Crystal Tools  > Graphics

1. COM drivers. cViewIMAGE allows you to dynamically include images. While cViewTEXT is the equivalent COM driver for dynamically including text, we include it in this category because it works the same way.
2. Enhanced graphing tools. Summarizing important information in the right chart or graph type makes a huge difference in how quickly and correctly people understand the information.

Why dynamically include an image in a report? Images are compelling and give a report great eye appeal. You can use them to convey information in ways that text alone cannot. You probably already guessed we would say it: A picture's worth 1,000 words.

Why use cViewIMAGE to do it? cViewIMAGE offers functionality not available by other means. cViewIMAGE is one of our best-selling products. Once you start using it, you'll understand why.

cViewIMAGE allows a developer to design a report that calls images for dynamic inclusion in those reports. cViewIMAGE enables you to include images in your Crystal report even if they are not stored in a database. Hold the reference to the image e.g. c:\Product Images in your database, instead of the image, and cViewIMAGE will retrieve them from the folder for your Crystal report. cViewIMAGE requires Crystal Reports 8.5 or higher to process the recordset. Yes, it works with CR8.5, 9.0, 10.0, and XI.

You do not need the image to be stored in your database. Your database simply holds the file path to the image, not the image itself.

The advantages are that:

• Your database is very much smaller than if it were storing images.
• It's easier to manage your images. Adding, changing and deleting images is simpler if they are stored in a folder rather than held in a database.
• How would you use cViewIMAGE to do it? To put your image of say, your product into your Crystal report, you would create a new connection using cViewIMAGE as well as your normal Product database/file connection. Then write a formula to access the file path reference of the image (e.g. c:\Product Images) from your Product database to point cViewIMAGE to the folder/s where your images are filed. Then place the image in your report along with any other information from your Product database.

With this graphics product, you can:

• Set chart properties at runtime
• Create boxplots, Pareto charts, error bars, and waterfall charts.
• Use pivot functions--swap series/group, data reversal, and so on.
• Use conditional logic.
• Create wow factor with drop shadow and alpha channel transparency effects.

Have superior control over:

• Axis labels: skipping, decimal precision, scale range, etc.
• Color of markers and risers.

Take advantage of user-programmable:

• Lines on any axis (or free floating).
• Markers/labels at any point on the chart.
• Label names and user-defined datasets.

CRChart dramatically expands your charting and graphing capabilities inside Crystal Reports, Crystal Enterprise, and Crystal Info. Perfect for:

• Engineering reports.
• Financial analysis.
• Operations management projects.
• Productivity reports.
• Sales presentations.
• Wherever you have a need for clear and compelling data presentation.

Unfortunately, most reports are nothing more than reformatted data. The report developer isn't thinking beyond the query level, despite using a tool (Crystal Reports) designed specifically to move past it. The result is the manager, executive, or other decison-maker must wade through data instead of being able to understand with a glance the answer to key business questions. That's why so many report users export data into Excel. When they are doing that, instead of their jobs, your report has failed.

You must understand, and implement, the difference between a report and a data dump. Suppose you walk into a Toyota dealer and say you need transportation. Do you expect to walk out of there with a container of parts, or to drive out of there in a car? That is the difference between data and information.

The typical report is, in essence, a data query with nice formatting. This leaves a tremendous amount of value unrealized. It's also why good charting or dynamic images aren't a burning need--when they should be.

Adding irony to the situation, staff cutback decisions are typically made by Excel spreadsheet--which is why those cutbacks often don't make sense. They aren't made based on business intelligence but on rudimentary analysis of partial data.

You need to ensure your reports contain business information, not business data. They need to be decision tools, not intermediary data sources.

But instead of simply reformatting the data to fit a cool-looking chart type or dynamically adding an image to dress it up, begin with the goal of that particular report as the over-riding design criterion for the report. For example, suppose the report is going out to people who need to know which accounts have had the most service calls. A sharp 3-D graph would clearly make these stand out so managers know which ones to focus on first. Or maybe you would have the costliest accounts flagged with a dynamically included image of a dollar bill.

The point is you don't add on the graphics. You make them the point of the report. In this way, you clearly and quickly convey business intelligence. Use the drilldown feature with the .rpt file to provide the necessary background information. We have Crystal Reports viewers if you need to implement this for users who don't have a Crystal Reports license. You can provide them our viewer, and they'll be able to enjoy full .rpt features without a CR license.