HANDS-ON (Dictionaries)

How to create a new dictionary

Click the NEW button on the standard toolbar. The Dictionaries Expert appears.

This Expert contains several tabs. Each tab is numbered to lead you through the development process step-by-step.

NOTE: The Links Tab appears only when you have added more than one table to your dictionary.

To access the options on each tab, simply click the tab. Information and controls needed for the selected step will be displayed in the dialog box. You may also use the Next>> and <<Back buttons to go to the next (right) and previous (left) tab, respectively.

NOTE: Certain steps must be performed before others in the creation process. For example, you must select tables before you can select fields from those tables. For that reason, some tabs may not be available until you perform the required steps prior to selecting those tabs.

! Click Save at the bottom of the Expert to save at any time.

NOTE: Since a dictionary must contain some database data, the

Save button will be disabled until you add at least one field to the

Headings & fields in View list box on the View Tab.

How to add a data file

While in the Dictionaries Expert, click the Tables Tab to activate it.

2 Click the Data File button.

The Choose Database File dialog box appears.

!Use the options in the Choose Database File dialog box to highlight a database file.

"Click Add to add the file. All tables from that file will appear in the list box on the Tables Tab.

#Repeat Steps 3 and 4 for each database file you want to add to the dictionary.

$ Click Done when you are finished adding database files.

NOTE: When you add a database file, the tables and fields from that file will not necessarily appear to the user who opens the dictionary from Seagate Crystal Reports. The tables that appear on the Tables Tab are only the tables available to the creator of the dictionary. To add specific fields, see How to select tables and

fields for users, Page 498.

You may also need to pick an index file to be used by one of the database tables. This is done in the Tables Tab:

The Choose New Location dialog box appears.

'Use the controls in this dialog box to highlight a new index file, and click OK when finished.

NOTE: By default, Crystal Dictionaries will use any index file it finds with the same name as the database file. You only need to select an index file if you want to use an index with a different name than the database file. For more information on indexes, see

Indexed tables, Page 518.

NOTE: You can mix data files and ODBC data sources in the same dictionary file. However, if you wish to link data files and ODBC data sources together, you can only use string fields to perform the links.

How to open an SQL or ODBC data source

While in the Dictionaries Expert, click the Tables Tab to activate it.

2 Click the SQL/ODBC button.

The Log On Server dialog box appears.

3 Select an SQL or ODBC data source and click OK when finished.

"If the data source requires any log on information, such as user name and password, the SQL Server Login dialog box will appear. Use this dialog box to log on to the ODBC data source just as you normally do from your Database Management System application.

# Click OK, and the Choose SQL Table dialog box appears.

$Highlight a database table in the Choose SQL Table dialog box, and click Add to add it to your dictionary.

% Repeat Step 6 for each table you want to add to the dictionary.