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New free viewer from Crystal for XI 1
- Thread starter synapsevampire
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My understanding is that it only views reports that are saved "WITH DATA".
If that is the case it is not very useful.
Software Sales, Training, Implementation and Support for Macola, eSynergy, and Crystal Reports
"If you have a big enough dictionary, just about everything is a word"
--Dave Barry
If that is the case it is not very useful.
Software Sales, Training, Implementation and Support for Macola, eSynergy, and Crystal Reports
"If you have a big enough dictionary, just about everything is a word"
--Dave Barry
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1
- Thread starter
- #3
synapsevampire
Programmer
Well as opposed to not having one, it's quite useful, but you are correct, you must save data, and is less useful.
However there are a large number of users that want to be able to drill down, export, etc., reports that have already been generated, and this fits that bill nicely, and at the right price with the right support team.
In smaller environments the users are able to run reports without impacting systems, however in larger scale environments we cannot allow users to run reports whenever they'd like, it's too resource intensive at the volume of users involved.
Hence a generated report with data from CE or some tool is now much more useful than an exported Excel/PDF/etc.
And as you know, the web based viewers are a bit kludgy and buggy.
-k
However there are a large number of users that want to be able to drill down, export, etc., reports that have already been generated, and this fits that bill nicely, and at the right price with the right support team.
In smaller environments the users are able to run reports without impacting systems, however in larger scale environments we cannot allow users to run reports whenever they'd like, it's too resource intensive at the volume of users involved.
Hence a generated report with data from CE or some tool is now much more useful than an exported Excel/PDF/etc.
And as you know, the web based viewers are a bit kludgy and buggy.
-k
On the web based viewers, you got that right SV.
I still prefer Ido's product Datalink Viewer.
Software Sales, Training, Implementation and Support for Macola, eSynergy, and Crystal Reports
"If you have a big enough dictionary, just about everything is a word"
--Dave Barry
I still prefer Ido's product Datalink Viewer.
Software Sales, Training, Implementation and Support for Macola, eSynergy, and Crystal Reports
"If you have a big enough dictionary, just about everything is a word"
--Dave Barry
- Thread starter
- #5
synapsevampire
Programmer
I agree, Ido's product is great, and I would prefer to have many commercial products or Crystal Reports itself over this viewer in some respects.
But they aren't free.
It's a well designed and written viewer, as good as any I've seen. I was pleasantly surprised.
It also allows you to connect to CE/BOE servers and view reports, or connect to crystalreports.com for web shared reports.
Something other viewers don't offer.
Not very useful?
That's relative to your audience.
-k
But they aren't free.
It's a well designed and written viewer, as good as any I've seen. I was pleasantly surprised.
It also allows you to connect to CE/BOE servers and view reports, or connect to crystalreports.com for web shared reports.
Something other viewers don't offer.
Not very useful?
That's relative to your audience.
-k
I did not realize that on the web shared reports, or on the CE/BOE servers. Does it do the same with Crystal Reports Server? CR Server is just Crystal Enterprise Lite anyway.
Software Sales, Training, Implementation and Support for Macola, eSynergy, and Crystal Reports
"If you have a big enough dictionary, just about everything is a word"
--Dave Barry
Software Sales, Training, Implementation and Support for Macola, eSynergy, and Crystal Reports
"If you have a big enough dictionary, just about everything is a word"
--Dave Barry
- Thread starter
- #7
synapsevampire
Programmer
I haven't tried it, but it should work with CRS the same way. Please let us know if you test the CRS viewing.
They also give you a trial account on crystareports.com as a bonus. It can be useful and cost effective for disparate entities wishing to share reporting.
-k
They also give you a trial account on crystareports.com as a bonus. It can be useful and cost effective for disparate entities wishing to share reporting.
-k
What's the position with licences? Can it be run on PCs without Crystal installed?
Where I work, not everyone has Crystal, which is a limit. We also have Crystal 10, so it won't matter till we upgrade, but I'd like to know.
![[yinyang]](/data/assets/smilies/yinyang.gif "[yinyang] [yinyang]")
Madawc Williams (East Anglia, UK). Using Windows XP & Crystal 10
Where I work, not everyone has Crystal, which is a limit. We also have Crystal 10, so it won't matter till we upgrade, but I'd like to know.
Madawc Williams (East Anglia, UK). Using Windows XP & Crystal 10 - Thread starter
- #9
synapsevampire
Programmer
Right, no licenses required, it's just a Windows app.
You shouldn't need to upgrade, viewers are generally backward compatible.
-k
You shouldn't need to upgrade, viewers are generally backward compatible.
-k
I read in one of Ken Hamady's newsletters that possibly in the future BO may give the ability to refresh from this viewer, but of course that is just a possibility at this point.
~Brian
~Brian
![[profile]](/data/assets/smilies/profile.gif "[profile] [profile]")
- Thread starter
- #12
synapsevampire
Programmer
It should view historical instances, which includes the latest.
Since it does not refresh data, it should not do a view on demand, but I haven't tested it yet.
Perhaps later today, I have a long session with a client starting right about now...
-k
Since it does not refresh data, it should not do a view on demand, but I haven't tested it yet.
Perhaps later today, I have a long session with a client starting right about now...
-k
rookieman123
MIS
I tried this product out today. Uploading a report was straightforward; however, I messed with it for a long time and could not figure out how to update a report by "re-uploading" it. (i.e. I refreshed report data in Crystal Reports, saved the changes, and wanted to upload the changes to the crystalreports.com ap.)
Has someone worked with this enough to know what I'm talking about? (I don't believe it should matter, but the reports I uploaded came from version 8.5.)
Has someone worked with this enough to know what I'm talking about? (I don't believe it should matter, but the reports I uploaded came from version 8.5.)
rookieman123
MIS
Oops! My question above refers to crystalreports.com in general - not the new Viewer product that started this thread. My fault. That's why I'm called rookieman. Maybe someone will know what I'm talking about anyway?
- Thread starter
- #15
synapsevampire
Programmer
Brian: I read Ken's article, and I didn't see any refrerence to it having refresh in the future, rather conjecture that they would not do so for fear of losing revenue. He used the words "They apparently don't want to sell a viewer that allows refresh".
Did you mean a different article?
Allowing for refresh would mean allowing for database connectivity which the Standard version of CR doesn't even have, so it seems unlikely they would do so for that reason alone.
-k
Did you mean a different article?
Allowing for refresh would mean allowing for database connectivity which the Standard version of CR doesn't even have, so it seems unlikely they would do so for that reason alone.
-k
sv-
First off, I read in another post a while back that you were sick and in the hospital. I hope that you are doing better and have recovered.
Second, I didn't mean a different article. Right in the paragraph in the newsletter is this:
"The response from the BO forum moderator hints that BO is (finally) considering releasing a viewer that can refresh reports."
I just meant to add to this discussion that this might be a possibility in the future. Sorry for any confusion.
Just to clarify, the Standard version of CR does allow database connectivity, just limited to PC based databases. If it didn't allow any, what would be the point?
~Brian
First off, I read in another post a while back that you were sick and in the hospital. I hope that you are doing better and have recovered.
Second, I didn't mean a different article. Right in the paragraph in the newsletter is this:
"The response from the BO forum moderator hints that BO is (finally) considering releasing a viewer that can refresh reports."
I just meant to add to this discussion that this might be a possibility in the future. Sorry for any confusion.
Just to clarify, the Standard version of CR does allow database connectivity, just limited to PC based databases. If it didn't allow any, what would be the point?
~Brian
KevinSeguin
IS-IT--Management
I found Easy View by Easy Street Software pretty nice, and cheap!
A great scheduler is included.
Good Times!
A great scheduler is included.
Good Times!
The viewer discussed here, which was a BETA, was officially released today. As has been mentioned - this product will NOT refresh reports but will only work if the report has saved data. This is a pretty severe handicap - especially seeing that there are both free and inexpensive viewers out there that will do everything the BO viewer does. See the list on the LINKS page of my site. None of these requires a Crystal license to run the viewer and ALL include the ability to refresh a report.
Ken Hamady, On-site Custom Crystal Reports Training & Consulting
Public classes and individual training.
Guides to Formulas, Parameters, Subreports, Cross-tabs, VB, Tips and Tricks
Ken Hamady, On-site Custom Crystal Reports Training & Consulting
Public classes and individual training.
Guides to Formulas, Parameters, Subreports, Cross-tabs, VB, Tips and Tricks
- Thread starter
- #19
synapsevampire
Programmer
Hi Brian, and thanks for the wishes.
I have recovered well enough, thanks.
As for not having connectivity, I should have clarified it a bit more.
What I stated was that "Allowing for refresh would mean allowing for database connectivity which the Standard version of CR doesn't even have", in that the standard version does not allow for ALL of the connectivity provided in the big kid versions, so the viewer would be more useful than the standard version in many ways if it allowed for refresh of all databases.
I missed the bit on hinting about the refresh coming to the viewer, thanks for pointing it out.
I think it's huge if they do release such a viewer, and I appreciated you sharing it.
-k
I have recovered well enough, thanks.
As for not having connectivity, I should have clarified it a bit more.
What I stated was that "Allowing for refresh would mean allowing for database connectivity which the Standard version of CR doesn't even have", in that the standard version does not allow for ALL of the connectivity provided in the big kid versions, so the viewer would be more useful than the standard version in many ways if it allowed for refresh of all databases.
I missed the bit on hinting about the refresh coming to the viewer, thanks for pointing it out.
I think it's huge if they do release such a viewer, and I appreciated you sharing it.
-k
- Thread starter
- #20
synapsevampire
Programmer
Ken: Yeah, I unjderstand what you're saying.
It's certainly not ideal for many environments, but it does supply a free viewer for many organizations that are producing canned reports and want to allow for Crystal's advanced functionality; drill down, hyperlinks, on demand subreports, etc.
In many of my installs I am cutting reports in the wee hours from a seperate database and BOE/CE/CR Server to allow for the volumes, and then users are picking them up as HTML, Excel, etc., from a portal.
Would be interesting to make the viewer part of their standard install, and then just point them at the reports produced with data in CR format and functionality.
Plus BO will address bugs, new features, etc., which one would hope proves a positive thing.
Not good for some applications and environemtns, but I'll take CR with a freebie viewer over a PDF.
Good to see you posting again.
As always, a concise perspective.
-k
It's certainly not ideal for many environments, but it does supply a free viewer for many organizations that are producing canned reports and want to allow for Crystal's advanced functionality; drill down, hyperlinks, on demand subreports, etc.
In many of my installs I am cutting reports in the wee hours from a seperate database and BOE/CE/CR Server to allow for the volumes, and then users are picking them up as HTML, Excel, etc., from a portal.
Would be interesting to make the viewer part of their standard install, and then just point them at the reports produced with data in CR format and functionality.
Plus BO will address bugs, new features, etc., which one would hope proves a positive thing.
Not good for some applications and environemtns, but I'll take CR with a freebie viewer over a PDF.
Good to see you posting again.
As always, a concise perspective.
-k
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