Creating Crystal Queries

[DLawyer]

I have been asked to implement Crystal Query against Macola (7.5 Progression.sql) and Lotus Notes databases. I spoke with tech support at Macola and was told these are created using the SQL Designer in Crystal, but they could offer litte other information. Could you give me a brief description of any pre-requisites that will make this work properly? Drawbacks? We do not use Web Views or web reporting. We briefly tried to create a query, but upon attempting to link to specified DB/tables, we were given the message "cannot create link." So, I feel we may not have access set up properly or our configuration is incorrect. Any assistance anyone could offer would be appreciated.

Thanks!
DLawyer

 

[dgillz]

Do you want a crystal query or a crystal report? Crystal reports will create what most people I have ever met would call a query. If it does not matter to you what tool you use, you just need a particular report generated, use Crystal Reports.

In terms of an error message, please read this again. Crystal does give a warning message regardling linking when mixing data types - as you have done. This message is however just a warning, and I have never had it stop me.

Also on your linking, turn "smart linking" off in Crystal. You can do this by File, Options. Smart linking will automatically make a link if 2 fields are the same name, datatype and length. This is not desireable in most cases.

Finally if you need help give me a call or an email. I work with Macola on a daily basis and have written literally hundreds of reports against this database.


Software Training and Support for Macola, Crystal Reports and Goldmine
251-621-8972
dgilsdorf@mchsi.com

 

[DLawyer]

Thank you for your reply.

I don't use CR myself, but I support the network and Macola (via Macola tech support personnel). Most of our CR reports are created by our controller. She created one for one of the VP's against two Notes dbs. Afterwards, the VP came to me and said the report the controller had written was taking too long to run (ended up taking over 4 hours-when I went to the controller and she took out "grouping", it ran in less than a minute), so he wanted me to check into Crystal Query Server(???) to see if that method would be faster???

I had no clue what that is. I called Macola and they said .qry files were created by using the SQL designer. That is the info I gave to the VP, he said he had attempted to use the sql designer and when he attempted to link the Notes db's, that is when he received the linking error (we have the Notes ODBC connection setup).

So, not sure what/how to do this. Writing CR's is not really the issue, I just did not know what a Cystal Query (server) is or how it was used/setup.

I will pass your name/number onto my controller.

Thanks.