What's advantage of using Crystal Reports instead of Access Reports? 2

[surotkin]

Hi everybody,
I am new in Crystal Reports.

Does anybody know what is advantage of using Crystal Reports instead of using built-in Report tools in MS Access?
I like to know before I start using Crystal Reports.
Should I continue using MS Access Reports or is it worth to switch to Crystal Reports?

Thank you.
surotkin

 

[chelseatech]

I've a colleague who is an access guru, and he will probably disagree, but here is what I think..

Ease of use - you don't have to be a programmer to use CR. You can get started on simple stuff very easily.

Security - Cr is read only, so won't damage your database.

Formulas - far more functions and complexity of calculations, you can even add your own as User Function Libraries.

Formatting - more format options, better conditional formatting, better grouping and more group options.

Databases - yes you can link tables into access, but Cr has a wide range of other data sources.

Performance - Even with linked tables, processing AR takes place in Access, Cr talks SQL directly to the database and performs a lot faster. It can also handle larger volumes of data and do thinks like grouping on server.

Integration - If you are developing in VB, .NET or another language you can integrate your reports within your app including dynamic viewers.

Abstraction - In CR10, you can use Business Views to abstract parts of your database, select Live/Test Db's at run time, and secure sensitive content.

The brick walls are a lot closer in MS Access. When you hit them it is hard to get past them. With CR they are a lot further away and there are many ways over these technical hurdles.

Editor and Publisher of Crystal Clear

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

 

[Cretin]

I use both somewhat and agree with Chelseatech on all of their statements. The 3 main reasons I use crystal are:

1. Ease of use.
2. More powerful it can do many more functions easier that access.
3. can query many types of databases. Access is not a good database to use if you need a large corporate wide database. By using crystal you are not limited to just reporting off of access.

Cretin