Crystal Reports Overview

Crystal Reports for Microsoft Exchange contains core components that have been modified for the specific needs of Microsoft Exchange users. You can access these components through the Microsoft Exchange Client. The components include:

A 32-bit Microsoft Exchange client extension dynamic-link library (DLL) for Windows NT and Windows 95
A 16-bit client extension for Windows for Workgroups.

The following table lists the core Crystal Reports components available in the Microsoft Exchange Client.

Component	Description

Crystal extension for the Microsoft Exchange Client	Enables Microsoft Exchange users to access the Crystal Reports components necessary to design and analyze a report from within the Microsoft Exchange Client.
Microsoft Exchange Reports	Provides users with a set of predefined reports that can be used out of the box or as a starting point for further customization. The reports are installed in a samples directory. They are also included in a sample personal folder file (.PST) that contains both folder reports (templates) and report instances (templates and data).
Crystal Reports Viewer	Provides Microsoft Exchange users with the functionality to analyze, print, and export existing reports. The Viewer is a separate application that can be launched from within the Microsoft Exchange Client.
Crystal Reports Designer	Enables Microsoft Exchange users to create and modify reports by selecting data from a list of properties.

Crystal Reports adds menus, a property page, and toolbar buttons to the Microsoft Exchange Client.

Report Formats

Crystal Reports for Microsoft Exchange incorporates two types of reports: Report Templates and Report Instances.

Report Templates

A Report Template is not mapped to a physical file. It exists as a hidden message within a folder and is only accessible from within the Microsoft Exchange Client. To access a Report Template, you must choose a menu command.
A Report Template is similar to a Microsoft Exchange folder contents list view in that you can only see data from a single folder. The Report Template cannot display information from multiple folders.
Because data within a Microsoft Exchange folder is constantly updated, a Report Template does not contain saved data. It is associated with data contained in a public folder.
A Report Template may be either a Personal Report or a Folder Report. A Personal Report, similar to a Microsoft Exchange view, can be applied to any folder. A Folder Report, however, is associated with one specific folder.
You can access a Report Template by using the folder's property page or by choosing a command from the View menu. However, Report Template management (that is, creation, deletion, or modification) can only be accomplished by selecting options in the folder's property page.
A Report Template can only be applied from the View menu.

Report Instances

A Report Instance is a file with an .rpt extension. The file can reside within a Microsoft Exchange folder or elsewhere on your computer.
As with a Microsoft Word document, you can copy a Report Instance to a Microsoft Exchange folder by using drag-and-drop operations. You can also copy a Report Instance to a folder by using the Export function in either Crystal Reports Designer or Crystal Reports Viewer.
A Report Instance can be saved with or without data.
A Report Instance with current data contains a snapshot of data for comparison or storage purposes. This provides a way for an administrator to archive mail.