Here's the problem: The Chapters reference Paragraphs, each of which is to be presented sequentially in the report. For example, Chapter 1 has 3 clusters of data ("paragraphs"), all drawn from the same (or overlapping) data structures. Each paragraph could be its own subreport, but Crystal doesn't let you nest subreports. Grouping within the Chapter doesn't work because the data is not being presented hierarchically, but as parallel clusters.

 

I would appreciate any ideas on how to design such a report. 

 

Aside from header information about the product and country where the filing was made, the report is to show, in sequential sections, the associated events (with the sequence of statuses through which they have passed), the associated submissions (with the sequence of statuses through which they have passed), the associated drug product information, packaging information, labeling information, manufacturers, and (for each active ingredient) technical information and manufacturers.

 

The only dependency between sections of the report is that all the data is related to a code number on the event(s). There is a potential many-to-many relationship between events and and the technical information on drug products and substances. There is a potential many-to-many relationship between events and individual submissions, although more typically it is one event to multiple submissions.

 

The subreport construct lends itself to this, because each section is really an independent report, related to the others only through the event code.