... the way to Make a Formula Multiline. The freeform design nature of Crystal Reports lends itself to much more innovative reporting than "one record per line" green-bar style reports that used to come off the mainframe. Crystal Reports is perfectly suited for form letters and other more "vertically oriented" reports.

This type of reporting often requires that database values or formulas be stacked vertically on top of each other. If for example, you want to display a name, address, and city-state-zip combination on three lines, you can place the three fields one below the other. However, you may wish to create a single formula that actually returns a multiline result. You may then simply stretch the formula vertically to accommodate a fixed number of vertical lines, or format the formula with the Can Grow option from the Format Editor to show a variable number of vertical lines.

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1. Create a new formula to contain the multiline string values.
2. Use the Chr function to add a specific carriage return character to the formula where you'd like to start a new line. The Chr function accepts one argument: the ASCII character value to return to the formula. The ASCII value for a carriage return is 13.
3. For example, a formula that adds a carriage return between customer name, address 1, and city-state-zip might look like this:
   {Customer.Cust Name} & Chr(13) &
   {Customer.Addr1} & Chr(13) &
   {Customer.City} & ", " &
   {Customer.Region} & " " &
   {Customer.Postal Code}
   NOTE In Crystal syntax, you may press the ENTER key between operators and other portions of the formula. While the formula will appear on multiple lines in the Formula Editor, carriage returns will not be added to the formula. You must explicitly add them with Chr(13).
4. Manually resize the formula vertically to accommodate the number of lines it will return. Or, format the formula with the Can Grow option from the Format Editor's Common tab to allow the formula to grow vertically automatically.
   Note: In later versions of Crystal Reports, Chr() has been replaced by ChrW() to support the full Unicode character set. It works the same way—supply the ASCII code that you wish to be included in the formula.

... how to Base a Formula on a Parameter Field. Crystal Reports parameter fields allow the report to be customized every time is it run. A parameter field is a value that the report viewer can supply every time the report is refreshed. The value that the report viewer supplies can then be used in virtually every part of the report, including record selection, conditional formatting, and formulas.

Here's how to base a formula on a parameter field:

1. Create the parameter field to gather the desired value or values when the report is refreshed.
2. Ensure that the parameter field gathers the correct data type for the formula you'll be using with it. For example, define a parameter field as a number if you'll be using it in a numeric formula, a string for string concatenation, or a date for a date-related formula.
3. Create or modify the formula that will make use of the parameter field.
4. In the Field tree of the Formula Editor, scroll down to the bottom of the Report Fields list. You'll notice all parameter fields available for use in the formula (parameter fields will start with a ? character).
5. Double-click the desired parameter field in the list. It will be added to the formula text box as a database field would be.
6. For Example, you may use a parameter field that prompts the report viewer for a sales tax rate in a formula similar to this:
   {Orders.Order Amt} + {Orders.Order Amt} *
   {?Sales Tax Rate} / 100
7. Check the formula for errors, then save the formula.

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