The Repository comes out every six to eight
weeks. It features Crystal tools tips and tricks, news about Crystal
Reports, Crystal Enterprise and Crystal Info. Check our Promotions section
for education and solutions offerings. This month's highlights:
- Crystal Reports 11 Sneak
Peak at CDUGNA 2004 -
George Peck comments on what to expect in Crystal Reports 11. See
article in this section.
- CDUGNA 2004, New
Orleans - Crystal
Decisions User Group North America held its training days and user
conference in the Big Easy. Visit our News section for this
story.
- Crystal Reports 10: The
Complete Reference in bookstores now! - George Peck's 5th in a series is now in stores.
More information in our Promotions section.
- Crystal: The Complete
Toolset makes its debut. - Looking for cool Crystal add-on utilities? This is your
one-stop shop for sample versions and downloads. See our Promotions
section.
- I Didn't
Know... - our Crystal
knowledge techniques toolbox. Sophisticated and elegant tips and tricks
come from George Peck's Crystal Reports Professional Results and
from you, our subscribers.
From George Peck,
President, The Ablaze Group
Crystal Reports 11 Sneak Peek at
CDUGNA 2004
The CDUGNA Conference in New Orleans took place May 26
- 28 with over 200 participants learning about the latest Crystal/Business
Objects technologies and directions. One of the sessions that we were
excited about was a Crystal Reports 11 "Sneak Peek".
While this session wasn't offered under any non-disclosure
requirements, there was a "safe harbor" statement given, including the
usual "We're not obligated to actually have this stuff appear in the final
product", and so forth. The session showed a pre-release version of
Crystal Reports 11 that's slated to ship as part of the Business Objects
11 product suite around the end of this year. While the wisdom of such
frequent updates is debatable (Crystal Reports 10 shipped in January), the
benefit of some new version 11 features is not. This looks to be as much
of a major upgrade as Crystal Reports 10 was a minor upgrade.
Some notable new Crystal Reports 11 features:
- New look and feel The overall look and feel of Crystal
Reports is changing. It's taking on more of the standard Microsoft
"integrated environment" feeling, with lots of
"push-pin-to-auto-hide-dialog" and "tabs-on-both-top-and-bottom"
technology. If you've used Visual Studio .NET or the new Business View
Manager that's part of Crystal Enterprise 10, you have an idea of what
Crystal Reports 11 will look like.
- Dynamic and Cascading parameter pick lists This one has been
requested longer than we can remember. Current data from a field in a
table included in the report can be used to supply a real-time pick list
for a parameter field (dynamic pick list). And, the choice made from one
parameter can be used to customize the pick list from another. For
example, if you choose "Colorado" as one parameter value, a County
parameter pick list will only show counties within Colorado (cascading
pick list).
- External image support This is another one that's been
requested for some time--particularly as web-based reporting has grown.
This will allow a database field or formula to provide the location of
an external image file. This image can then be embedded within the
report, much as BLOB (image) database fields can now.
There are
other features of version 11 that are in development as well, but these
were the key ones discussed during the session, and the most-often
requested. So, keep your eyes open for Crystal Reports 11 at the end of
2004--it looks to have some major new features.
Newsletter suggestions? Crystal questions? email
us - we'd like to hear from you.
... that the
ampersand performs an implicit conversion.
Crystal Reports 8
and later provides the ampersand (&) operator as an alternative to the
plus sign for string concatenation. Because the ampersand applies
only to string concatenation, it will perform an implicit
conversion when used with mixed data types in a formula. The ampersand
will automatically convert non-string fields to strings when using them in
a formula. Now that's a "smooth operator!"
Tips and
tricks are brought to you by Crystal
Reports Professional Results and you, our readers. You can win a
copy of Crystal Reports Professional Results or Crystal Reports:
The Complete Reference and see YOUR name here. How? Just email your
favorite Crystal tip, trick or technique. If it's selected we'll include
it and your name in the next release of The Repository and we'll send you
a copy of either Crystal Reports Professional Results or Crystal
Reports: The Complete Reference.
email
your favorite Crystal tip, trick or technique.
CDUGNA 2004,
New Orleans
Pre-conference training and
the conference were a success. Crystal Decisions User Group of North America, CDUGNA held their 2004 training days and
user conference in New Orleans the last week in May. Attendees enjoyed two
days of pre-conference training and the three-day user conference. George
Peck's, 'Introduction To Business Views', was voted best break-out
session. For pictures, details and downloadable presentations visit the CDUGNA web site.
Learn more.
Our
Books
Crystal Reports 10: The Complete Reference in book stores
this month!
George Peck's 5th Complete
Reference book is available in stores and online. Look for Crystal Reports 10: The
Complete Reference in the tech section of your favorite book store.
Chapters in this book include: complex formulas, updated repository, new
Business Views as well as how to integrate your reports with Visual Basic,
Visual Studio .NET and Java. You'll also learn how to schedule and view
reports on the Web with Crystal Enterprise 10. Buy it through CrystalBook.com or amazon.com.
Sample chapters and other goodies.
Call or
email
for details.
Crystal: The Complete Toolset
- a collaboration of creativity and technology. Looking for a Crystal tool that
simplifies report maintenance? How about something to increase Crystal
Enterprise productivity? Crystal: The Complete Toolset has the solution. A
wide variety of utilities are organized by type and vendor. Just pull
down, point and click!
Visit the Toolset site.
Call or email
for details.
Crystal Reports
Professional Results the ultimate Tips & Tricks collection.
Rely on this book for quick,
tried and true, Crystal Reports shortcuts to success. It's a wealth of
easy to understand, efficiently explained techniques.
Take a look at the book.
Call or email
for details.
Ablaze Group
Consulting & Support
Is Crystal Enterprise in your
future? The Ablaze Group
Crystal Enterprise team will coordinate your smooth migration from Crystal
Info to Crystal Enterprise. Are you new to Crystal Enterprise? We've got
you covered. Our CE experts will do the installing and fine-tuning,
conduct training and return for further customization. Telephone and email
support are available. Not quite sure what you really need? The Ablaze
Group will advise and guide you in the acquisition of this powerful tool.
Ask about our custom CE demos. Call or email
for details.
Ablaze Group Support - Buy It
By The Block! Ablaze
Group Support is now sold in hourly blocks. Buy hours of our technical
support for: report design and/or modification, workshops, contact via our
(800) number or email. Use the time for project management, strategizing
or as an additional knowledge resource. Call or email
for details.
Ablaze
Group Education
Training, new features,
polishing skills? It's your choice!
The Ablaze Group offers Crystal Reports, Crystal
Enterprise and Crystal Info courses. Courseware can be customized to your
organization's needs.
Call or email
for details.
Crystal Reports: The
Complete Reference attends class!
Our courseware
includes Crystal Reports: The Complete Reference. Use it during
class - rely on it at work. This is an Ablaze Group exclusive. Call us at
(800) 773 3472 for details.
Learn
more.
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