Operation Manual

Formatting
Formatting concepts
13
232 Crystal Reports User’s Guide
Formatting concepts
This section explains how to format a report. Formatting refers to changes
you can make to the layout and design of a report, as well as the appearance
of text, objects, or entire report sections.
You can use formatting to do many things, including:
• Dividing sections of a report.
• Calling attention to certain data.
• Changing the presentation of dates, numbers, Boolean values, currency
values, and text strings.
• Hiding unwanted sections.
• Giving the report a professional appearance.
The following topics describe the types of formatting you can do with Crystal
Reports, giving step-by-step instructions for performing a variety of formatting
tasks.
Using a template
A template is an existing report file whose formatting can be added to a new
report. At the same time, the formatting of the template report’s fields and
report objects are applied to the new report. Use templates to give any number
of reports a consistent look without having to format each one individually.
For additional information about templates, see Template Considerations in
the online help.
Applying a template
When you create a new report in the Standard Report Creation Wizard, you
can apply a template as an optional step. You can also apply a template later
by using the Template Expert. You can choose from a number of predefined
templates, or you can use an existing Crystal report as a template.
u
To apply a template in the Standard Report Creation Wizard
1. Click New on the Standard toolbar.
2. Choose data, fields, grouping fields, and so on, until the wizard displays
the Template screen.
3. In the Available Templates list, click a predefined template name to see
an example of it in the Preview area.