Crystal Reports 2008 For Dummies
by Allen G. Taylor
Crystal Reports 2008 For Dummies
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Copyright 2008 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana
Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana
Published simultaneously in Canada
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Library of Congress Control Number: 2008927910
ISBN: 978-0-470-29077-4
Manufactured in the United States of America
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About the Author
Allen G. Taylor is a 30-year veteran of the computer industry and the author of over 20 books, including SQL All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies, SQL For Dummies,Access 2003 Power Programming with VBA,Database Development For Dummies, and SQL Weekend Crash Course. He lectures nationally on databases, innovation, and entrepreneurship. He also teaches database development internationally through a leading online education provider and teaches microprocessor architecture locally at Portland State University. You can contact Allen at allen.taylor@ieee.org.
Dedication
This book is dedicated to my daughter, Jenny Taylor Warren, who has given me much excellent advice, as well as two outstanding grandsons.
Authors Acknowledgments
Many people have contributed to the quality and content of this book. I would particularly like to recognize my Acquisitions Editor, Kyle Looper, for his overall management of the project and for keeping me honest, and my Project Editor, Rebecca Senninger, for the day-to-day coordination of the project.
I also appreciate the continued support of my family and the interest of my friends and colleagues. It would not have been possible to complete a project of this magnitude without the support of those close to me.
Publishers Acknowledgments
Were proud of this book; please send us your comments through our online registration form located at www.dummies.com/register/.
Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:
Acquisitions and Editorial
Project Editor: Rebecca Senninger
Acquisitions Editor: Kyle Looper
Senior Copy Editor: Teresa Artman
Technical Editor: Howard Hammerman
Editorial Manager: Leah Cameron
Editorial Assistant: Amanda Foxworth
Senior Editorial Assistant: Cherie Case
Cartoons: Rich Tennant (www.the5thwave.com)
Composition Services
Project Coordinator: Lynsey Stanford
Layout and Graphics: Reuben W. Davis, Alissa D. Ellet, Melissa K. Jester, Christine Williams
Proofreaders: Susan Moritz, Toni Settle
Indexer: Infodex Indexing Services Inc.
Publishing and Editorial for Technology Dummies
Richard Swadley, Vice President and Executive Group Publisher
Andy Cummings, Vice President and Publisher
Mary Bednarek, Executive Acquisitions Director
Mary C. Corder, Editorial Director
Publishing for Consumer Dummies
Diane Graves Steele, Vice President and Publisher
Joyce Pepple, Acquisitions Director
Composition Services
Gerry Fahey, Vice President of Production Services
Debbie Stailey, Director of Composition Services
Introduction
C rystal Reports 2008 is the latest in a long and celebrated series of report writers for personal computers. Crystal Reports is by far the bestselling report writer package in the world, even though you might not know it by name. (Its been bundled with many of the most popular applications without being acknowledged by name. For example, a version of Crystal Reports is currently bundled into Microsofts Visual Studio .NET.) However, Crystal Reports 2008 is available as a standalone product. And if you want to produce a high-quality report quickly, Crystal Reports is the top choice to do the job.
About This Book
Crystal Reports 2008 For Dummies is a book that gets you using Crystal Reports quickly and effectively. This book covers all the major capabilities of Crystal Reports but doesnt bog you down in intricate detail. The objective is to give you the information you need to produce the types of reports that most people need most of the time. I also get into some out-of-the-ordinary report types that you might be called upon to generate on occasion.