Benefits of grouping on server—an example

The following example describes a typical reporting scenario wherein grouping on server can significantly reduce the amount of unnecessary data transferred from the database server.

To decrease data transfer by grouping on server
  1. Open the sample report group.rpt (located in the Feature Examples folder).

    Look in the bottom right corner of the Crystal Reports window and notice that 270 records are returned for this report.

  2. On the Format menu, click Section to access the Section Expert.
  3. In the Sections list, select Details.
  4. On the Common tab, select Hide (Drill-Down OK). This hides the report's Details section, so that only group header displays in the report. (In this case, the report is grouped by Country.)
  5. Click OK in the Section Expert. The Details records will disappear from the report.
  6. Press F5 to refresh the report data (or click the Refresh button on the toolbar).

    Notice that 270 records are still returned for the report, even though the Detail records are hidden from view.

  7. On the Database menu, click Perform Grouping on Server.

    Now notice that only 72 records are returned for the report. The grouping (by Country) has been performed on the database server, and fewer records have been transferred to the report.

  8. Drill down on a country by double-clicking the report. Crystal Reports retrieves the appropriate Detail records as you need them.

    For instance, if you drill down on Australia, Crystal Reports quickly retrieves the seven records that make up the group.

By hiding the Details section of this report, you've created a summary report that's easy for users to navigate. Each user can first locate the Country with which he or she is concerned, and can then drill down to retrieve valuable details.

Moreover, by enabling the Perform Grouping on Server option, you've ensured that the initial processing is completed on the database server. Consequently, only the necessary records are transferred to the report.

For more information on server-side processing, see Server-side processing.



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