book will also help you create chart reports to improve your report design. With this book, you will learn how to create a complete reporting application and a wide variety of reports.

Approach

A fast-paced, example-based guide to learn how to create a reporting application using Visual Studio and Crystal Reports.

Who this book is for

"Reporting with Visual Studio and Crystal Reports" is for developers new to Crystal Reports. It will also prove useful to intermediate users who wish to explore some new techniques in Crystal Reports using Microsoft Visual Studio. Readers are expected to have basic knowledge of C#, Microsoft Visual Studio, and Structured Query Language (SQL).