Is it possible to adjust the amount of columns (left to right) in Crystal Report based on user input?

Question

I am trying to get crystal to print the details field from Left to Right to an excel spreadsheet output, rather than from the top of the page to the bottom. Setting the details section to 'Format with Columns' and using the layout option of 'Across then Down' doesn't seem to acheive the effect I am looking for. I want to create a given number of columns to the right based on user input passed into Crystal parameters, but I can't seem to find anything within crystal reports that will allow this.

Is it possible that I'm missing something simple, or does Crystal Reports lack the functionality to accomplish columns/rows being generated from left to right rather than up to down?

Thanks in advance for any help!

Answer 1

No such functionality in Crystal alone but you can take control of the Excel output logic using a UFL (User Function Library) allowing a detail-level Crystal formula to write to a specified Excel cell. As the formula progresses through the detail rows, it would increment column/row targets based on the Columns parameter.

You can create the UFL yourself. Alternatively, at least one of the 3rd-party UFLs listed here provides such a function.