SAP Crystal Reports Glossary from A to Z — SAP Crystal Reports

SAP Crystal Reports Glossary — 133 definitions

All the terms defined across the guide's 27 sections, sorted alphabetically.
Tip: Ctrl + F to search for a term on the page.

Alerts: CONDITIONAL messages triggered when data meets a criteria (formula): flag situations to watch (threshold breach, negative stock, anomaly) without scanning the whole report.
Column alignment: Carefully align the Detail fields with their titles (Page Header): a clean report has aligned columns (alignment tools + grid).
Print preview: Preview mode shows the PAGINATED report as it will output (paper/PDF): check width, overflow, page breaks, header repetition.
Group Tree: Panel listing the groups; lets you jump directly to a group — quick navigation in a large report.
32/64-bit architecture: An ODBC source must match the software's architecture; a 32/64-bit mismatch is a frequent cause of a "data source not found".
Connection / database expert: The tool (Database Expert) to choose the connection type, provide the settings (server, database, credentials or file path) and select the tables.
Report Wizard: Step-by-step guide for creating a first report: source → tables → fields → groupings. Handy to get started quickly.
Group Expert: Tool for choosing the GROUPING field and the group order. Crystal Reports automatically sorts by that field and inserts the group sections.
Advantages: Prompts UP TO DATE (real values from the database), GUIDED (hierarchical cascade), REDUCED lists (the previous choice narrows the next), fewer entry errors — better experience and reliability.
Borders and fills: Frame objects/sections, add separator lines, color a background (grey the column headers) — to delimit and structure visually, without overloading.
Property formula button: Almost every formatting property has a small FORMULA button ("x-2" icon); you write a formula that returns the property's value depending on a condition.
Building blocks of a formula: FIELD references ({table.field}), OPERATORS (arithmetic, comparison, logical And/Or/Not, concatenation), built-in FUNCTIONS (math, text, dates, conditions), literals (numbers, "text", #dates#).
Cardinality of columns: The COLUMNS field must have FEW distinct values (months, categories); many values (hundreds of customers) make the table very wide and unreadable.
Category & value: What goes on the x-axis (the CATEGORY — often a group field: region, month) and what goes on the y-axis (the VALUE — often a summary: total sales).
Computed category: A formula (e.g. If…Then…Else) that produces a category (bucket, period, class), which you then group on — analysis flexibility.
Running Total Field: Dedicated object created in the explorer: you define the field to accumulate, the operation (Sum, Count…), the evaluation condition and the RESET.
Summary field: A total calculated on a field: Sum, Count, Average, Max/Min… Inserted via "Insert a summary".
Special Fields: Fields provided by Crystal Reports displaying automatic info: page number, total page count, print date/time, record number, report name. Drag them into the right sections.
Chart Expert: The wizard to configure a chart: type, data (category "on change of" a group, value "show value" a summary), placement, title/legend/colors.
Field selection: Select the columns to display (they go into the Detail section). The wizard places them automatically in a basic report.
Table selection: Select ONLY the tables needed for the report (not the whole database). Fewer tables = simpler, faster and more reliable report.
Choosing the format by use: Reading/printing → PDF; analysis/reprocessing → Excel (data only); editable document → Word; raw data → CSV. The key to successful distribution.
SQL Command: Write YOUR OWN SQL query (SELECT/FROM/WHERE/JOIN) as the report's source, executed as-is by the database — instead of letting Crystal generate the query. Maximum control and performance.
Design vs Preview: Design: the STRUCTURE (objects in sections, without data). Preview: the report WITH the real data, as it will be. You switch between the two.
Cost of dynamic lists: Populating a dynamic list involves a QUERY to the database on open; watch performance if the lists are huge (limit/cache).
Performance cost of linked subreports: A linked subreport runs once PER record/group of the main report — very expensive in the Detail section; placing it in a GROUP header/footer limits the runs.
Cross-Tab Expert: The wizard to build the cross-tab: define rows, columns, summarized field(s). Generates the grid and totals automatically.
Crystal Reports for Enterprise / SAP BO: Edition within the SAP BusinessObjects platform, for large-scale report distribution and management in the enterprise.
Crystal Reports for Visual Studio: FREE version for .NET developers, integrated into Visual Studio, to EMBED reports in applications (level 5); not the full standalone design.
Crystal Reports Viewer: Display component placed in the application (page/window): it shows the report with built-in printing and export.
Crystal Reports vs Excel: Excel = spreadsheet (calculation, ad hoc analysis). Crystal Reports = a TOOL for PRODUCING fixed-format, repeatable and precise documents (invoices, statements, regulatory reports).
Running Total: A sum/count that ACCUMULATES line after line, showing the total "as of this line" (running balance, month-to-date total). Different from a summary (total at the end).
Running total vs summary: The SUMMARY (2-2) gives ONE total at the end of a group/report; the RUNNING TOTAL gives the INTERMEDIATE total at EACH line, as it progresses.
Dependence on order: A progressive running total depends on the ORDER of the lines: sort the records correctly BEFORE, otherwise the running total makes no sense.
Drill-down: In a summary report (details hidden), CLICK a group to display its DETAIL on demand. Interactive navigation: summary first, detail on click.
Formula Workshop: The workshop where you write formulas: lists of fields ({table.field}), functions (by category) and operators, with syntax checking.
Trial edition: Free version of the designer (typically 30 days), downloadable from the SAP site — ideal for learning without buying a license. Beyond that, the software is paid (per-workstation license).
Standalone designer edition: The report DESIGN software installed on a Windows workstation (Crystal Reports 2020, 2016…): what the designer uses to create/format/test reports. The edition to use for learning.
Cross-tab placement: Report Header/Footer (global cross-tab) or GROUP (one cross-tab per group).
Chart placement: Report Footer/Header = a GLOBAL chart (once); group header/footer = a chart PER group. Determines the scope.
Group Header / Footer: Sections created by grouping: the Header shows the group's name ("Customer: Dupont"); the Footer hosts the group's subtotals (level 2-2).
Report (statement): The document designed in Crystal Reports: a layout that FETCHES the data from the source and DISPLAYS it; a REUSABLE model, refreshable at will.
Per-occurrence evaluation: The formula is evaluated for EACH occurrence of the object (each line): the appearance varies line by line according to the data.
Skill requirement & maintenance: The SQL command requires MASTERING SQL (valid and optimized query); it's CODE to maintain (unlike drag-and-drop).
Section Expert: The tool to set each section's behavior: hiding, blank section suppression, page breaks, "keep together".
Field Explorer: Panel listing everything you can place: database fields (table columns), formula fields, parameters, summaries/totals, special fields. Drag these fields to the sections.
Export CSV / Word / others: CSV/text: exchange of RAW data (import into a system). Word/RTF: integrate into an editable document. HTML/XML: integration/web.
Export Excel: So the recipient can REPROCESS the data. "Data only" (values in cells, no layout — ideal for analysis) or "with layout" (reproduces the appearance, less clean for reprocessing).
Export PDF: The ultimate DISTRIBUTION format: FIXED document, faithful to the layout, printable, non-editable, universal. For finalized reports (invoice, statement, official report).
Export: Output the report in a FORMAT (PDF, Excel, Word, CSV, HTML…) according to use, via "File → Export". The step that turns a designed report into a distributed document.
Client-side filtering: When a condition can't be translated into SQL, Crystal fetches ALL rows then filters locally (slow, heavy on large volumes). Avoid as much as possible.
Server-side filtering: The selection is pushed to the DATABASE: it only returns the filtered records (fast, light). Prefer this — requires simple conditions on database fields.
Server-side filtering (performance): THE major lever: push the selection to the database to fetch ONLY the necessary data (check the generated SQL). Performance depends mainly on the fetched volume and on what is done on the DB side vs the workstation.
Date functions: Year/Month/Day (extract — to group by period), DateDiff (delay between two dates), DateAdd (add a duration), Today/CurrentDate — for delays, periods, comparisons.
Text functions (strings): UpperCase/LowerCase, Left/Right/Mid (extract), Len (length), Trim (clean), Replace, ToText (convert to text) — to clean, extract, compose text.
Date format: Display format of a date (DD/MM/YYYY, "July 5, 2026"…) depending on the need — set in the properties, without changing the data.
Number format: Decimals, thousands separator, currency symbol, negative sign, zero display — for readable amounts ("1,234.50" and not "1234.5"). Set in the object's properties.
Formula: A CALCULATION or logic you create to produce a value missing from the database (incl. tax = excl. tax × 1.2, margin, last+first name, computed category). Created in the editor, placed like a field.
Conditional appearance formula: Example: font color: "If {Amount} < 0 Then Red Else Black". The formula returns a value of the property's TYPE (a COLOR, a BOOLEAN for visibility…).
Selection formula: The translation of the selection into a formula (Record Selection Formula), visible and editable — ideally converted into a WHERE SQL clause sent to the database.
Null value handling (IsNull): Test IsNull before using a potentially null field: an unhandled null can make a formula fail or give an empty result.
Chart: VISUAL representation of the report's data (usually the summaries per group): bar/column, line, pie… Makes trends and comparisons immediate.
Nested groups (hierarchy): Several nested group levels (Region > Customer > Orders). The order defines the hierarchy (the outer group first).
Hyperlinks: Make an object CLICKABLE to open a URL, send an email, go to another report, or navigate within the report — links the report to other resources.
If…Then…Else: Returns a value depending on a condition (If {Amount} > 1000 Then "Large" Else "Standard"). Chainable (If…Then…Else If…) for multiple cases.
Application integration: Embed Crystal reports in APPLICATIONS (ERP, business software) to distribute reports at scale: the end user consumes the reports without opening the designer.
On-screen interactivity: Alerts, drill-down and hyperlinks are mainly relevant for ON-SCREEN consultation (viewer, application); on print/PDF, interactivity is limited.
Prompt: The text shown to the user to enter the parameter ("Select the year"). Write it clearly.
Joins (links between tables): When a report uses several tables, they are LINKED by a common field (Customers.ID = Orders.CustomerID). CRUCIAL point: bad links produce wrong reports (duplicates, missing rows).
Accuracy (the most important): Check the JOINS (no duplicates inflating the totals — trap #1), cross-check the totals against known values, handle the nulls. A WRONG report is worse than none.
Rows / Columns / Value: The three elements of a cross-tab: the ROW field (the products), the COLUMN field (the months), and the SUMMARIZED FIELD at the intersection (Sum of sales) with its operation.
Readability & reusability: Consistent/sober formatting, aligned columns, formatted numbers, clear structure (sections/groups); parameters for a generic report, enterprise templates, reusable formulas.
Static vs dynamic list: Static: a fixed list you define (months, statuses). Dynamic: pulled from the database (always up to date, real). Dynamic is superior for values that change.
Suppress: Not display a section, always or CONDITIONALLY (via a formula). E.g. hide the Details for a summary report; hide a line if the amount is zero.
Conditional formatting: Change an object's APPEARANCE (color, font, border, visibility…) based on a CONDITION on the data: the appearance REACTS to values (negatives in red, highlighted thresholds…).
Text formatting: Font, size, bold/italic/underline, color — to establish hierarchy (title, column headers, data). Via the toolbar, the Format menu or right-click → Format.
Page Setup: Paper size (A4…), ORIENTATION (portrait/landscape), margins — set according to the report's width (landscape for many columns).
Summary level: The SECTION where you place the summary determines what it totals: Group Footer = group subtotal; Report Footer = grand total. A wrong level gives a meaningless total.
New page / Keep together: "New page before/after" forces a page break (each group/invoice on a page); "Keep together" prevents cutting a section/group across two pages.
"N of M" page number: Combination of the special fields Page Number + Total Page Count, placed in the Page Footer — essential for a paginated document.
Field object vs text object: Field object: displays a DATA (variable). Text object: FIXED TEXT you type (titles, labels). You can combine fixed text and fields in the same text object.
ODBC / OLE DB / native: Connection modes: NATIVE (driver dedicated to the database, often more performant); ODBC / OLE DB (UNIVERSAL standards working with almost all databases).
Summary operation: The chosen calculation: Sum (add — the most common), Count (count the lines), Average, Max, Min… Match it to the need.
Parameter options: Type (number, text, date, boolean), single/MULTIPLE value, RANGE (between two values), VALUE LIST (dropdown, static or dynamic), DEFAULT value, optional.
Ranking / standings: Result of Top N + sort by group: a ranking of the best/worst groups by value — an analysis tool to spot the essentials.
Parameter: A value Crystal Reports ASKS the user for at runtime (year, customer, threshold…). The report adapts to the input. Created in the explorer (Parameter Fields).
Filter parameter: The most common use: the parameter feeds the record SELECTION ("Date in the year {?Year}") to display only the chosen data. A single report serves all cases.
Dynamic parameter: A parameter whose VALUE LIST is populated AUTOMATICALLY by the DATABASE (the real, up-to-date list of customers, products, regions) — instead of a fixed static list.
Parameters in an SQL command: You can embed Crystal parameters in the query for interactive filtering executed SERVER-SIDE (performance).
Cascading parameters: Several LINKED parameters where the choice of the first FILTERS the values of the second: country → region (of the country) → city (of the region). A guided hierarchy of choices.
Connection drivers: Components (ODBC, OLE DB, native connectors) installed with Crystal Reports to connect to databases; some sources require an additional driver.
Placing a field: DRAG a field from the explorer to a section; its position determines its behavior (the sections govern where/how many times it displays).
Push the work to the database: Joins, grouping, aggregations executed SERVER-SIDE (server options, SQL commands) and indexed fields — rather than on the workstation. Only select the useful tables/fields.
Presentation vs data: The format (numbers, dates, text) changes the DISPLAY, not the underlying data — that's presentation.
Refresh: Re-run the report to reload the data from the source: the presentation stays fixed, the data follows reality (always up-to-date document).
Basic report = starting point: The report generated by the wizard is a FUNCTIONAL START, to customize afterwards (formatting, formulas, sections) — not an end result.
Summary vs detail report: By HIDING the Detail section, only the totals per group are displayed (SUMMARY); by showing it, the DETAILED report. A same report can switch between the two.
Generic/reusable report: Thanks to parameters, ONE single model serves multiple cases (all years, all customers) instead of one report per case.
Blank Report: Alternative to the wizard: start from an empty report and build everything manually (connection, tables, fields). Useful when you master it.
Multi-source reports: Combine several origins: joins/SQL command (same database); SUBREPORTS (different sources that can't be joined); multiple connections (possible but inter-source joins sometimes client-side, expensive).
Golden rule of sections: Data (columns) → DETAILS (one per line); column titles → PAGE header; report title → REPORT header; grand totals → REPORT footer.
Grouping (group): Organize the records into BLOCKS according to a field's value (per customer, region, month…). Creates Group Header and Footer sections around the group's details.
Grouping on a formula: Group on a FORMULA rather than a raw field: by AMOUNT BRACKET, by COMPUTED PERIOD (quarter), by first letter, by deducted category — groupings absent from the database.
Reset: The CRUCIAL setting: when to reset the running total to zero — NEVER (global running total over the whole report), at each GROUP change (restarts per group), or on a FORMULA.
Reporting: Produce structured, presentable DOCUMENTS (lists, invoices, statements…) from data stored elsewhere; restitute raw data into a readable, distributable document.
Developer's role: Load the .rpt by code, provide the CONNECTION info (credentials) and the PARAMETER values, link to the viewer, optionally export by code (PDF, email).
Runtime & deployment: Crystal Reports runtime components must be installed (deployed) on the target workstations/servers for the application to display reports.
Detail section: The section that REPEATS for each data record (line) — the heart of the report (one line = one pass through Details).
Sections: Stacked horizontal bands determining WHERE and HOW MANY TIMES an element displays: Report Header (1×), Page Header (top of each page), DETAILS (each record), Page Footer, Report Footer (1× at the end).
Select Expert: The tool to define a filter: field + operator (equals, greater than, between, contains, in a list…) + value; combination of conditions (AND/OR).
Select…Case: Switch: tests ONE value against several cases (Select {Status} Case "A":… Case "B":… Default:…). More readable than chained Ifs for a single value.
Record selection (filter): Keep only the records meeting a condition (this year's orders, amounts > threshold…). Via the Select Expert.
Content / presentation separation: The data stays at the SOURCE (database, Excel, SAP); Crystal Reports handles the PRESENTATION. You master the layout, the source provides up-to-date data.
Data source: What Crystal Reports connects to for reading data: relational databases (SQL Server, Oracle, MySQL, SAP HANA…), files (Excel, Access, CSV, XML), SAP sources.
Subreport: A COMPLETE report inserted inside another (the main one): its own source, fields, formatting, displayed in a section of the main report.
Linked subreport: Connected to the main report by a LINK FIELD: for each record/group of the main report, it displays the CORRESPONDING data (THAT customer's orders). Re-executed per link value.
Unlinked subreport: Independent: displays THE SAME data whatever its position (a global summary displayed once).
Subtotal (Group Footer): A summary placed in the GROUP footer: the group's total (e.g. THAT customer's order total). One total per block.
Suppress Blank Section: Don't leave empty space when a section is empty — avoids holes and blank pages.
Crystal vs Basic syntax: Two languages to choose from for writing formulas (same result): Crystal (historic, the most widespread) and Basic (close to Visual Basic). Stick to one for consistency.
Cross-Tab: A grid summarizing data along TWO dimensions: ROWS × COLUMNS, with a SUMMARIZED VALUE at the intersection and automatic totals (row, column, grand). The equivalent of a pivot table.
Testing on real data: Check accuracy, layout AND performance on REAL and LARGE data (a fast report on 100 lines can collapse on 1 million) BEFORE distributing.
Title & header: A clear title in the Report Header (what the report represents), possibly logo/subtitle/period; the document properties (Title) feed the special fields and the export.
Automatic column title: When placing a field in Details, Crystal Reports often adds a corresponding title in the Page Header (the field's name), renameable.
Top N / Bottom N: Display only the N BEST (Top) or N WORST (Bottom) groups according to a total (the 10 best customers, the 5 least-sold products). Group Sort / Top N option, with the rest grouped into "Others".
Grand total (Report Footer): A summary placed in the REPORT footer: the total of all the lines (Grand Total).
Record sorting: Order the lines by one or several fields (ascending date, descending amount, alphabetical name) via the Record Sort expert. Makes the list readable.
Group Sort: Sort the GROUPS themselves by their TOTAL (their subtotal), and not by the grouping field (name). Essential for a "largest to smallest" ranking.
Chart type: BARS (compare categories), LINE (time evolution), PIE (shares of a whole, few categories) — choose according to the message.
Formula type: A formula returns a specific TYPE (number, text, date, boolean). Mixing types without conversion (text + number) causes errors → convert (ToText, ToNumber…).
Use: highlighting: Draw the eye to what matters: negatives in red, exceeded thresholds in color, colored statuses ("Late" red, "OK" green). With moderation and consistency.
Use of subreports: Combine data hard to join: DIFFERENT sources, COMPLEX/one-to-many relationships, related info (for each customer, its invoices) — flexibility where joins reach their limits.
Uses of the SQL command: Full control of joins/filters/calculations on the DB side; COMPLEX queries (subqueries, aggregations, UNION, specific functions); PERFORMANCE (push the work to the database, fetch the minimum).