Beginners Crystal Reports 2013 & 2011 Tutorial Video

Learn how to start SAP Crystal Reports, open a blank report from the start page or file menu, and begin designing reports such as blank, crosstab, and mailing label templates.

Configure crystal reports page size and orientation, select the default printer, adjust margins and measurement units, and set a defined paper size to fit content on the page.

Connect your report to an Access database by activating the database expert, selecting the correct version (2003 or 2007/2010), and configuring the connection to sample databases.

Connect Crystal Reports to Excel files by creating a new connection, using the Office 12 Access Database Engine for 2007–2010 formats, and accessing data from all sheets.

Install Microsoft SQL Server Express and connect to Microsoft SQL Server by creating a new connection via ODBC or a driver, then select the database and enter server details.

Connect to an Access, Excel, or SQL Server database, then select the relevant tables or views using a relationship diagram to base your report on.

Master the field explorer and report sections to design Crystal Reports. Access database fields, formula fields, running totals, and manage section visibility and docking for detail repeats.

Add and remove fields on the report using the field explorer, drag-and-drop to the detail section, and use insert to report for quick placement; place labels in the page header.

Explore how field masks replace field names to show data types, control column headers, and manage labels by turning options on or off in file options.

Learn to browse data in Crystal Reports before inserting fields, previewing values, data types, and unique values to decide field usefulness, from gender codes to regions and dates of birth.

Preview the newly built Crystal Reports project for the first time in the preview tab, using print preview to verify field placement, headers, and data from the connected data source.

Refresh the report data manually to fetch the latest information, using the refresh icon or F5, which updates the preview and the last refreshed time.

Learn how to save Crystal Reports 2013 and 2011 by using the save icon or file menu, name the file, choose a location, and save after edits.

Save a Crystal Reports file without embedded data to prevent data exposure, then force a refresh on open to ensure the report shows up-to-date information.

Discover how to paginate a Crystal Reports document, navigate forward and backward through pages, and force full pagination by showing the last page.

Search within large Crystal Reports using the find box or left pane, with match case and whole word options, and navigate results across pages.

Explore Crystal Reports zoom features to magnify, fit to page width, or fit whole page in design and preview. Settings persist independently in design and preview after saving.

Explore navigating grouped data with the group navigation tree to jump between town and county groupings in a report, using the preview panel to toggle and view group headings.

learn to resize and move fields in Crystal Reports design and preview views, balancing space for first name, surname, email, and date of birth while avoiding truncation.

Learn how snap to grid automatically aligns moved objects in Crystal Reports by default, using the grid options and view grid to see and leverage consistent spacing.

Change font style, size, and color in Crystal Reports by formatting individual fields or multiple labels, using design or preview views and precise color options including rgb values.

Add color borders and background colors to controls in Crystal Reports by selecting multiple objects, opening the format editor, and adjusting border style and color on the border tab.

Adjusts paragraph settings to align label and data controls in Crystal Reports, using the quick formatting toolbar and format field to center, left, or right align content.

Learn numeric data formatting in Crystal Reports by using quick formats to set thousand separators, currency, and percent styles, then right-click field to adjust decimal places via number formatting tab.

Format currency in Crystal Reports by applying the currency option, adjusting symbols, and controlling decimals and thousands. Choose floating or fixed symbol placement and customize symbols like dollar or euro.

Explore date formatting in Crystal Reports with prebuilt date time formats. Right-click a date field to apply formats, choosing date only or including time as needed.

Master the format painter in Crystal Reports to copy formatting from one field to others, including colors, fonts, and sizes, with single or double clicks and the escape key.

Learn to turn report fields into hyperlinks, linking to emails, websites, or local files, with optional dynamic targets via formulas and testing the results.

Lock the format and position of controls to prevent accidental changes while resizing or moving fields, using the formatting toolbar icons to lock position and lock formatting, then unlock when needed.

Set a default font for Crystal Reports objects via File options fonts, applying to fields and field titles; new fields use the default while existing fields remain unchanged.

Learn to set default font and data formatting in Crystal Reports, including date time to date, string, number, currency, and boolean fields, applying installation-wide defaults to all reports.

Learn to set background colors for report sections in Crystal Reports using the section expert color tab. Apply colors to page header and detail sections, with banded or alternating schemes.

Use the field explorer to add special date fields—data date, data time, print date, print time, and modification date and time—that you can place in the report header.

Learn how to insert page numbers and total page counts in Crystal Reports 2013 and 2011, using page header, page footer, and special fields to display page x of y.

Add the file path as a special field in the page footer, ensuring the report’s hard path appears on every page for easy locating and reference.

place the file path, creation date, report title, author, and comments from file summary info into the design, and refresh them from file properties in preview.

Explore the special fields in Crystal Reports, including data and print dates, file details, author, title, and record numbers. Learn to use page numbers and enterprise fields to streamline reporting.

Learn to insert and edit text objects in Crystal Reports, adding non-database text boxes in the report header or page footer, and edit them via design or preview.

Learn how to add and format a text object in Crystal Reports, adjusting typeface, size, alignment, color, and borders, and resize the text box to fit content.

Discover how to add a line in Crystal Reports using the line tool in design or preview, creating perfectly horizontal or vertical lines across the report header, detail, and footer.

Learn to add and format horizontal or vertical lines in Crystal Reports, adjusting style, color, and width; control visibility, print movement, and lock or apply formatting across lines.

Learn to add and format a box in Crystal Reports by drawing a rectangle, customizing borders, colors, and drop shadows, and integrating it with text boxes.

Insert a logo or image into a Crystal Reports 2013/2011 report using the insert picture tool, placing it in the header or footer and resizing it to fit.

Learn to embed data fields inside text boxes to create unified report elements, and place special fields like print date and total page count for polished layouts.

Remove non data items from your Crystal Reports by selecting the object in design or preview and deleting it, with options to delete multiple items using control-click or shift-click.

Learn how to sort a Crystal Reports 2013–2011 report by a field, such as surname, by moving the field to sort fields and choosing ascending or descending.

Sort by multiple fields in Crystal Reports using primary, secondary, and optional tertiary levels to resolve ties, such as surname, then first name, then country.

Learn to sort crystal reports by fields not visible on the report but in the data source, using the sort expert and soft fields, with date entered as an example.

Learn to sort data in Crystal Reports 2013 and 2011, remove sort criteria from the report, and revert to the original order by adjusting single or multiple fields.

Use the select expert to filter Crystal Reports by a field's existing values, choose record-level filtering, and refresh data to display only matching records such as surnames equal to Scott.

Explore filtering text fields in Crystal Reports using comparison operators such as equal to, not equal to, is one of, less than, between, starts with, and is like.

Explore filtering by date fields in Crystal Reports using operators such as is equal to, is not equal to, less than, greater than, and between, plus prebuilt periods.

Discover how to filter numeric fields in Crystal Reports using the Select Expert, with comparisons like greater than, between, and greater than or equal to, to refine totals and quantities.

Identify whether filters exist by checking the select textbook, view data, and remove criteria, then refresh to restore the original data set.

Learn to filter Crystal Reports by multiple fields using the select expert, combining date of birth between 1970 and 1979 with gender, marital status, and town criteria to refine results.

Filter Crystal Reports data by multiple fields using and/or criteria, and learn to group them with brackets for date of birth between dates, gender, and marital status.

Discover how to apply wildcards in Crystal Reports filter criteria using the select expert, including like patterns, starts with, ends with, contains, and the asterisk and question mark.

Learn to filter for empty fields in Crystal Reports by creating a formula that detects blank values, exemplified by missing e-mails and birth dates to keep data current.

Group report data by a field's values to create unique headings, enable navigation, and drill-down previews via two-level country and region grouping for printing.

Create a new group in crystal reports by inserting a group and selecting a field, such as country, then set the sort order and see the group headers.

Format the group name field in Crystal Reports using design or preview, adjusting font, size, color, and alignment; set defaults in File Options to apply to all future group headings.

Enhance Crystal Reports group headers by repositioning and formatting labels under the group heading, using design adjustments, format painter, and a horizontal line to free space for additional fields.

Group report data by date fields to create sections and headings for each day, week, month, quarter, or year, including morning versus afternoon.

Master multiple level groupings in Crystal Reports 2013 and 2011 by applying primary, secondary, and tertiary groupings to segment data by fields like country, region, and date.

Remove groupings in Crystal Reports using the group expert, moving fields with single or double arrows to produce a standard tabular report without grouping.

Learn how to change group sort order in Crystal Reports 2013/2011, switching from ascending to descending, applying primary and secondary sorts, and manually specifying a custom group sequence.

Learn to customize Crystal Reports group headings by using the group expert to display label text instead of IDs, with field or formula options and controlled order.

Explore how to control grouping and paging in Crystal Reports, including keeping groups together, repeating headers, and forcing new pages for country, region, or state levels.

Create your own specified groups in Crystal Reports by basing groups on the item title, applying a specified order, and handling nonmatching records by grouping them under others.

Swap the grouping field in Crystal Reports using the group expert to change how data is summarized without deleting the group or losing formulas.

Learn how to insert a grand total field in Crystal Reports 2013/2011 using insert summary, counting records like Contact ID, and placing totals in the report footer or header.

Learn how to insert subtotals in Crystal Reports by grouping data, placing summaries in group footers, and calculating totals and counts for each level, including grand totals and year-month breakdowns.

Move summary fields within Crystal Reports to dynamically count companies per salesperson by district, placing subtotals in group headers, footers, or report sections, without altering formulas.

Learn how to display sub totals as a percentage of grand totals in Crystal Reports, converting a count field into a percentage of a higher group or grand total.

Explore creating and customizing summary fields in Crystal Reports 2013/2011 using sum, average, max, and min on line totals within groups, and place results in the group footer.

Transform a grouped Crystal Reports project into a one-line-per-company summary report by hiding the detail section and suppressing groups, then add totals and align headers for a single-page sales summary.

Explore how to create drill down in Crystal Reports by hiding or suppressing the detail section, using a report grouped by marital status to drill down into people.

Open and drill down reports in Crystal Reports 2013/2011, using previews to view grouped data. Refreshing drill-downs closes tabs and requires returning to preview or design to re-drill.

Learn to sort groups by a summary value rather than by the group's name, using the group sort expert to sort by total sales or other summaries.

Learn to filter Crystal Reports by top or bottom N values based on summary sums, show the rest group, include ties, and apply exact or percentage thresholds.