Crystal Reports Professional Results (Paperback)

by George Peck (Author) "Crystal Reports, being a Windows-based report writer, provides all the tools you need for creating presentation-quality reports..." (more)
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Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Create presentation-quality reports and complex, interactive analysis documents both on and off the Web with help from this thorough resource. Learn to use this powerful reporting tool to develop and design reports, make maps, tables, and charts, and much more. Produce visually appealing reports quickly and effectively, extract and present data from SQL databases, download ready-to-use sample report templates. Get the information, advice, and tools you'll need to conquer the learning curve and produce winning reports and report-based applications.

From the Back Cover

Become more productive right off the bat using the hands-on directions and targeted information in this innovative how-to reference. Loaded with to-the-point techniques, this complete resource provides correct answers to common questions as quickly as you can turn its pages. Make reports more visually appealing. Draw information from databases and customize charts. And, get a complete look at Crystal Reports formulas with the Formula Language Reference. This thorough book explains why--as well as how--techniques work so that you can adapt concepts to your specific needs.

• Produce visually appealing reports quickly and effectively
• Enhance reports with sophisticated formulas
• Maximize SQL database performance and speed
• Get quick help with formatting, databases, formulas, charts, subreports, and more
• Present data with colorful charts and graphs
• Learn all about formulas with the Formula Language Reference
• Format reports for impressive business presentation
• Customize reports with user-supplied parameter fields
• Apply techniques to all versions of Crystal Reports, including 9
• Outperform even your highest expectations

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Product Details

• Paperback: 408 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Osborne Media; 1 edition (July 17, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0072229519
• ISBN-13: 978-0072229516
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 7.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #289,014 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Crystal Guru in a Book, October 1, 2003

By	Marie A. Harper "Annette Harper" (Madison, IN) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you're just getting started with Crystal Reports, you've had some introductory training and know your way around the basics fairly well, but you're just not sure if some particular thing is possible or how to do it, this is the book for you. (Even if you are not just getting started!) Some of us are lucky and have a Crystal guru in the cubicle next door for those one-off questions; the rest can look them up in this book.

The first half of the book is tips and tricks, some more tricky than others, but all in the realm of good-to-know. I consider myself a sophisticated Crystal Reports developer and yet I found tidbits of knowledge that I had never come across before. The topics covered are broad, encompassing report formatting, formula creation, grouping enhancements, and more. Putting just some of the tips into practice will make you look like the guru.

The second half of the book is a Crystal Reports formula reference that I did not find much more helpful than the Crystal Reports help files. However, the tips section is more than worth the price of the book!

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Only half a book, September 10, 2003

By A Customer

I already have George's CR 8.5 book and I think its great. When I saw the description for this book I was very interested in reading it. Unfortunately, once I got the book in my hands I was let down.

As I went through the chapters I saw that it was really a "Tips and Tricks" book. This is mostly stuff that I already read in his 8.5 book. So I didn't see much new information. But the really bad part was when I got to page 200. The book was over! Yes, this "400" page book is only 200 pages.

The last 200 pages are a printout of the Crystal help file. I've read books that have what I consider too many tables copied out of a help file. But this book goes over the top by having a full 50% of its content being a copy of the help file. What was George and his publisher thinking? It reminds me of the Tom Petty song The Last DJ, "The guys at the top want to see how much you'll pay for what you used to get for free."

In summary, the first half of the book is a lot of repeated tips from his 8.5 book. The second half of the book is worthless. If you want a good CR book, get George's 8.5 or 9.0 book and pass this one by. I'm shocked to see that a great CR author such as George put with his name on the cover.

12 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing Read, January 19, 2004

By	Ohio Report Developer (Cleveland, OH) - See all my reviews

This is a disappointing read. Half of the book is the reference material from the help files and the other half is random report design techniques that don't fit together. Give this one a pass.