- Introduction to OLAP
- OLAP Concepts and OLAP Reporting
- Recently Added or Changed OLAP Features in Crystal Reports
- Using the OLAP Report Creation Wizard and OLAP Expert
- Advanced OLAP Reporting
- Troubleshooting
- Crystal Reports in the Real WorldOLAP Summary Report with Drill-Down
Recently Added or Changed OLAP Features in Crystal Reports
This section is specifically targeted for users of older versions of Crystal Reports. Table 16.2 lists the newly added OLAP-oriented features of recent versions and their practical use or benefit. If you are a new user to Crystal Reports or you have not previously used the OLAP reporting features in the product, you might want to skip directly to the next section.
Table 16.2. Latest OLAP Features in Crystal Reports
OLAP Feature |
Feature Benefit and Value |
Row/Column Dimension Parameter links |
Enables the direct linking of report parameters to member selection and filtering in the column and row dimensions of the selected cube. You access this feature through either the OLAP Report Creation Wizard or the OLAP Report Settings option under the Report menu. |
Slice/Page Dimension Parameter links |
This productivity feature enables the direct linking of report parameters to pages and slices in the OLAP grid. This enables the end user to dynamically specify the values of slices and pages in the OLAP grid. You access this feature in either the OLAP Report Creation Wizard or the OLAP Report Settings option under the Report menu. |
Interactive OLAP Worksheet (Analyzer) in new Cube tab |
The New OLAP Analyzer feature (a Cube tab in Crystal Reports Designer) is accessed by right-clicking on an existing OLAP grid object and selecting the Launch Analyzer option. The Cube tab provides a fully functioning drag-and-drop OLAP worksheet that enables rapid selection of the most appropriate OLAP viewpoint for the Crystal Report. The associated Crystal Reports OLAP grid, where you can apply advanced formatting, reflects all changes made in the Analyzer worksheet. |
Interactive drill-down of OLAP grids in Preview tab |
The OLAP grid presented in the Crystal Reports Preview tab is more fully functional. In addition to having access to advanced OLAP grid functionality including calculations, exception highlighting, sorting, filtering, and member reordering from the right-click button, the OLAP grid now enables the report designer to expand (drill-down) and contract members directly from within the Preview tab. |
New and improved data sources |
At the time of writing, Crystal Reports 2008 provides OLAP access to multiple versions of Hyperion Essbase, DB2 OLAP, SQL Server Analysis Services, and SAP BW. |
The following sections explore the creation of an OLAP report through the OLAP Report Creation Wizard, the added value of the OLAP Expert, and the advanced interactivity features of Crystal Reports.