Compiling Crystal Report for distribution 1

[oarshad]

How to compile Crystal Report 9 files in such a way that users can only use them to print data through the required program but can't open and edit in those reports.

 

[dgillz]

This is no longer available. Crystal reports dropped this feature starting with crystal v9.

Your alternative is to buy a report viewer, check out

http://www.kenhamady.com/tools.html

to see a comprehensive list of these tools.

Software Sales, Training, Implementation and Support for Exact Macola, eSynergy, and Crystal Reports

http://www.trianglepartners.com

 

[pwesson]

What is your main application developed in?

There is a tool called SecureRPT which I developed for a client that comes with two apps, one is a tool you use to secure your .rpt files (i.e. encrypt them) and the other is a .dll you distribute with your app that you call to "decrypt" the report before it loads in the preview pane or prints to a printer.

Here is the link:

http://www.feom.com/securerpt/main.htm

Paul Wesson, Programmer/Analyst

http://www.ipaw.net

 

[chelseatech]

There are several third party report viewers listed on Ken's site including my cView report viewer.

They all enable to user to run reports against live data, answer parameter prompts, etc. And the user cannot change the report design.

Editor and Publisher of Crystal Clear

http://www.chelseatech.co.nz/pubs.htm

 

[BillGeake]

Don't know if this works in 9, but in 8.5 you can still use the v 7 report compiler (downloadable from the website, free). It's a bit of a pain as it has lots of required DLLs you need to distribute, but does the job.

Bill.

 

[IdoMillet]

If you need to protect reports so that users can never change or see how the report was designed, DataLink Viewer now provides this option.

A button in DataLink Viewer allows you to select an rpt file for conversion into a zipped and encrypted (secret internal password) rpz file.

Neither the developer not the user can convert an rpz
file back into an rpt file.

Developers who wish to protect and hide their reports designs (either as an intellectual property issue or as a tech support issue) simply keep the rpt files and distribute only the rpz files to their users.

The rpz files can be used in DataLink Viewer just like rpt files, except that (in order to protect the report design) exporting to "rpt" format or to "report definition" format is blocked by DataLink Viewer for rpz files.

Cheers,
- Ido

CUT, Visual CUT, and DataLink Viewer:
view, e-mail, export, burst, distribute, and schedule Crystal Reports.

http://www.MilletSoftware.com

 

[chelseatech]

BillGeake - CR9 no longer supports compiled reports. The CR belief is that everyone wants web delivered reports.

The reality is that some people just want a simple way to view a report NOW. If you don't do your word processing or spreadsheet in a browser why would you view drill down reports that way?



Editor and Publisher of Crystal Clear

http://www.chelseatech.co.nz/pubs.htm

 

[Madawc]

oarshad, if you just want to give the output to the rest of the business, you can export as Word or Excel or Acrobat PDF

Madawc Williams
East Anglia, Great Britain