Crystal Reports for Rational Application Developer Designer Guide

A Cross-Tab object is a grid that returns values based on the criteria you specify. Data is presented in a compact format, which makes it easier to compare data and identify trends.

A standard report grouped by region and by product will provide information on quantities of a product for each region, but the data will be spread out and difficult to analyze, as in the following figure.

A Cross-Tab report displays the information in a compact format, which makes it easier to see the results.

The cross-tab is made up of rows, columns, and summary fields. The summary fields are the intersection of rows and columns. Their values represent a summary (sum, count, and so on) of those records that meet the row and the column criteria.

A Cross-Tab also includes several totals: row totals, column totals, and grand totals. The grand total is the value at the intersection of the row total and the column total.