Choosing data sources and database fields

Seagate Crystal Reports makes it simple to select data sources and database fields by providing easy-to-use functionality in the Data Explorer dialog box and the Field Explorer dialog box. Each of these dialog boxes uses the familiar Windows tree structure to allow you to navigate through the possible choices.

The Data Explorer

The Data Explorer provides an integrated tree view of all data sources you can use with Seagate Crystal Reports. With the Data Explorer, you can:

• create a report using one of the currently connected data sources
• create a report based on a customized "Favorites" list of data sources (which you also maintain within the Data Explorer)
• create a report based on a list of recently accessed data sources (that the Data Explorer automatically maintains for you)
• create a report by connecting to an existing data source (for example, a data file residing locally, or an ODBC data source that has already been set up)
• create a report by first creating a new connection (for example, a new ODBC data source, or an OLE DB File Data Link).

Tree View

The main window of the Data Explorer shows a tree view of possible data sources you can select when creating a report. The tree is made up of folders for:

• Current Connections
• Favorites
• History
• ODBC data sources
• Database Files
• More Data Sources
• Dictionary / Query.

For a brief description of each of these folders, see Selecting the data source.