export to text / string length problem

[towntopic]

i have a customer who would like to pull data from our databases to create a CSV for import purposes. i've created an output forumla that pulls all the data they need and have inserted a "," between each field to create the CSV. we have a program that will run the report on a scheduled basis and export the report to a text file. the report is setup in landscape but we are facing one huge problem.

if the data happens to exceed the length of the output string, the text is cut off and they do not get a good line to import. i've set the can grow option but this just wraps the text which they cannot deal with when importing. is there anyway that we could make the output string limitless in its length. for instance if you use Notepad, you can create a text line that goes on forever. i'm just wondering if we can do that here as well.

thanks for any suggestions.

 

[lupins46]

I'm lost here...
Crystal reports can export in csv format so why are you creating formulas at all? All you need is a straight columnar listing of the fields. You don't even need to be able to see the data fully as long as the columns are in the right order.

 

[towntopic]

agreed....

the problem is that the custom application we developed to automatically schedule and run crystal reports doesn't currently have the option to export to a csv. i've made this suggestion to our development team but they have been less than responsive so far which is why i've had to create the output string in the first place. the custom app is designed to run crystal reports and e-mail them automatically with no user intervention except for scheduling the job.

i apologize...i should have further clarified my situation.

 

[lupins46]

Obviousy it might be me, but I'm still not there I'm afraid..

You want to create a csv file - is that right?

You cannot use CR to do this - is that right?

So I don't understand where CR features in this requirement.

 

[towntopic]

You want to create a csv file - is that right?
Yes

You cannot use CR to do this - is that right?
sort of...

We have developed a program that will run crystal reports on a scheduled basis. When setting up the which crystal report you want to run, you have available export formats to choose from, i.e. .pdf, text, excel, rtf. One of those options is not CSV. I have asked our development team to add the CSV option but they have not been responsive.

The customer is not running the report within Crystal...the program is running the report.

 

[lupins46]

So the data gets into the report...
and then what?
Is the customer going to copy and paste it somewhere else?