1. GUI Applications Development Using .NET Framework
Objectives
In this session, you will learn to:
Identify the functionality of Crystal Reports
Ver. 1.0 Session 7 Slide 1 of 12

2. GUI Applications Development Using .NET Framework
Introducing Crystal Reports
Crystal Reports is the standard reporting tool for Visual
Studio .NET, used to display data in a presentable manner.
Creating a Crystal Reports requires minimal coding
because it is created in a designer interface.
Ver. 1.0 Session 7 Slide 2 of 12

3. GUI Applications Development Using .NET Framework
Data Access Through Crystal Reports
Crystal Reports requires database drivers to connect to a
data source for accessing data.
Crystal Reports in Visual C# support methods to access
data from a data source. These methods are:
– The Pull Model In this model data is accessed
– The Push Model from the data source and the
database driver directly retrieves
data from the data source.
DATA
CRYSTAL DATA SOURCE
REPORTS
Ver. 1.0 Session 7 Slide 3 of 12

4. GUI Applications Development Using .NET Framework
Data Access Through Crystal Reports (Contd.)
Crystal Reports requires database drivers to connect to a
data source for accessing data.
Crystal Reports in Visual C# support methods to access
data from a data source. These methods are:
– The Pull Model
– The Push Model In this model the developer writes code to
connect to the data source and retrieves
data from it. The data from the data
source is cached in a dataset and multiple
Crystal Reports access the data from the
dataset.
Data Data
CRYSTAL DATASET DATA SOURCE
REPORT
Ver. 1.0 Session 7 Slide 4 of 12

5. GUI Applications Development Using .NET Framework
Just a minute
Name the reporting model that does not require the
developer to write code for creating a connection and
retrieving data from the data source.
Answer:
The Pull Model
Ver. 1.0 Session 7 Slide 5 of 12

6. GUI Applications Development Using .NET Framework
Creating Crystal Reports
You can create Crystal Reports by using any one of the
following methods:
Manually
Using Standard Report Wizard
From an existing report
Let us see how the reports can be created using these
methods.
Ver. 1.0 Session 7 Slide 6 of 12

7. GUI Applications Development Using .NET Framework
Enhance the Crystal Reports
The presentation quality of a Crystal Reports can be
enhanced by adding the following components to the
Crystal Reports:
Charts
Cross-tab objects
Ver. 1.0 Session 7 Slide 7 of 12

8. GUI Applications Development Using .NET Framework
Implementing CrystalReportViewer Control in .NET Applications
The CystalReportViewer is present as a control in the
Toolbox.
It can be inserted into a Windows application by dragging
the CystalReportViewer control from the Toolbox into the
form.
Interaction between the CrystalReportViewer control and
other controls on the Windows Form can be created by
handling the events of the Windows Form controls and the
CrystalReportViewer control.
Ver. 1.0 Session 7 Slide 8 of 12

9. GUI Applications Development Using .NET Framework
Hosting Crystal Report
After the Crystal Report has been created, it needs to be
hosted in the Windows application so that the user can view
the Crystal Reports at run time.
The two steps for hosting a Crystal Report in a Windows
application are:
1. Adding a Windows Forms Viewer to the Windows Form.
2. Binding the CrystalReportViewer control to the created Crystal
Reports.
Let us see how the Crystal Report can be hosted in a
Windows application.
Ver. 1.0 Session 7 Slide 9 of 12

10. GUI Applications Development Using .NET Framework
Just a minute
Name the property which is used to specify the source from
where the Crystal Reports would be accessed.
Answer:
The ReportSource property
Ver. 1.0 Session 7 Slide 10 of 12

11. GUI Applications Development Using .NET Framework
Viewing Crystal Report
To view the Crystal Reports data:
1. Select debug from the menu bar.
2. Select Start from the Debug menu.
Let us see how the Crystal Report can be viewed in a
Windows application.
Ver. 1.0 Session 7 Slide 11 of 12

12. GUI Applications Development Using .NET Framework
Summary
In this session, you learned that:
Crystal Reports is the standard reporting tool for Visual
Studio .NET that is used to display data of presentation quality.
Crystal Reports use database drivers to connect with the data
source for accessing data.
Crystal Reports in VC# .NET supports two methods to access
data from a data source:
• The Pull model
• The Push model
The presentation quality of a Crystal Reports can be enhanced
by adding the following components to the Crystal Reports:
• Chart
• Cross-tab objects
– Crystal Reports can be hosted in a Windows Form by using the
Windows Forms Viewer.
Ver. 1.0 Session 7 Slide 12 of 12