Crystal Reports Designing Customer Statement Notes for Programmer

There are also the cases where you have custom client relation system where reporting is not implemented and open for generic tools, such as MS Access Forms, Crystal, Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS).  There might be situations where you are selling telecommunication time in minutes and this time doesn’t go into your accounting system directly and should be pulled from external database often via web service or web http request.  Let’s review the steps and recommendations:

1. Separate the report itself from SQL data pulling engine.  Obviously most of the reporting tools have direct data linking options and even wizards to build such relation.  However these options are reasonably limited and good for education purposes but not really for professional developer.  We’ve seen numerous failures where wizard did its job but the report produced duplicate rows and inaccurate summaries.  Layout looked nice and graphical elements were professionally created however customer could not trust such a report.  How do we separate layout from SQL data pulling?

2. Base it on SQL View or Stored Procedure.  First you work in MS SQL Server Management Studio Query designer and test the SQL Select statement.  You may use such complex constructions here as Union.  When select statement is tuned to produce reliable results you envelop it with SQL View.  In some cases you have to use SQL Cursor or create temporary tables and here you are appealing to Stored Procedure.  Its parameters are automatically translated to report parameters.  Test results set first and do not design report until you are satisfied with its quality.  That way eliminates the need to redesign report layout from scratch in the future.  And even in the case when you face some inaccuracy or business logic change request down the road – you may just make a change in the View or Stored Procedure and the fix should work without any layout design change

3. Graphical design.  As you can deploy various picture formats including popular JPEG, BMP, GIF we recommend you to do professional graphics in Adobe Photoshop.  If you are thinking about new logotype we recommend you to read whitepapers about vector graphic formats and Adobe Illustrator.  Your logo often needs to be scaled up and down and it is possible if you switch from bit map to vector graphic

4. Connection to custom database via ODBC DSN.  You can combine the data from cross-platform databases in such constructions as SQL Open Row Set or Linked Server.  Such databases as Oracle, MySQL/PHP, MS Access, Excel, CSV or tab delimited text files, XML, Pervasive SQL and its predecessor Btrieve, Ctree/Faircom

5. I’d like to compare several design tools.  Could you recommend me a list?  Yes, direct competition includes SSRS (Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services).  Here you are working with web exposed instrument in Microsoft Visual Studio.  The recommendations on SSRS are similar.   Consider SQL View or Stored Procedure as the base and test it prior to beginning layout design.  If you are comfortable with Microsoft Access you can design the lay out there and then link it via ODBC to the database.  Excel is obviously powerful if you are comfortable with connecting it to the database tables.  If you are thinking about specific Corporate ERP application such as Microsoft Dynamics ERP it is a trend to open the way to Word Templates and SSRS.  Such platforms as Great Plains Dynamics, Solomon, Small Business Financials are open for Crystal due to the fact that they are hosted either in MS SQL Server or Pervasive SQL 2000/Btrieve (only old versions such as 7.5 and older)

6. Crystal and SAP Business One.  In version 8.8X SAP B1 is encouraging you to deploy Crystal Reports and there is no longer need to install special add-on

7. Great Plains Dynamics on Pervasive SQL 2000 and Great Plains DOS 9.5.  It is possible to connect to these databases via ODBC 32 bit System DSN.  The fact that we are now in 64 bit computing era introduces some near future risks

8. Do we have to find local programmer or there is the way to implement the project remotely?  Both ways have their pluses and minuses.  Local consultant is ready to show up at your office as you call her or him and schedule the meeting.  At the same time the potential disadvantage might be the business model where local programmer has to be really diversified to serve maximum number of local and regional customers and this diversification might lead to limited experience in your specific project.  Remote support is coming close in its technology advance with the introduction of web sessions and phone conferences (Skype, Gotomeeting, WebEx, GotomyPC).  Serving clients nationwide allows the consulting firm to concentrate on the projects where local market would not provide enough business

9. Please call us 1-866-304-3265, 1-269-605-4904 (for international customers, where our representatives pick up the phone in Naperville and St. Joseph, MI call center)  help@efaru.com  We have local presence in Chicagoland, Southern California, South West Michigan, Houston and Dallas areas of Texas. We serve customers USA, Canada, Mexico, Brazil nationwide and internationally via web sessions and phone conferences (Skype is welcomed)