Why should I use Crystal Reports?

Well of course I am going to say “because it is a great product!”  OK I am biased as I have been doing freelance work on Crystal Reports for a lot of years, more than I care to mention, but basically since version 8.0 and it is now on version 2016.

It does seem that in recent years the move has been towards SQL Server Report Designer SSRS as it is included with the SQL product so no additional costs are involved.  However, if you are not a programmer and don’t know how to write SQL queries then this is not really for you.

The most difficult thing about writing a Crystal Reports is understanding the database you are using.

What do I like about Crystal Reports?

• It’s a familiar product - It has the same buttons as Word & Excel so this helps to familiarise quickly with how to use it
• It’s extremely user friendly, you don’t have to be a programmer to use it
• Once a report is written, all you do is refresh it when you want it

What’s the hardest thing about writing Crystal Reports?
100% the database you are using it with!  This is always difficult unless you know the database, but once you have mastered that then you are there.

​Can I automate Crystal Reports?
You can purchase Crystal Reports Server to do this, but if you just want to run a few reports each day/week/month and have them emailed to you, then I would recommend Saberlogic Logicity as it does just that and is really simple to use and there is even a free version.

​Thinking about buying Crystal Reports?
So if you are thinking about buying Crystal Reports and this hasn’t convinced you then contact me and we can discuss it further.
 
“When I have finished a training session on Crystal, people are always enthused about the product and say how pleasantly surprised they were in how simple to use it was and how nervous they had been when starting the course as to whether they would be able to work with it”