## S

#### sample

A sample, as used in statistics, is a subset of a population used to represent the entire population. Researchers frequently do not have the option of testing an entire population before forming conclusions based on their tests. In such cases, they use a sample to represent the whole.

For example, political polling before elections is often based on questioning only four or five hundred people. From the answers given by this sample, predictions can be made on how an entire nation will vote.

#### scroll bars, scrolling

Sometimes a window can display only a portion of a document. In such a case, the window includes scroll bars that you can use to move other parts of the document into the window for your review.

Scroll bars also appear with lists that are longer than the available window. The scroll bars allow you to move back and forth through the list. The process of moving through a list or document using scroll bars is called scrolling. In Seagate Crystal Reports, the screen automatically scrolls whenever you move the cursor outside the window and press and hold down the button.

#### section

A section is a part of the report design environment. The program divides the design environment into several sections, each of which has different printing characteristics. You place objects in the various sections to build a report.

#### select

- With regard to a report element (data field, formula, etc.), select means to point to the element and then click to choose the element as the object of the next menu selection.
- With regard to text, select means to highlight the text by dragging the I-beam cursor over it.
- With regard to records, select means to identify and choose those records of interest while disregarding all others.
- With regard to groups, select means to identify and choose those groups of interest while disregarding all others.

#### selection formula

A selection formula is a formula that specifies the records, or groups of records, you want included in your report.

#### server document

A server document is a file that stores the original OLE object.

#### server-side processing

Server-side processing is a feature that allows you to set up reports that perform the majority of their processing on the server. These reports push only relevant details to your computer, thus saving you time and memory.

#### shortcut menu

A dynamic menu available in the Design and Preview Tabs. Access the shortcut menu by highlighting an object and right-clicking.

#### Smart Processing Cache

The Crystal Web Report Server stores requested reports in the Smart Processing Cache directory. When a user requests a report through a web browser, the report is generated and stored in the cache. If another user requests the same report, the Crystal Web Report Server retrieves the report from the cache rather than generating it all over again.

Cached reports that remain unused for a long period of time are invalidated by the Crystal Web Report Server. Periodic clean up processes delete invalid reports from the cache to make room for more recent or more popular reports. This process of caching frequently used reports and deleting unused reports provides an efficient use of web server and network resources, reducing repetitive report generation and network traffic.

#### snap property

Snap is a "magnetic" property that attracts nearby objects. Seagate Crystal Reports uses two facilities that have the snap property: Guidelines and the Grid. Whenever an object is moved close to a guideline or a grid coordinate, the program snaps it into position for accurate placement and alignment.

#### sort-and-group-by field

A sort-and-group-by field is a field that triggers the printing of a subtotal (or a group field value) whenever its own value changes.

For example, you may have a customer report that contains the {customer.CUSTOMER ID} and {orders.ORDER AMOUNT} fields. If you want to subtotal by customer (total the orders for each customer), click the {orders.ORDER AMOUNT} field as the field to subtotal and the {customer.CUSTOMER ID} field as the sort-and-group-by field. Seagate Crystal Reports sorts the data by customer, so that all orders from the same customer are grouped together. Then, whenever the value in the {customer.CUSTOMER ID} field changes (when it changes from one customer to a different customer), Seagate Crystal Reports prints a subtotal of the values in the {orders.ORDER AMOUNT} field (a total of orders for the individual customer). You can also use sort-and-group-by fields to trigger summaries.

#### sort direction

Sort direction describes the way records or groups are printed in your report. They are printed either in ascending (A to Z, 0 to 9), or descending (Z to A, 9 to 0) order.

#### sort field

A sort field is a data field on which the sort procedure is based. A mailing list, for example, could be sorted, in ascending order, on the {customer.POSTAL CODE} field; that is, the customers would be sorted so that those with the lowest postal codes would appear first and those with the highest postal codes would appear last. The report could also be sorted in ascending alphabetic order, on the {customer.CONTACT LAST NAME} field; that is, customers with last names beginning with A would appear first and those with last names beginning with Z would appear last.

#### sort order

Sort order is an indicator of the direction in which you want your data to be presented once it is sorted. Data is typically printed in one of two sort orders: ascending (lowest to highest, earliest to latest, first to last, A to Z, etc.) or descending (highest to lowest, latest to earliest, last to first, Z to A, etc.).

#### sorting

Sorting is a method of organizing the order in which data appears on your report. Seagate Crystal Reports provides you with powerful tools for sorting your report data.

#### SQL

SQL stands for Structured Query Language; a system for managing, organizing, and retrieving data stored on a computer database. Structured Query Language is a computer language that enables you to interact with a specific type of database called a relational database.

#### SQL pass-through

The ability to get the SQL Server to process the data retrieval criteria in order to pass the smallest possible result set back to Seagate Crystal Reports for final processing. When processing can be passed-through to the server, it makes the reporting process more efficient and it minimizes network traffic.

#### standard deviation

Standard deviation is the square root of the variance. It is a statistical test of how various values in a set of values deviate from the mean or average value for that set. You can use standard deviation, for example, for assessing the relative difficulty of tests given to students, for evaluating and projecting customer purchase patterns, or for comparing the results delivered by two or more products under evaluation (laboratory blood tests, smoke detectors, radar detectors, etc.). The uses are endless.

Standard deviation (as opposed to population standard deviation) is typically used to project the standard deviation for an entire population (all values) based on testing only a small sample of that population. For example, a company producing batteries with a new manufacturing process might want to test the batteries to determine how long they will last before they go dead. If the company tested all of its batteries, it would have no product left to sell. As an alternative, the company might test thirty batteries selected at random and project the mean burn out time and standard deviation for all batteries based on the results from that thirty battery sample.

Note: This comparison simply suggests typical usage. In practice, some users prefer a calculation based on N values (PopulationStdDev) while others prefer a calculation based on N-1 values (StdDev). Both forms of standard deviation are provided by the program.

#### static OLE object

A static OLE object is a picture of an object that is stored in a document when it is saved. The picture can be displayed or printed by a user who does not have the application in which the original object was created. The object can not be edited in place, however, without first converting it to an editable type of object. Static OLE objects offer better online and print performance than do standard bitmaps.

#### string

A string is a series of connected characters (letters, numbers, symbols, spaces) stored and used as text. The word "hello" is a text string as is the phrase "Order # 2453" and the customer number "B30-124-777". Strings are sometimes referred to as text strings or character strings.

#### subreport

A subreport is a report within a report. It has all of the characteristics of a report with one exception: it can not itself include a subreport. Subreports can be free-standing or they can be linked to the data in the primary report. Seagate Crystal Reports enables you to insert as many subreports as you wish.

#### substring

A substring is simply a part of a larger string. "Columbia" is a substring of the string "British Columbia", "1040" is a substring of the customer number "B-1040-0032456", and "B" is a substring of the string "President Bill Clinton".

#### subtotal

A subtotal is a partial total, a total of a specific, limited group of data in a field. For example, given the following data:

    1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

a subtotal after the 3 produces the value 6 (1 + 2 + 3). A second subtotal after the 6 produces the value 15 (4 + 5 + 6).

A subtotal is the sum of all values from a single field, from all the records in a group. In a sales report, for example, if you subtotal the amount ordered by sales representative, Seagate Crystal Reports gathers all the records that belong to the sales representative and totals the amounts ordered from all the records.

#### summary

A summary is the value generated as the result of an evaluation, a tally, or a calculation performed on data from a single group.

In a group average, Seagate Crystal Reports averages the values in a group of records; in a group count, it counts the values in a group of records, and so forth. Summary values are important tools for creating powerful reports.

#### summary field

A summary field is a field that determines the sum of the values, the average value, the maximum value, the minimum value, or count of values in a group of values in a given field. Much like a subtotal, a summary field groups data to your specifications and then performs the requested calculation/determination.

#### suppress

If you suppress something it does not appear. In Seagate Crystal Reports you can suppress report sections (headers, details, and footers), rows and columns that don't contain a value, as well as specific values.

#### syntax

Syntax is a set of rules used to make a correct formula. When creating formulas, you have the option of using Crystal or Basic syntax.

Seagate Software, Inc. http://www.seagatesoftware.com Please send comments to: techpubs@seagatesoftware.com