22.75 inch limitation 1

[suecobb]

I am trying to create a report which will serve as an upload file to the mainframe. Each record contains 343 characters. I am having trouble exporting the file to a text file. I found documentation regarding Excel's 22.75 inch limit, but cannot find anything on text files. (Excel will keep all the information, but it starts with the fields to the right of the 22.75 inch mark.) I have installed a plotter printer driver so the page size is not a problem. Decreasing the font size does not help, because the text file font is at a constant, approximately 8 characters per inch. I am working on Crystal 8.0. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[losthorizon]

There are also limits to the number of characters allowed in a formula field, but there is a work-around to this problem, by formatting those long formulas into arrays.

 

[HowardHammerman]

You are trying to use Crystal to do something it was not designed to do. You are trying to convert data from one form to another.

A better way is to use Data Junction, a program designed just for that purpose. You will find none of the limitations you have mentioned.

Their web site is:

http://www.datajunction.com

Crystal Reports training, consulting, books, training material, software, and support. Scheduled training in 8 cities.
howard@hammerman.com

http://www.hammerman.com

800-783-2269

 

[kenhamady]

sue,

What is wrong with the text file?
How is Excel involved? Ken Hamady, On-site/Phone Crystal Reports Training/Consulting
Quick Reference Guide to using Crystal in VB

http://www.kenhamady.com/

 

[suecobb]

The text file is consistently cut off at a particular point for each record when exported to a text file. Because of the difficulties with the text file, I then also tried exporting it to Excel and found that the exported file started exactly where the text file left off, followed by the fields at the beginning of the record. The Excel behavior is explained by the documentation I found, and since the text file ends exactly where the Excel file wraps I thought maybe the text file has the same sort of limitation. I was hoping there might be some sort of work around. I can change the order of the fields in Crystal for the Excel file so they will export correctly, but I would prefer to export to a straight text file if possible.

 

[kenhamady]

Text files are generated by your printer driver.
What printer driver are you using?
Is it in landscape with very small margins?
What font are you using?
Have you tried another font so that you can get smaller sizes?
There are also several printer drivers that will allow you to set up a wider design area, so that you can export more text. Ken Hamady, On-site/Phone Crystal Reports Training/Consulting
Quick Reference Guide to using Crystal in VB

http://www.kenhamady.com/

 

[suecobb]

I am using an HP Plotter printer driver so that I can get a wider page. I set up a new page size (14 x 43) to accomodate the width I need, then created the report in landscape. The report is exporting at a standard 8 characters per inch. Changing the font size in Crystal does not change the exported font format. Because the file needs to be read by the mainframe, the fields must butt up to each other exactly. Using a small font in crystal results in truncated fields in the export file. I tried making a change to the registry to get Crystal to export 16 characters per inch, but the record still gets truncated in the same place.

 

[kenhamady]

Don't put individual objects onto the report.
Put a very wide text object on the report and put all of the fields into the text object, in their correct order. If the fields need space padding, create a formula that will do the padding and put the formula into the text object.

When you export to text, there should be no font or size in the text file. The font and size is only used by the printer driver to measure how many characters to include in the page. Ken Hamady, On-site/Phone Crystal Reports Training/Consulting
Quick Reference Guide to using Crystal in VB

http://www.kenhamady.com/

 

[suecobb]

I tried putting all the fields into a text object and I am able to run the report in Crystal, but my PC hangs when I try to export it to a text file. Any idea why this might be happening? I can export to a character separated file just great, but I need a trailer record, so that approach does not finish the job.

I also tried using the space padded fields directly in the report, but the text file is not formatted with the fixed width fields. This file also exports correctly to a character separated file, but without the trailer record, which is required by the mainframe application.

 

[kenhamady]

Can you export another simple report to a text file? Ken Hamady, On-site Custom Crystal Reports Training & Consulting
Public classes and individual training.
Guide to using Crystal in VB

http://www.kenhamady.com/

tek@kenhamady.com

 

[suecobb]

Yes. It's just the file with the large text object that hangs. The report with the individual fields exports just fine to the text file, but it is not exporting as a fixed width file. That is, even though I have entered a formula for each field to force it to a fixed width, the text file is printing just like Crystal (wysiwyg).

 

[kenhamady]

I am not sure why it would hang. Can you try it with a smaller text object, gradually increasing it and see if it is a memory or capacity issue? Ken Hamady, On-site Custom Crystal Reports Training & Consulting
Public classes and individual training.
Guide to using Crystal in VB

http://www.kenhamady.com/

tek@kenhamady.com

 

[bmered]

I realize this is an older discussion thread, but I am trying to solve the same issue. Did you ever find a suitable solution?