Linking tables in 8.5

[bigfoot]

Sql Server 2000, Crystal Reports 8.5.

Other information and problems with this report can be found in this thread:

http://www.tek-tips.com/viewthread.cfm?qid=1264050&page=2

What's the secret to getting this Visual Linking Expert to work in 8.5?
It doesn't matter how I draw the lines. It seems like Crystal does what it feels like at the moment, or it crashes.
I am linking 6 tables together.
If I want to connect 2 fields from 2 tables, that I can do perfectly well in Sql Server, crystal gives a warning, then either ignores my connection or crashes when it tries to run it.
Are the fields different? Yes, one is a varchar(20) and the other is a char(20).
But Sql Server handles them fine.

I did try creating the query in Sql server then pasting it into the Show Sql Query box and that does work but then I can't get my Selection Record Formulas to update into the query like they should.

I'm at wits end with this program.

 

[synapsevampire]

As I'd stated in the other thread, try using a SQL Expression, for some reason you won't right click SQL Expressions and select new and try a CAST within.

Then reference the SQL Expression to the parameter in the record selection formula and Crystal will build out the query for you.

Again, a SQL Expression is a formula type in Crystal that you would place the SQL with the cast in to allow for this.

I never mentioned editing the sql or anything of the sort.

Relax, open the formula explorere or whatever they call it in CR 8.5 and right click th SQL Expressions and build it out.

If you read back through my attempts to assist you, you might understand my giving up as you refused to focus on the solution offered and instead ran off on various tangents.

If you have difficulty finding a SQL Expression type of formula, hit F1.

-k

 

[IanWaterman]

If you have access to SQL and can build a working select query, why dont you just convert that to a view and report off the view.

You can then use Crystal's select expert as you normally would.

Ian

 

[dgillz]

Turn off auto-smart linking under file, options, database tab.

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[bigfoot]

synapsevampire.
I'm sorry but I didn't run off on a tangent. I had no clue what you were talking about.
When someone opens up a program they have not used before, he/she does not know what questions to ask.

I write tutorials for creating 3D objects and scenes. If someone asked me how to extrude a face in 3ds Max, I would tell him the steps.
If he never worked with Max, then it would be a little harder to explain it to him. If I just said to select the face of the cube and use the gizmo to pull out the face and he had never used a gizmo (that is it's real name LOL), then...
See?

I wasn't trying to ignore you. I was just trying to get my head around this program, and I should have tackled a smaller, less troublesom problem first.

The expression editor is something I had never delt with but with (some) help from the F1, I will see what I can do.
As I already built a formula for the parameters, I can do another. It seems to be a powerful tool, but CR should be able to deal with the differences in field types.
Yes, I know. this is an old version.

dgillz , I will try that and see if it helps as well as creating the formula.
I'm trying everything I can do before changiing this to a view because the person who wrote the report has all kinds of formulas fields, and I don't know what changing the underlining tables will do to them.

The weirdest part of this whole project is that there is another copy of the report that is the same as this one, but it is called by the warehousing program.

The one that I am working on is called by the users, and has parameters.

The other report is also a Bill of Lading report, but it has NO paramaters. None.
But, by reading the scripts that call the program, they are passing a WHERE clause to it.
Not the whole query with the joined tables; just the where.
How, I don't know at this moment, but I will learn soon.

I thought you had to create a parameter in order to send a parameter value to a Crystal report.

Thanks for the help, by the way.