(Fairly) Urgent: Problem integrating Crystal reports using C++

[JoelMcNary]

I am a consultant writing reports using Crystal Reports 9.2.0.448. We are using the SQL Designer to produce database-independant Crystal Query files (they are being written against a database here in Pennsylvania, but they will be delivered to the client in Kentucky).

The client in Kentucky only has Crystal Reports version 8.X; they refuse to upgrade. Therefore, we wrote a runtime, windowless ActiveX component that can be viewed in a Web Browser. However, when we test this on a machine that does not have Crystal 9 installed, we get no results (it works on the machine that does have Crystal 9 installed).

Debugging through Visual Studio 6.0 shows that we are getting an error message "Failed to load database information" on the call to PEStartPrintJob. No further information seems to be available. I've compied all the Crystal Decisions/2.0/bin .dlls to the client machine, but to no avail; we still get this problem.

The client is starting to get unhappy with us, so any help would be appreciated (and soon). Thanks in advance.

Joel McNary

 

[synapsevampire]

Perhaps a DLL isn't properly registered.

Anyway, here's the CD whitepaper on using C++ with the CR Print Engine, you can also use the RDC, which is more widely used):

http://support.crystaldecisions.com/communityCS/TechnicalPapers/apps_cpp_api.pdf

-k

 

[JoelMcNary]

Thanks, but that doesn't tell me very much. I guess what I'm trying to do is find the runtime requirements for Crystal 9.0. They seem to have changed drastically from previous versions; used to be crpe32.dll, p2sodbc.dll, and a few others; now, everything is different....

BTW, what is RDC? I've worked with integrating Crystal (Versions 6.0 and up) at three different companies over the past five years, and they all have used the C API for Crystal.

 

[synapsevampire]

There are 3 methods, 2 of which are still supported:

OCX: Dead in CR 9
RDC (Report Designer Component): Preferred method for most developers:

http://support.crystaldecisions.com/communityCS/TechnicalPapers/apps_rdc.pdf

And your current method, the CR Print Engine API.

The runtime requirements are in the developer help for CR 8.5, the default was:

C:\Program Files\Seagate Software\Crystal Reports\Developer Files\Help

Hope this helps.

-k

 

[SurfingGecko]

Runtime requirements can be found in the runtime.chm file on your system.

I should also mention that using Query files (or Dictionaries for that matter) were never designed to be used in a deployed environment.

No surprise it works on the CR machine, since this is where the report was designed.

One of the real pains is having the .qry in the same path as in development and the data driver available.

Here is a KBase for you (yes it is v7, but it still applies)

http://support.crystaldecisions.com/library/kbase/articles/c2005632.asp

Not to be a basher, but as a consultant, why would you not want to write reports in the format your client needs? That report could always be brought into v9 down the road.

Might make your life a bit easier and you won't have to support/maintain this C++ app





Cheers,

SurfingGecko

http://www.surfinggeckosoftware.com

Home of Crystal Ease

 

[JoelMcNary]

Heh--

Thanks. I'll take a look at this information and see if I can get it to work.

One question, then:
Since Queries are not designed to be used (well, ever, it seems), how can we change the database at runtime in Crystal 9? The queries generated are like "Select Blah from dbname.username.TableName," and we cannot edit out the dbname.username from the query.

Ultimately, the reports will be driven off of XML files; while the whitepaper indicated that it was not possible to change the connection driver after setting it as a Crystal Query, I have successfully changed the driver from the Crystal Query to the XML Driver (If I don't know that it can't be done, I can do it )

As far as why we are using Crystal 9? Well, I
am a consultant who is consulting a consulting firm who is working with the client. (Confused yet ?) I was brought on board after the firm already decided to use Crystal 9.0 (but had nobody who knew Crystal). They do not have any propr versions available, and appearantly did not consult with the client on which version to use. (As an aside, can you still get Crystal 8? I've not looked to see if it is still available). The consulting firm is looking to move ahead with Crystal 9, so they are deciding to stick with it anyway...

 

[JoelMcNary]

FYI, the client in Kentucky will not be using the XML solution; they have a prior version of the software provided by the consulting firm....