... about printing Page Continuation Messages. Although Crystal Reports features the Repeat Group Header On Each Page option to display a group header at the top of each page where the group appears, there's no built-in capability to print a similar message at the bottom of the page.Also, if your report is only sorted and not grouped, the Repeat Group Header On Each Page option is not available.

By creating simple formulas, you may indicate if the field that a report is sorted on or grouped on continues on the next page or is continued from the previous page. The formulas use the Next and Previous functions to determine if the database value on the next or previous record is the same as the current record.

Here's how to print Page Continuation Messages:

1. Ensure that the report you wish to ad a "continues on next page" or "continued from previous page" to is sorted or grouped by the desired field.

2. To display a "continues on next page" message, create a formula similar to:
   If (Customer.Cust Name) = Next ((Customer.Cust Name))
   Then
   (Customer.Cust Name) & " continues on next page"

3. Place the formula in the page footer of the report.

4. To display a "continued from previous page" message", create a formula similar to: If (Customer.Cust Name) = Previous ((Customer.Cust Name))
   Then
   (Customer.Cust Name) & " continued from previous page"

5. Place the formula in the page header of the report.

email your favorite Crystal tip, trick or technique.

Welcome Back Crystal Decisions!
by George Peck

Business Objects Crystal Decisions was announced a few weeks back as a web-based product that is, as Business Objects states in its marketing materials, “built for mid-size companies.” Originally envisioned as “Business Objects BI Server” (as it’s referred to in all product documentation), Crystal Decisions is, in essence, an expanded version of the existing Crystal Reports Server web-based product, which is itself a crippled version of the fuller BusinessObjects Enterprise XI. Crystal Decisions really sits in the middle of these two web-based extremes, providing extra features beyond the Crystal Reports focus of Crystal Reports Server, but less than the full Business Intelligence/Data Integration focus of BusinessObjects Enterprise.

The core “single hardware server only, maximum 20 concurrent user” Crystal Reports Server platform has been maintained. However, additional capabilities from the Enterprise product line are now available in Crystal Decisions Standard Edition, including Web Intelligence web-based report/query, Universe metadata management, Live Office Microsoft Office integration, and dashboard capabilities from Xcelsius. Moving up to Professional edition will add additional Enterprise capabilities, such as data integration/ETL. Premium edition adds scorecards and performance metrics.

Despite the architectural similarity, pricing for Crystal Decisions does not maintain the “simple and easily-determined” model of Crystal Reports Server. Like BusinessObjects Enterprise, Crystal Decisions can only be purchased through the Business Objects direct or partner sales channel, and pricing is “negotiable.”