2 replies to this topic

[Ross Bevin]

My client would like me to start using Crystal Reports XI for a number of existing and new reports that we have. Unfortunately I haven't used Crystal Reports for over 10 years so I gather it is now a much bigger animal. I would appreciate some feed back from other members who have successfully integrated Crystal Reports within their Pro-IV environement. I would especially appreciate an overview of how much you do at the Pro-IV end as opposed to the Crystal end. We use SQL Server 2000 so I gather one option would be to write the report data to some temporary SQL tables and then do a system call to Crystal passing it the report parameters? I am assuming as well that you can also pass it the report file as a text file and have Crystal do its magic.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

Edited by Ross Bevin, 20 June 2006 - 09:34 PM.

[Bob Filipiak]

Ross,

This may or may not be of any help, but, what the heck!

After 20 years of using a PRO-IV written accounting system, we dumped it for a semi-customizable package that uses SQL server, and Crystal Reports for the reports.

The software authors have incorporated stored procedures in their system that generate the data set for Crystal Reports. The reports are generated by the package; and dump the report to the Crystal Viewer, where you can just look at it, print it using the Windows Print dialog; or export it.

Natively, Crystal Reports CAN interact with SQL to extract your data, but this dog, is tired of new tricks (I refuse to take the time to climb that 89 degree slope!!). One thing I did notice is that many simlar reports use the same stored procedure to generate the data; then Crystal Reports formats it however you want.

I guess in theory, you could use an update function to throw the data for your report into a temporary work file, and from that extract and format using Crystal Reports. A word of caution, you will have to spring for more than the base edition (professional or developer I am not sure).

Let me know how you end up deciding.

Bob Filipiak

Edited by Bob Filipiak, 20 June 2006 - 11:33 PM.