Data Acces in Crystal 8.5

[sabloomer]

I am trying to modify an existing report that prints from our mfg system. The way the system works is that when you request a report it populates a report database to supply the data. The fields I am being asked to add are not normally in the reporting database. I have used the "add database" function to make an ODBC connection to the like MFG system. Next, I linked the new table in the "Visual Linking Expert". Now the problem...

Any fields I use from the new connection are always blank. It doesn't matter where, headers, footers, details, in the report I put the fields, same results. I can right-click and "browse data" and see the data that should be in the field. When I re-create the query in Access I return data for those fields.

When I did link the new table I received an error saying the fields were different sizes and may not link correctly. One field in 15 characters, the other is 90 characters. Neither table holds data in this field over 15 characters.

Can anyone point me in the right direction? Is there a way to “run” that query inside Crystal to verify the data is where I think it is?

Thanks,

sabloomer

 

[synapsevampire]

Why do you have different sizes for the same data? Seems the first thing to address.

You can also expose a View on the database for use in Crystal, wherein you do all of this preprocessing, such as changing the size of the offending field.

There are many approaches, buy I would suggest doing as little as possible in Crystal, use it for what it does best, which is a presentation layer.

-k

 

[sabloomer]

synapsevampire,

Thank you for the quick responce! My database is in on a file based sytem, the view idea is more pain then it is worth. The reason the field size is different is that fields in the Report Database mean different things on different reports, so the fields are all formatted as text with 90 characters. (The same field may mean different things in the same report!) It isn't the world's best solution, but I need to stay inside Crysal to fix this issue. Any ideas where to start?

Thanks,

sabloomer

 

[synapsevampire]

I'd cheat it by using MS Access.

Link to the *fle based* database, and pull in the fields you need.

Use an MS Access query to get the data you need, then expose a final query as the datasource for the Crystal Report.

Within Crystal 8.5 you don't have a lot of wiggle room.

-k

 

[sabloomer]

I am so close! I made a simple report with the same data and I got it to work, but when I modify the exisitng report the same way the data is blank. I made a copy of the report and ran throught the "Report Expert" again.

Here is something...

When I removed all of the groups I can get the data to show up in the field. Can anyone tell me what can be going on from a "Group" standpoint that would cause this field to be blank?


sabloomer