Crystal and PFW

[Southerndiva]

Can anyone say definitely, whether you can add a field to a PFW database to create a report in Crystal. PFW support says no, but some consultants have told me yes. I am acdcessing PFW data via ddf files.

thanks in advance.

 

[kruelkop]

You are not very clear. If you mean "Can I create a report in Crystal Reports using PFW data" yes, you can. You might as well take advantage of ODBC.

 

[Southerndiva]

Sorry for the ambiguity. What I really meant was can you modify the structure of the PFW database to add an additional field. It seems obvious that the answer is no, but some consultants have said yes.

if you can do this through ODBC please explain. Thanks.

 

[Flloyd]

You can modify a PFW table to add a new column, but you are dissuaded from doing so since this will cause problems during upgrades and the support people will not touch your issue if you have a modified base table.

Having said that, you can add a column and as long as you use a ddf tool to update the .ddf for the table you will be able to see that column in any ODBC compliant consumer like Crystal or Access. Lloyd Freiday

 

[Southerndiva]

Thank you so very much. Now I am really pushing it. Can you advise as to the ddf tool. It will prove very useful.

 

[Flloyd]

The Table Designer component of the Pervasive Control Center allows you to alter table design and apply it to DDF files. Lloyd Freiday

 

[grnelson]

Just an additional comment. I work with PFW and have added additional indexes for my own purposes. What Lloyd stated is true in that when you upgrade or if your file becomes corrupt or if you decide to optimize it you will lose your indexes. If you use "empty space" in the existing file, perhaps a spare field and rename it to your own purposes this will work but then if a future release uses that field you will be hosed. The same is true if you upgrade and you have changed the actual file to be larger than the previous one. All your data will be lost.

What I would more recommend is that you create your own file and link it to the existing file by the index. Then you can store whatever data you want and PFW will never touch it and it wont matter what they do in the future your file will remain intact.

I've worked with PFW since 1991 and have built several programs around it and I avoid changing PFW's actual data files.
Gil

 

[Southerndiva]

Thanks guys.