Report Writer Education/Knowledge Requirements

[khdavis]

Hi! I'm hoping some of you will share your experience with me.

QUESTION - What kind of background is most beneficial to get the most out of writing the more complex Crystal Reports? I'm specifically interested in learning if a programming background is needed what languages, etc.

I've been writing reports for about one and a half years now. The reports have been getting more complex however a lot of the stuff I see on this forum is way above me.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[cmpgeek]

i have only been using Crystal for a year or so; but i think knowing SQL would be very beneficial. I have gone out a bought a SQL languagge book, and use it every now and then when i get stuck on a report... i am thinking about taking it home one weekend and actually reading it; but im afriad i wont retain as much since i dont have anything at home to practice with... ShannonLea

 

[pelajhia]

I have found a lot of similarities to C/C++ in how you can create loops, if statements, use arrays, etc. Some syntax is very different. SQL is most definitely an advantage.

 

[cmpgeek]

i think i bought one of those books recently as well... (i am a dangerous woman in the clearance section of a book store... i know the info is not the most current but if i can at least follow the thinking i am a step ahead...) ShannonLea

 

[synapsevampire]

The Crystal language is very Basic like, and it also supports Crystal Basic, so any Basic language would help.

A solid understanding of database schemas and SQL will allow you to design and optimize better.

Java script/Basic script might be useful if you intend to use and customize Crystal Enterprise for deployment.

Don't be intimidated by what you read here, much of this is regurgitated and all over the WEB.

-k

 

[chelseatech]

I see some companies take a person who doesn't have any program experience (VB), presentation experience (Word, Powerpoint, Publisher), Web Experience (HTML, FrontPage) or Db experience (Table design, SQL) so they make them a report designer.

The reality is you need skills in all those areas above to be a good report designer. You must understand DB relationships. SQL is useful. A programming background helps with formula contruction using variables and control structures. The web stuff is useful if you delviery your reprots via any of the web deployment methods. And it all falls apart if you don't have good layout skills (very much Art rather than Science).

And of more importance to all those are communication skills to find out what the user really wants, and the business skills to know what it really means. (Why is that number on a report? Could we find a better way to show that?)

Note how many of the above have any formal qualifications? Editor and Publisher of Crystal Clear

http://www.chelseatech.co.nz/pubs.htm

 

[lyanch]

I agree with Chelsea.. you need all those things.. but I would also add a couple more..

Some accounting background is very useful especially when creating management reports.. even just understanding the terms is a great help.

Business Analyst skills are helpful.. a user can ask you for all sorts of reports that will never really be "right" until you can understand what they are going to use them for. This also helps when a user asks for one thing.. but in relationship to the other reports they use.. really mean another.

Some consulting skills.. just because its never easy to tell the CEO that they can't have the report they want because the data just isn't there..

And i will emphasize the same thing everyone else has stated. SQL skills (and understanding how db's work!). I have been able to solve the majority of my reporting problems by just being able to put the data in a format Crystal can deal with. Being able to understand how to tune that SQL to get the quickest output helps too.

Lisa

 

[cmpgeek]

<nodding> my last purchase was an Oracle DBA book as i have no experience with databases and feel very lost in that aspect of it...

and in regard to what Chelesa said, when someone comes to me and asks for a report, the first thing i ask is &quot;ok - tell me exactly what you want to see on the page, what you are going to use it for & how&quot; a couple have stiffened up at first; and then i explain that sometimes their request sounds a lot more complicated than it really needs to be, and that i can usually get them the very best result when i know what their goal is... (now most explain it as they are asking for the data which is REALLY nice) ShannonLea

 

[Madawc]

I came to Crystal with a background in Cobol and Unisys's Linc. I had to get used to some of the concepts, notably Nulls and the cycle of logic. But a lot of the underlying principles are the same. Madawc Williams
East Anglia
Great Britain

 

[khdavis]

Thanks so much to eveyone for taking the time to respond. The information will be very useful.

I think I've been successful so far with reporting because I am a Business Analyst and I am pretty strong with most of the soft skills mentioned (presentation, design, consulting, etc.).

I just need to gain more knowledge in the more technical areas (SQL, programming, etc.)

So, thanks again -- I'm passing this info on to my Manager with my training requests