Operation Manual

Introduction to Reporting
Creating a new report
6
Crystal Reports User’s Guide 99
u To create an SQL Expression field
1. On the Standard toolbar, click Field Explorer.
The Field Explorer dialog box appears.
2. Scroll down to SQL Expression Fields and highlight it. Click New.
The SQL Expression Name dialog box appears.
3. Enter a name in the Name box, and then click OK.
The Formula Workshop appears with the SQL Expression Editor active.
4. Type the expression in the SQL Expression Editor.
Note: For an overview of the formula language, see “Formula
components and syntax” on page 419.
5. Click Save.
Parameter fields
To prompt the user of a report to enter information, create a parameter field.
Think of a parameter as a question that the user needs to answer before the
report is generated. The information users enter, or the way they respond,
determines what appears in the report. For example, in a report used by
salespeople, there might be a parameter that asks the user to choose a
region. The report would return the results for the specific region, instead of
returning the results for all of the regions. See “Parameter Fields and
Prompts” on page 437 for an introduction to parameter fields.