Crystal Reports

[barbola]

I am playing around with Crystal Reports and not finding it to be nearly as easy as Access. Anyways, I want to create a report that anyone can go and run for their dept and select dates. I set up the report and the parameters, but I can't get the report to automatically ask for the parameters when it's opened.

I also would like the users to be able to open the report from another application, maybe VB but I haven't decided yet.

I read something about using Stored Procs, but tried to create one in the Great Plains database (test company) and it gave me a permissions error - I think.

Does anyone know the best way or another way to do what I'm trying to do?



Thanks!
Barb E.

 

[dgillz]

The report should automatically ask for the parameters when it is executed, not when it is opened. Did yuou just create the parameter field, or did you actually use it someone on the report.

If all you did was create the parameter field, and you did not either a) place it on your report or b) reference it in some formula somewhere, crystal will NEVER ask you for the value of the parameter, even if you refresh the report.

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

http://www.trianglepartners.com

 

[GreatPains]

1 other thing to check in crystal is that you uncheck "Save Data With Report" on the file menu.

If this is Checked then the report will not ask for parameters, and will always return the same data.

As far as Stored Procs go, it's probabily not worth it, Views are quite good if you don't want the SQL in the crystal report. If you have a permissions error, make sure that the view / Stored Proc has At least Select Permission granted to DYNGRP in the database in which it resides. Do this in enterprise manager, open the Veiw / Stored Proc and Select Permissions.

Regards,

GP

 

[jazgeek]

you must set your parameter as a restriction for it to prompt you for parameter values.



-----------
and they wonder why they call it Great Pains!

jaz

 

[barbola]

The fields have been placed on my report. If I have Save Data unchecked, then only the design view opens. The user would have to know to click the refresh button...yuck!

What do you mean "execute" the report vs "open" the report? How do I do this?

What do you mean by set the parameter as a restriction?



Thanks!
Barb E.

 

[jymm]

I have no users that actually have the Crystal license on their machine BUT have all of them accessing Crystal reports through our Intranet (controllling the access is a bit of a trick and depends on if you think that there is a hyphen in anal-retentive). Reason being that especially with the GP data you not only have to know where the data is (or are depending on your perspecitve again) you have to know what it means and how it all links togeather (like in SOP, linking the main part of the document with the line item parts is not easy for most users to understand).

If you are interested in doing this and are not big into developping asp pages with what Crystal supplies (or similar) try a product called ReCrystallize. Essentially a person develops the crystal report (against GP data, Access data, Excel, any other SQL data...) and puts it into a directory on a machine running IIS. You then run ReCrys. If it is a parameter report, ReCrys sets up the selection criteria (check box, list box...) and then passes it to Crystal. The correct viewer is then pushed down to the user (first time only) and voila. They can access the report and do not need Crystal on their machine.

http://www.recrystallize.com/

I also have a number of GP/Crystal reports that I run on a 'scheduled' basis and break it by department or similar(salesperson...) and automatically have the process distribute the reports via PDF (so the outside users can not change it). This guy wrote something where you actually can get Crystal break the output up by whatever your 'group' is (hence I am able to email each department their expenses for the past week out of the GL).

http://www.MilletSoftware.com

has Visual Cut --- saves me & my users a BOAT LOAD of time on a daily basis.

Questions about Crystal might be better asked in:

http://www.tek-tips.com/threadminder.cfm?spid=149

or

http://www.tek-tips.com/threadminder.cfm?spid=768

 

[barbola]

OK. Thanks for all the info. I didn't think it sounded as easy as everyone makes it out to be. Yes, we only want one or two people actually writing reports.

It is the outside application I am missing that will run the reports outside of Crystal. I'm taking some courses in other stuff kind of related, so maybe some day I will figure it out.

Back to Access for me! I wish there was a way to avoid linking directly to SQL tables though. I've tried views and pass-through queries, but they are extrememly slow (ie 45 minutes for a report as compared to 3 minutes).

Thanks!
Barb E.

 

[jazgeek]

crystal and recrystallize pro is the way to go...



-----------
and they wonder why they call it Great Pains!

jaz

 

[jymm]

Hey Barb -- go to your local Barnes & Noble and look at the SQL 2k books. There are a BUNCH out there. About 6 years ago I was an Access bigot. Then I bought a SQL 7 book '10 projects you can do with Microsoft Sql 7'. Lay out is pretty similar. Took me a while to say that I had to go to Crystal for the reports and ASP/.net for the forms, but in the long run a very smooth transition and I can not see going back.

good luck with the classes --- if we can help --- let us know.

 

[barbola]

Thanks. Yes all our data is on SQL 2K and I've played around with some VB forms so it's just a matter of finding out how to get the reports out of it.

Thanks for everyone's help.

Thanks!
Barb E.

 

[gsalz]

barbola -
we have developed a solution called aXicom that bridges the gap between Crystal and Great Plains.

http://www.axiombss.com

The tool includes a set of "canned" Crystal forms and reports that can be quickly set-up to work with any Great Plains environment.

Both Great Plains and Crystal are execellent business solutions, getting them to play nicely together can sometimes be difficult. Good luck.

 

[klewis10367]

gsalz, Is there a demo for The World On Line?