Updates
Latest Tweet
What's New?
Check out for latest innovation, a computer based training video collection
Like this Page
Special Edition Using Crystal Reports 10 Review by R. Jones
Dittos on the Down Side
As to what others have said:
A reference - I disagree. Too much talk-talk gets in the way of finding anything quickly. Also the index is not as detailed as the text. For example I don't find an index reference to the "verify database" command but I'm sure it's mentioned in the book (somewhere!!). The Crystal reports online help is much better reference, it's more concise and organized to find specifics, the hallmark of a *reference*
Poorly Written - not.
Tedious - in the extreme.
My Spin:
The book addresses every nit and noid, thus making it difficult to find or learn things quickly. It's like trying to swim across the lake but you have to dive to the bottom constantly. And they bring up so much stuff they end up not really teaching or describing it adequately. I'm not so much learning Crystal Reports as I am being overwhelmed by exposure to every menu item and dialog in the system! It's kinda like an 800 page demo. One thing I am not getting out of this book is how to "program" in Crystal - and as an experience programmer, it's syntax is confusing.
I want to "get started quickly" - after all the basics of CR is rather basic. And later I want to "learn more in depth". And over time I want to look up things I forgot. This book just doesn't cut it.
Finally:
This book is OK if you have the time and patience and need to learn it all from scratch. It very "linear" in my view significantly adding to the tedium factor.