Standard terms related to reporting
Before we continue defining the aspects of a reporting strategy, I would like to summarize the most important terms related to reporting.
SQL, query, and stored procedure
When reports are discussed, SQL, queries, and stored procedures are frequently mentioned. SQL stands for Structured Query Language. It is a method to extract information from relational tables in the form of a machine-type language called a query. In SAP, you can see the names of tables by switching on the System Information in the menu. If you move the mouse over the cardcode column while the business partner screen is open, you can see the table is called OCRD. You can see this in the footer section of the SAP application. A query to get all of the customer information will look like this: Select * from OCRD
. A stored procedure in this environment is a query, which uses parameters to calculate the results.
Crystal Reports
Crystal Reports, formerly owned by Business Objects, is now an...