What is Crystal ReportsBy: Wase Siddiqui

History

• Crystal Reports was not created by SAP. It was a Software created by Terry Cunningham. It was created because the original report software being used was not suitable for their system. Multiple versions were created of Crystal Reports. It went from Crystal Services 1.0 – 3.0 and then rebranded to Crystal Decisions 4.0 – 9.0. SAP acquired it in 2007 which at that time they were on the 12th version. Crystal reports was often bundled with Microsoft Visual Studio but has no been discontinued. But can still be used as an add on.

Overview

• Crystal Reports (2013) is a Business Intelligence software used for smaller businesses to share information through a single layer and semantic. (SAP AG 1).• It’s well known for its fast functions in IT, Business and Environment

deployment. • “SAP Crystal Reports software enables your end users to consume

reports that include visuals while they conduct on-report business modeling and execute decisions instantly from the report itself,” this helps in reducing dependency on analyst (SAP AG 1).

Data Sources

• The main goal for Crystal Reports 2013 is to make data much more easier to access. • Crystal Reports can connect to ost data sources, whether it is OLAP or

XML databases.• “Crystal Reports also supports Unicode so that you can report off data

stored in virtually any language” (SAP AG 1) This gives it the ability to very versatile with almost any function. • When Crystal Reports takes all of this data it can accessed anywhere

whether it is online or through portals .

Crystal Reports and the Internet

• Crystal Reports doesn’t just give you the ability to connect with different data sources but it gives you much more flexibility to connect to Microsoft Office. • Crystal Reports can be used over the web. Advanced web reporting

lets user view, update and share reports through the web. • It can be used like Google Doc, which allows users to work remote

and still use the system. • Applications have also been created for it.

Features and Benefits

• Crystalreports.com states that Crystal Reports offers a flexible customizable report design. It allows you to create a formatted report quickly with the Crystal Reports efficient graphic user interface.• It also states that there is a “broad data connectivity” which allows

you to connect information sources spread across the software. All of the data sources include Native, ODBC, OLE DB, and JDBC.• Another benefit offered is the “powerful report delivery options”

which helps you deliver personalized reports to your users’ destination, in the language they want and the format they want as well.

Features and Benefits contd.

• Compared to the previous version of Crystal Reports, crystalreports.com states the version 2013 has expanded support for Excel. The new XLSX export now takes full advantage of update Excel file format by allowing more data to be exported to a single worksheet. In other words, the whole workbook does not need to be uploaded anymore. • Another feature added to Crystal Reports is Mobile interactivity. Users

can now access Crystal Reports through their mobile devices and access all of their data.• Now, Crystal Reports is windows 7 compatible as well.

Benefits and Features and Crystal Dashboard• Crystalreports.com also states that SAP Crystal Dashboard Design

software, Adobe Flex, Adobe Flash and HTML 5 is integrated. This enables Crystal Report users to produce a combination from various sources. • SAP Crystal Reports is designed to work hand in hand with SAP Crystal

Reports. Crystal Dashboard is meant to help users understand their data more quickly and thoroughly. It gives you everything from what-if analysis and visualizations such as maps and charts. • The biggest benefit is the information management organization in

the system. It makes information available to everyone.

Conclusion

• Overall SAP Crystal Reports is designed to work with databases to help users interpret important information.• Crystal Reports makes it easy to create simple reports and it also the

tools needed to produce complex reports (Crystal Reports User Guide 19)• Like mentioned before, Crystal Reports was meant to produce reports

that you need from any to all kinds of data sources. • It Offers multiple features , allows you to use formulas, cross tabs, sub

reports, ETC.• Crystal Reports is a great system and is known to make information

management more efficient.

Bibliography

• http://www.crystalreports.com/sap-crystal-dashboard-design.asp• http://www.crystalreports.com/• http://www.sap.com/bin/sapcom/el_gr/downloadasset.2009-01-jan-

20-08.comparison-of-features-by-version-for-the-sap-crystal-reports-family-of-offerings-pdf.html• Crystal Reports User guide 2013