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Crystal Reports I would like to create a simple (if i was using excel) report in Crystal. Just an annual report, somethign like this:
nathan
After seeing my post, it might not be clear that I'm having problems creating the bottom row (Average for each month). The averages column comes out just fine.
nathan
Nevermind - made a formula using the conditional variant of Average function. I think I'm beginning to understand why people don't like Crystal...
nathan
It's never the software that people use that causes problems. Never. The software does only what it was told to do. The real problem lies with the fact that you don't fully understand Crystal Reports and you also don't fully understand the intent of the programmers who created those functions you are trying to use. Did those programmers say that they were going to create a function specifically for nathanj? Newp. They made some generic assumptions about what a vast majority of people needed and could make do with. You simply can't blame "Crystal Reports". The piece of software did nothing to deserve blame. It's like when people say "I hate Windows". 100% of the time it is a misunderstanding between how the end user views what they want done and the way in which they want it accomplished, and how a programmer implemented the function in the software or interpreted the requirements of the end user. Sometimes this miscommunication is alleviated by documentation, but most of the time it is not. End users do not read documentation and simply expect the software to work the way they want. A very sad situtation indeed, but a situtation that will not be eliminated any time soon. When you call customer support, do you admit that you did something wrong? Does customer support admit they did somethings wrong? (Wrong as in a miscommunication.) Probably not. We would be lucky to run into people that are so humble.
(blank) - I disagree, if a software package is difficult to use and the documentation is poor or non-existant how can you blame the users for that?? The goal of a programmer is to make the application as easy to use and intutive as possible.
DJ
Sometimes, you have to pay for flexibility.
Wayne
Dear Mr. DJ:
---"They made some generic assumptions about what a vast majority of people needed and could make do with. "---
Stephen Jones
I have to say that Crystal Reports is the reason that I prefer a bit of code and PDFLib for my reporting solution. Everything gets done a lot faster. Crystal Reports is definitely a powerful package in the right hands, but my more basic solution is easier on every front. Giving the unskilled user direct access to the database, as is needed for something like Crystal Reports to be useful, is not my idea of a good plan. The large software installation is another reason that I'll pass on Crystal.
Clay Dowling
I've disliked Crystal reports for a long time, starting when I discovered it refused to format dates the way I wanted.
AJS
I also don't like Crystal Reports but I recommended to buy a full version of it. Reason? I don't know anything better than it. Perhaps, maybe, a company could compete and make their distributions free of bugs, I would have recommended others.
Zaldy
Zaldy, what database back-end do you use? (please don't say Access!)
AJS
I have always managed to get by with Infomaker. It has its quirks too, but the flexibility is 2nd to none.
Karel
Zaldy - Something better than Crystal? Try Actuate, from www.actuate.com
Paul
http://www.datadynamics.com/Products/AR2/ProductTOC.aspx
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