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Manipulating the data, Do you want the data organized into groups, Do you want to summarize the data – HP Intelligent Management Center Standard Software Platform User Manual

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working with, before you start any calculations. For example, some functions
require numeric data, while others work with only string fields. For more
information on specific functions and operators, search for "Functions" and
"Operators," or for the function or operator by name in the Crystal Reports
Online Help
.

Manipulating the data

Do you want the data organized into groups?

How? By customer? By date? By hierarchy? Or by other criteria? Crystal
Reports provides several options for grouping data in a report. See

Grouping

data

.

Do you want the data sorted based on record or group values?

Crystal Reports gives you both alternatives. See

Understanding sort options

.

Do you want the report to contain only specific records or
groups?

Crystal Reports gives you the opportunity to base a report on all records in
a given database, or on a limited set of records from the database. Crystal
Reports can be used to select records based on simple date ranges or
comparisons, or to create complex formulas to identify the records to be
included. Take a few minutes to determine the records needed for the report
and list the criteria to be used for selecting those records. See

Selecting

records

.

Do you want to summarize the data?

Do you want to total, average, count, or determine the maximum or minimum
value included in all the values in any column on the report?

Crystal Reports allows you to do this, and it also allows the grand total (or
the grand total average, grand total count, and so on) to be placed at the

94

Crystal Reports 2008 SP3 User's Guide

Report Design Concepts

5

Deciding on the content of the report