Many users are faced with the difficulty of designing solid databases, but once the database is in place, they are confronted with the even more difficult task of generating quality reports from the data. Seagate Crystal Reports, a time-tested solution, is now in its eighth version and still going strong.
Seagate Crystal Reports 8 comes in three versions: Developer (AU$795), Professional (AU$640), and Standard (AU$260). Previously, each release of this report generator added impressive new features: Version 6, Visual Basic support; Version 7, maps and Java Web support. And now Version 8 adds multithreading, which increases performance tenfold and gives us impressive support for Microsoft Office 97 and 2000, including improved export for Word and Excel, plus Excel and Access links.
Presentation-quality Web-based reports have enhanced ActiveX, Dynamic html, and Java viewers. The Page-on-Demand feature lets users view part of a report without downloading the entire report, while placeholders for graphics and subreports let pages load more quickly. During the design process, an Explorer-style interface for locating and selecting data easier makes Crystal Reports 8 look and feel much more like an Office application.
Most new Web reporting tools, including the Netscape Viewer plug-in, dhtml Report Viewer, embedded hyperlinks, and Web report development, come with the Developer and Professional versions. The Rapid Application Development tools are available only in the Developer version. Sybase sql Server support has been moved from the Professional version to the Developer version, as have the online technical references. Most other sql features and tools, however, are still available in both versions.
Version 8 drops native support for Symantec act! 2 files. All editions support act! 3 and 4, Btrieve, Clipper, dbase, FoxPro 2.6, and most versions of ms Access, ms Outlook, and Paradox.
The Professional Edition allows many distribution options, including the Web; and the Standard Edition is for general users who need presentation-quality report generation. This is a fast, powerful, easy-to-use report generator, especially useful if you are publishing to the Web or running ms Office.
Seagate Crystal Reports 8
Price: Single user without subscription; Developer, AU$795; upgrade, AU$415. Professional, AU$640; upgrade, AU$340. Standard, AU$260.
Requires: 16MB RAM (32MB for Windows NT); 30MB to 210MB hard drive space; Microsoft Windows 95, 98, NT 4.0, or 2000.
Rating: 5 Star
Company: Seagate Software
Ph: 1800 647 006; Fax: 02 9955 7682;
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