Incompatible export format for Crystal Reports output

[#1]

While generating a report using the Crystal Reporting tool (SAP Crystal Reports 2025) , the output Microsoft Word RTF document does not preserve formatting for table structures, headers, footers and text boxes.

• There is no provision for Microsoft Word.doc or .docx exports from Crystal Reports
• The exported output is distorted and not easily editable.

Requesting technical assistance on possible report design changes and export configuration recommendations to cater for editable Microsoft Word.doc reports. 

[ido_millet]

An alternative approach is to use a 3rd-party Crystal Reports automation tool (Ken Hamady maintains a listing of 3rd-party Crystal Reports utilities here) that can mail-merge the report data into a Word template.

On the left side of the image below is the template, with references to report fields & formulas. On the right side you can see the saved ("exported") Word file after the references are replaced with the dynamic values of those fields/formulas.  Special Crystal formulas provide values for MS Word tables.  

This video demo shows the same 3rd-party tool handling Excel data as a data source. It can use Crystal Reports, Excel, or SQL Statements as the data source.  

[PG_SAP_SUPPORT]

Hello Vincent,

As you noticed, Crystal Reports does not have an exporting option to generate a MS Word document in the format .doc or .docx

When exporting to MS Word, it generates a RTF document (.rtf). To create a document as close as possible to how the report is designed, it creates box for each text area. This help retain as close as possible the formatting, but it does indeed make it more difficult to modify the generated document. This is why there is another exporting format called:

Microsoft Words - Editable (rtf)

This format does not export the content of the report in box, but on a line by line. This makes it easier to edit the generated document, but since in Crystal Reports objects can be added anywhere on a canvas, then it will loose the formatting. But on the other side, there are functionalities it supports, like exporting the report Page Header, and Page Footer in a page header and footer in the RTF document generated.

There is unfortunately no perfect export solution. It really depend on the intend of the export. If you want to have the generated document to be as close as possible to the way the report is formatted, then export to Microsoft Word, but if you want to be able to easily edit the document, then export the report to: Microsoft Words - Editable (rtf)

When exporting a report to any format, not all the functionalities of Crystal Reports is supported for each of the exporting format due the difference in how each format works. We will suggest to review the following SAP Knowledge Base Article for general guidelines on what is supported by exporting format:

     1946358 - Crystal Reports features supported by exporting format

Therefore the best suggestion will be to:

- Confirm the intended purpose of exporting the report.

- If it is for viewing only, then exporting to Microsoft Words (rtf) or PDF
format will retain as much as possible the formatting.

- If it is to be able to edit the document after, then export to: Microsoft Words - Editable (rtf)
But then keep in mind not all the Crystal Reports functionalities are supported in this exporting
format. We would suggest to:

1. Review what is supported from the SAP Knowledge Base Article: 1946358
for the Microsoft Word - Editable format, then design the report use only, or as much as
possible functionalities that are supported for this export format.

2. Design the report following the same best practice as the one listed in the following
SAP Knowledge Base Article. It was written for MS Excel, but the core principles are valid
when exporting to a line by line format, like MS Word - Editable:

     1841430 - How to design a report that will export well to MS Excel from Crystal Reports?

We hope the above help,

Regards,

SAP Support