Book excerpt: What is this book about? The addition of Crystal Reports 9.0 to Visual Studio .NET 2003 offers developers a reporting tool that allows you to turn almost any data into interactive, dynamic content through portals, wireless devices, and Microsoft Office documents. This code-intensive guide takes you step by step through developing reports and incorporating them into applications. First, you gain a thorough understanding of how this version of Crystal Reports differs from previous versions and how it fits into the .NET platform. Then you begin creating reports and learn how to integrate them into both Windows and Web-based applications. You explore XML Web services, find out how to work with ADO.NET, and learn to use formulas and logic in your reports. Finally, you develop distributed reporting applications and discover how to deploy the applications you have created. Packed with real-world examples of working applications, this comprehensive second edition provides a complete understanding of commonly used features, examples of integration with a variety of databases and platforms, and much more. What does this book cover? Here are some details on what you'll discover in this book: Advanced report design Methods for creating reports using the Expert How to integrate reports into Windows and Web-based applications Development and deployment of distributed reporting applications How to create XML Report Web Services and work with ADO.NET Tips for using parameters with Crystal Reports and customizing the report content at run-time Options for working with different data sources How to use the features contained in the properties, methods, and events associated with the Crystal Reports engine Who is this book for? This book is for programmers seeking a comprehensive guide to the functionality of Crystal Reports for Visual Studio .NET. You should have some experience with .NET and Visual Studio .NET. Some familiarity with Crystal Reports is helpful, although this update includes a large section on report design.