The fundamental aim of Crystal Reports is to allow users to pull their desired data from a data source, such as an Oracle or MS SQL Server database, and show the data in a repeatable and ordered form. Therefore, if you are interviewed for a post that uses Crystal Reports daily, our list below might help you with your following interview.
1. What Exactly Are Crystal Reports?
Crystal Reports is a business intelligence program that gives customers the ability to generate reports based on a variety of different data sources. Crystal Reports can connect to OLAP cubes, databases, and other data sources to retrieve data that can be utilized to build reports. Crystal Reports allows for the generation of reports that can be viewed in various formats: Excel, PDF, and HTML.
2. Could You Perhaps Explain Whether Or Not We Can Develop Our Formulas With Crystal Reports?
In the case of Crystal reports, the answer is yes; it is feasible to develop one’s formulas. Select “Formula Field” from the “Insert” menu item to accomplish this. Use the “Formula Editor” to compose the formula. In this section, you will find the “Function Tree,” “Field Tree,” and “Operator Tree,” which will display the report fields, functions supported by crystal reports, operators, and so on.
3. What Are The Steps To Connecting To The Database?
The report can be created in two ways: using the built-in query with crystal report. Utilize the “Crystal SQL Designer” tool, which may be found on the crystal report website. When you use the built-in query to produce a report with a crystal report, you will be prompted to enter the name of the data source that you have constructed. When you run the report for the first time, it will prompt you for the user ID and password, as this is the first time it has been run. Following that, it will continue to store the same. When you use Crystal SQL Designer to create an a.qry file, you will be prompted for your user id and password. Instead of requesting the user ID and password the first time you run the report, it will ask for the location of the .qry file instead. You also have the option to adjust the query location. To do that, open the report, go to the Database menu item, select the ‘Set Location’ option, and then set the location.
4. Can We Export The Data From The Reports Into Other Formats, Such As World Doc, Or Something ELSE?
Data generated may be exported to a word doc or in rich text format. Select the ‘Export’ icon from the drop-down menu. A popup for selecting export options will appear. It will ask for the “Format,” which may be a comma-separated value (CSV) or something else, as well as the “Destination,” which could be a disk, an application, or another option. After that, it will inquire about the file’s name before saving the data. The only limitation is that the formatting of the data will be destroyed, although the crystal report will make every effort to preserve as much of the formatting as possible.
5. Do Crystal Reports Have Any Restrictions Or Limitations?
Crystal reports have several inherent limitations in their design. These items are:
- If the length of a field in the database is greater than 255 characters, then you will not be able to use that field in any formulas you create.
- The formatting of the data is lost while it is being exported.
- If you browse the data by just right-clicking on the field, it will display the data currently present in the database rather than the data picked by the query.
6. In Crystal Reports, Is It Possible To Prevent Printing In The Event Where 0 Records Are Fetched?
Yes, we can prevent printing from occurring if no records are retrieved. Choose ‘Report Options’ from the ‘File’ menu’s drop-down list. A dialogue window labeled “Report Options” will appear. There is one option in that which is labeled “Suppress printing if no records.” Please select this option. There would be no output on the report if no records were located.
7. After Selecting The “Close” Button, Is It Possible To Add A New Field To The Database?
Yes, we can add any database field at a later time as well. Select “Database Field” from the list of available options under the Insert menu. If you are using the built-in query for crystal report, then it will show you the tables that you have chosen to display. In addition, you can select which fields will be displayed on the report. However, if you are using a file with the extension “.qry,” it will display the query, and you will be able to pick only the fields present in the query.
8. Can I Use All Of Oracle’s Features With Crystal Report?
Crystal report does not support all the functions to their total capacity. Similar to how the Decode function may be found in SQL, but not in crystal report. You will need to transform that into the crystal report format. However, utilizing files with the extension “.qry” will take the SQL precisely. There is no requirement to make any changes to the syntax.
9. Which Different Aspects Make Up Crystal Reports, And What Do They Consist Of?
Crystal reports are comprised of four critical elements in their whole. Report designer, Reports engine, Report reader, and object models are all components of this software. The report designer provides a graphical user interface, which may be used to design and alter reports. Crystal reports have a feature called the reports engine that handles the formatting and conversion. It helps convert the contents of reports that have been formatted in Word, Excel, PDF, or HTML. Crystal reports may be seen by utilizing report viewers, which controls can be found in the visual studio toolbox. These controls can be dragged and dropped onto an ASPX page or a windows program to view the report. Object models make it easier for us to handle crystal reports objects during the design phase and when running.
10. How Does SQL Work In Crystal Reports?
Crystal Reports functions as a SQL client program when connecting to a SQL database, establishing a connection with your SQL server over the network. When you develop a report that utilizes SQL data, Crystal Reports generates a SQL query. Clicking Database, then Show SQL Query will display this query. You can think of this SQL query as a representation of the SQL statement that Crystal Reports ultimately sends to the database server. Crystal Reports can reduce the burden on the client machine by converting as much as possible of the report’s design into a SQL query. Instead of using your workstation’s resources to dig through an entire database in search of the information you need, Crystal Reports sends the request to the server, which returns a far more manageable data collection.
11. Crystal Reports Is Written In What Language?
Formulas can be written using either the Crystal or Basic syntaxes. One may usually convert a formula written in one syntax to another. Formulas written in either Basic or Crystal syntax can be found in reports. All editions of Crystal Reports feature the same Crystal syntax-based formula language. The Basic syntax may be more familiar to you if you have experience with Microsoft Visual Basic or another version of Basic. Syntax-wise, Basic is similar to Visual Basic, with some added features for handling reports. You may use the Crystal syntax you know and love while using the new Visual Basic-inspired operators, functions, and control structures.
12. How Can We Export Crystal Reports?
The export function can be used in two different ways. An export icon appears when a report is displayed in Crystal Report Viewer. Then, you can choose the file type you want to export to. Code is the alternative method. The following code sample demonstrates how to export a report in its most basic form. To export a report in a particular format, you must first create a crystal report object and then call its ExportToDisk method. New CrystalReport1: A Dim Report.
CrystalDecisions.Shared.ExportFormatType.WordForWindows, “c:my.doc”, Report.ExportToDisk().
13. Should We Consider Crystal Reports A Data Visualization Tool?
Crystal Reports can power pixel-perfect reporting for enterprises. This solution enables firms to combine analysis, business intelligence, and decision support based on their data. The program can evaluate many data sources and then build visualizations of the results in charts and tables.
14. What Are Some Possible Applications For Crystal Reports?
Crystal Reports can be used to generate reports from SAP data sources and non-SAP data sources. It makes creating advanced level reports, which managers and other business leaders in your firm may utilize to make better strategic decisions, a straightforward process.
15. Is There Anything That Can Be Said About The Benefits Or Drawbacks Of Using Crystal?
Yes, of course, there are advantages and disadvantages to using crystals.
Advantages
- If we use Crystal Reports to display the report, the end user cannot alter the data that appears in the report, but in HTML, the user may modify the report data.
- The report layout is not transparent, so the end-user has no idea how we designed the report. However, in HTML, anyone can study the report layout and imitate the technique.
- It can export to several formats such as PDF, HTML, XML, and many more.
Disadvantages:
- The end user must have the crystal report viewer installed on his PC to read the crystal report output. However, this can be avoided if the report is exported as PDF/HTML.
- You must purchase a Crystal Report license for each computer used to create the crystal report.
- You must purchase the version that permits installing run-time components on the end user’s PC.
- Crystal Report is slower than Active Reports.
- If we have a 100-page report, Crystal must process all the pages before displaying the output and many others.
16. Can You Explain The Three-Pass Reporting That Crystal Report Employs?
Crystal Reports’ report parsing process consists of three passes. Let’s start with the basics and define “pass” before we dive into the meaning. Crystal Reports uses a ” Pass ” procedure to read and change data per the report’s format. Let’s break it down into its parts and get a grasp on it. The crystal report engine in Pre-Pass1 evaluates constants like x=1 and pie=3.14. Both retrieving information from the database and sorting records based on predetermined criteria are accomplished in Pass 1. It is then stored in memory and sent to pre-pass2 for further processing. In pre-pass2, the records are categorized and ordered based on criteria from the crystal report. In the second phase, the report is formatted, conditions are applied, and the data is sorted. The third and final pass merely counts pages and produces reports.
17. Define The Options Available In Crystal Report’s Enforce Menu: Enforce To, Enforce And, And Enforce From.
When creating a connection in a crystal report, you can enforce it by selecting the Enforce and, Enforce to, or Enforce from option. When fields are required from either one of the concerned tables or both, enforcing a link between the tables ensures that the appropriate SQL for the report uses this link. This is true regardless of whether fields are required from either of the involved tables. Crystal reports have an unenforced links function as their default, which implies that the crystal report will only use the link if the select statement in the report requires it.
18. When We Try To Open A Crystal Report, We Frequently Get An Error Message That Reads “Invalid Report Version.” What Does This Mean?
Over the years, Crystal has modified the report file format multiple times. The file format is typically FORWARD compatible. For clarity, any file saved in Crystal 6 can be read by any version of Crystal 7 or higher. When there have been substantial changes to the file format, the new format is often incompatible with older versions of the file. You cannot view files saved in CR 9 in earlier versions of the program. Between CR 7 and CR 9, Crystal had a different report file type. The adoption of Unicode is responsible for the shift in CR 9. To save a file in the older CR 7 format, you can use CR 8. Files created in versions 9, 10, or XI that do not support Unicode will not be able to be saved in those older formats.
19. How Can I Display Both Crystal Reports In A Single Crystalreportviewer?
If I understand you well, you can do this by setting the “Student report” as the “primary report,” with the “family report” as a “subreport” opening on a new page underneath it. To have unique headings for each report, Make sure that neither the PageHeader nor the Footer includes any content in the primary report. To do this, start a new group and use its header to generate the report’s page header, then use the group’s Footer to create the report’s page footer data. Finally, use the group’s choose option to reproduce the header and Footer on each subsequent page. If this is what you’re trying to find, it may be the answer to your problem.
20. What Is The Importance Of Order In items.xml?
When declaring item types in items.xml, we must follow a specific order. Each items.xml file is parsed only once. This means that more specialized kinds rely on general types. In such circumstances, they should be specified before being used.
21. What Exactly Is An OLAP Cube, And What Role Does It Serve In Crystal Reports?
An online analytical processing cube (OLAP cube) is a data structure that stores data in a manner that makes it simple to examine and query the data. OLAP cubes are a tool that may be used in conjunction with Crystal Reports to produce reports that display data in several different dimensions. An OLAP cube might be used to store the information for a report, for instance, that breaks down sales figures according to both region and product.
22. How Exactly Does One Go About Formatting A Report Using Crystal Reports?
Using report templates in Crystal Reports allows you to format a report in a way that is consistent across all of your reports. Users can develop their versions of these templates or download them from the internet. The user can then format the report by adding or removing fields, changing the font or color of text, and adding photos or other objects once a template has been selected.
23. When Are There Circumstances In Which You Would Rather Not Use Crystal Reports?
There are several considerations to make before deciding whether or not to use Crystal Reports. One of the reasons is that it can be very resource-intensive, which means that if you are working with large data sets, it may not be the most excellent solution for you. Crystal Reports is not necessarily the best tool to use if you need to make reports based on precise data points because it can be challenging to work with complex data, and Crystal Reports was not designed for this purpose. Troubleshooting issues in Crystal Reports can be challenging; hence, if you are not confident working with code, it is recommended that you make use of a different reporting technology instead.
24. Are You Able To Give Me An Explanation Of What A Shared Variable Is And How It Functions?
A shared variable in a Crystal Report is the same as a global variable in that any formula in the report can access it. It is helpful to store information that must be used for numerous calculations in a shared variable, such as a running total or a counter. Shared variables can be used for this purpose. To begin developing a shared variable, you must first create a formula that will initialize the variable. This formula needs to go in the area of the report that is labeled “Header.” Any calculations that require the use of the shared variable will therefore need to reference it by its name directly.
25. What Is The Most Effective Technique To Diagnose And Fix Problems With Crystal Reports?
Utilizing the built-in error checking capabilities in Crystal Reports is the most recommended method for troubleshooting errors. Using these tools, you will be able to locate and repair any problems that may be present in your report. You can also use the resources provided for online assistance to discover answers to frequently asked questions.
Conclusion
Make sure that you practice our interview questions and answers. Be confident and present your best self to the interview panel. Good luck.