Excel Text becomes Crystal Memo through ODBC 1

[SDelaney]

I'm trying to generate some reports using Crystal v7 and ODBC to get data from an Excel worksheet. All the text fields come across as Memo in Crystal and can't be used for selection or in Cross-Tabs reports. I've updated the MS Excel driver, but no luck in getting these fields.

Can anyone help me?

 

[dgillz]

How big is the text field? Anything larger than 255 character will be read as a memo field by crystal. Software Training and Support for Macola, Crystal Reports and Goldmine
714-348-0964
dgilsdorf@mchsi.com

 

[SDelaney]

The fields are all quite short - things like Proj #s and People's names.

 

[AndrewBaines]

In Crystal 8 & 8.5, you have native access to Excel via the wizard thing. The wizard's hopeless but it gives you a start with easy access to the data.
The big advantage is that it automatically increases the number of rows returned as the spreadsheet gets longer. With the ODBC you have to use the named range which always ends up too short or slow because its returning too many rows.
Think about the upgrade. Andrew Baines
Chase International

 

[ibearian]

the way i get round this is to have a hidden row at the top of the defined field. I put in each colum a number, date or text depending what i want crystal to classify this feild

ie

hidden row 0 1 1 1-1-01 abc
First row 1 25.20 15.20 15-7-02 abccc
second row 1 17.21 12.10 15-7-02 defff

no matter what data is in you first real row it knows that they are number, number,date, text. Then to bin the hidden row from your results go into the selection expert (or what ever its called) select 'column 1' = 1, this the eliminates the hidden row from your results

its a cheaty way out but it works

 

[SDelaney]

Thank you Iberian! Although this is a trick, it certainly looks like it will work!

Steve

 

[synapsevampire]

Ibearian is right, however *cheaty* it seems.

I suggest the same, add to that making these values always sort to the top by creating a lowest value possible in some column you'll sort by prior to using it in the report (sorting it in Excel).

Then just add to your record selection criteria to always eliminate that row (add 'Nukeme' to a text field or some such).

-k

http://www.informeddatadecisions.com

kai@informeddatadecisions.com

 

[ibearian]

well i'am glad it worked !