Record selection issue in cross tab.

Question

Hello!
I have a record  filtering problem. I tried many scenarios, and searched this forum but I cannot find an solution.
I have a sub-report that contains a cross tab that provides a few summarized fields.
I have two tables: a table with category of events : (field catID and Catname) and an event table with a CatID, a date field and others number field I use in the cross tab.
I want my cross tab to show one row per category. The Catname and the summaries.
Now all is working fine but for one issue. I need to select my event according to a time bracket.
So I created two time parameters (start and end) and select the event dates between these two dates.
Now, when selected, any category that does not have an event between these dates are not displayed. I would like them to be shown with "o" values.
There must be a way of doing this. I just cannot find it.
Esther

Answer 1

In order for Crystal to show data, it must be given data to show!
You will need to base your subreport on an SQL Command.  In that command, put the current SQL used by the report.  To this, do a UNION to a select that selects the category name, and a zero for each field that you are summing in the crosstab.
As a simplified example, suppose the original SQL was (MS SQL):
select c.catname, sum(e.quantity) as Quantity
from categories c, events e
where c.catid = {?catid parm}
and c.catid = e.catid
and e.date between {?start} and {?end}
This would be changed to
select c.catname, sum(e.quantity) as Quantity
from categories c, events e
where c.catid = {?catid parm}
and c.catid = e.catid
and e.date between {?start} and {?end}
UNION
select c.catname, 0 as Quantity
from categories c
where c.catid = {?catid parm}
This will return an additional zero record, regardless of what data the original query returns, thus giving Crystal the data needed to display.  Note that the zero value will not affect the results in any way, except causing a zero to be displayed if no data is returned from the original query.
Just remember that the second SELECT in the UNION has to have the same number of fields, of the same data type, as the first SELECT.
HTH,
Carl