I haven't started from scratch for years, but basically you add a CrystalReportViewer and then you add a Crystal Report to the viewer. Once you have added the references to your project (if they not already there) you should be able to drag a Crystal Report into the project and design it from there.

If you app has already retrieved the data that you would like to use, design the report using ADO.Net as a datasource. It will want a XML file, just run your program, and once you have the dataset that you want to use for the report, pause the program and have the dataset write itself out to a file, WITH the data schema...now you have the file that the report can use for both design and sample data so you can format it correctly. Once designed, before you actually display the report for the user, just assign your dataset to the reports DataSource and all should be good.

HTH

alas, I don't have a clue. I would guess it depends what you are using at work. CR XI is getting kind of old. I believe that there is a CR 2008 and 2012...but when it comes to learning CR, the basics are still the basics.

Most of the posts to the site are basic questions.

When it comes to .Net, I would think the latest would be the best...but again, they basics are probably the same, for the most part.