compiled report for CR 8.5 3

[krist]

Hi again,
I have looked into CR features comparison by version (including v8.5), compiled report is not mentioned there.
Is it still supported in CR v8.5 ?

Thank you for any info,
Krist

 

[kenhamady]

You can download the compile feature for 8.5. See the FAQ in the general forum on compiled reports. Ken Hamady

http://www.kenhamady.com/

On-site custom Crystal Reports Training and Consulting.
Quick Reference Guide to using Crystal in VB.

 

[krist]

Thanks Ken,
I have seen your FAQ in general forum about compiled report, and already downloaded and use it for CR v.8,

its is : scr8_distr_expert.exe , isn't it ?

can it be used for CR v.8.5 too ??

Do you know until when seagate will support this feature ??
, this info is quite importan for my evaluation

Many thanks,
Krist

 

[kenhamady]

I installed it at a client site and tested it with 8.5, works fine. My guess is that it will drop off with the next version which has no timetable yet. I will guess at least a year.

Of course, Crystal Decisions is hard to predict. It is a really great tool, so of course they don't want to give it away forever. Might give you a reason NOT to upgrade to the next version. Ken Hamady

http://www.kenhamady.com/

On-site custom Crystal Reports Training and Consulting.
Quick Reference Guide to using Crystal in VB.

 

[krist]

Ken,

I read the docs, they recommend using Web Component Server (WCS) as distribution method.

If I dont' integrate it with any application (VB, Delphi etc), So the option will be web based reporting.

It is Ok if we're talking about web reporting, what if all users connected only within a network ??,
Does it make any sense if we have to install a web server to use WCS for the user to JUST do the reporting within a network using web based viewer ??

What do you think ?? or am I missing something here ??

Thanks,
Krist

 

[kenhamady]

You can run the WCS locally on a network, but the WCS has to run on an NT platform. In my opinion it requires a significant knowledge of Web Server technique.

It isn't really designed as a replacement for the compile feature. Seagate is pushing in this direction because they have better license control. They don't seem to mind that we lose the convenience of having a very simple local viewer to launch the reports. Ken Hamady

http://www.kenhamady.com/

On-site custom Crystal Reports Training and Consulting.
Quick Reference Guide to using Crystal in VB.

 

[krist]

Ken,

One more thing ,
from what I explore in these two days, the whole Crystal Reports family (not only WCS) run only in Windows platform right ? or am I wrong here ??

about the license, compiled version is free from license, how about the integration with other application (VB, Delphi), how is the license calculated there ??
(this is importan for my evaluation)

Thanks again,
Krist.

 

[kenhamady]

Yes, CR is a WinTel only platform, although they are talking about doing Unix/Linux 'someday'.

I believe that the developer version of CR allows you to distribute runtime without license, as long as you don't use the 'report creation api' which allows the user to not only run a report, but to design a report.

However, I have been surprised in several cases by how Seagate interprets their license wording. It should be easy enough to call their toll free sales number and ask them to clarify any confusion. Of course, I would get it in writing. Ken Hamady

http://www.kenhamady.com/

On-site custom Crystal Reports Training and Consulting.
Quick Reference Guide to using Crystal in VB.

 

[balves]

I think the trade-offs sum up somewhat like this:

- Going the client/server way. Use Crystal Reports V8 Developer and a simple Visual Basic application to have the user pick a report to run, parameters, etc. Build a Windows kit (via VB) and deploy on each desktop. As far as anyone can tell, no licensing hassles. No Web/IIS knowledge necessary.

- Going the Web way. Crystal has now imposed a 5-user concurrent usage license. If you're going to have more than 5 concurrent users, you need to pay more money to Crystal. You need an NT/IIS Web server, which will probably be a separate box from your SQL database server, plus Web knowledge.

The client/server method is probably cheaper and faster to deploy. The Web method is better for the technologists' careers and probably will be a better path to what Crystal does in the .Net space. Brian J. Alves
Terrier Consulting, Inc.
Email: brian.alves@worldnet.att.net
VB / Crystal / SQLServer
(Currently available for consulting in Chicago)

 

[sue1127]

Brian,

I have Crystal 8 Professional Version. What does the Developer version have that would enable report distribution using vb? Would this require using the compile report distribution capability? What would be the down side to using this rather than web distribution? I'm trying to figure out the best way to distribute a department expense report so that each department can get just its own accounts? I'm not finding a lot of documentation on the subject, and I'm a real 'newbie' when it comes to the web. (Pretty new on VB also). I'd appreciate any light you can shed.

Thanks very much.

Sue


Thanks,

Sue

 

[kenhamady]

Compiled reports run with a little launch screen that is part of the compile process. It doesn't require any programming, but you have no control. You can't launch compiled reports from VB.

If you get CR developer you can design your own launch screen in your program and you have full control over the report settings from the code. The app that launches Crystal doesn't need to have any additional licensing.

The web distribution can do most of what VB does but has the additional complexity of configuring the web server. It also (depending on version) has concurrent user limits and some expensive licenses when they are exceeded. Ken Hamady, On-site/Phone Crystal Reports Training/Consulting
Quick Reference Guide to using Crystal in VB

http://www.kenhamady.com/

 

[sue1127]

Ken,

Thanks for the information. Can the user refresh a Crystal report that's distributed by using vb? And if we decide to distribute via the web, do I have everything I need with Crystal 8.0 Professional, or would I need to go to Developer or to 8.5?

Also, could you tell me if Sybase security can be used when distributing by VB or by the web in order to secure particular pages of the report so that each department head could see the information for only his/her department?

Thanks again for your help.

Sue

 

[kenhamady]

I can't tell you much about Sybase security, but I would be surprised if VB didn't allow it. The user would still have to login to the database to get the data (unless the data was saved with the report).

The user will get fresh data when they run it and will have a refresh option unless you disable it in the program.

I believe that with v8 you will need Developer to do web distribution. Ken Hamady, On-site/Phone Crystal Reports Training/Consulting
Quick Reference Guide to using Crystal in VB

http://www.kenhamady.com/

 

[sue1127]

Ken,

Thanks again for the information. For some reason there seems to be a good deal of confusion surrounding report distribution. I'm not sure if that's because not as many people write about Crystal as about, say Access, or because Seagate is being purposefully vague. But I appreciate your taking the time to clarify some of these issues.

Sue

 

[datatostore]

I am new for CR with VB.
If I create Crystal report and it working with VB is find, and Then, do I need to distrabut this report file to each Client? or can I compile this report file as a one packge with my VB code so, every one can run it?

Thank you

 

[kenhamady]

There are two different meanings for the word 'compile' in Crystal. You can compile it into a VB app if you use the RDC to create the report and create a DSR file.

What we are discussing in this thread is the original 'compile' feature which simply made a small exe to launch the report in the runtime version of CR. Ken Hamady, On-site/Phone Crystal Reports Training/Consulting
Quick Reference Guide to using Crystal in VB

http://www.kenhamady.com/

 

[Guest_imported]

Hi,

We have developed a web application. In which we have extensively used Crystal Report to generate the web reports. Our clients can not add/modify the existing
report.Instead they can only view the report

Now i have few queries,

1) Do we need to force them to buy Crystal Report and install it in an Aplication Server?
2) Is there any alternative method for this?

Thanking you in advance

regards,
Sudesh Shetty

mailto:sudesh@yashaa.com

 

[kenhamady]

Sudesh,

Please start a new thread for this.

Ken 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

 

[bhavsarsunil]

Hi,
Could i be able to select fields for display in crystal reports using VB during runtime? Iam using Sql as backend.
Can anybody help me out please.
Regards,
Sunil

 

[kenhamady]

Sunil,

Please start a new thread for this question. 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