Outer joins for Runtime V5

[dancar]

All:

I'm using Crystal Report 8 to write reoports that will be launched by a SQL 7 front-end that uses Crystal 5 runtime files.

Some of my reports work fine when open from the database client ap on machines with the full version of crystal installed, but when opened by the db client on a machine that doens't have Crystal, I get a message saying that the query contains an outer join request that is not permitted.

I've isolated the problem to a left-outer join to a table that has a join to yet another table. If I make the join equal the report opens from any client, but some of the data we want is excluded because there are no maching records in some of the joined tables.

So what to I do? Can I upgrade the runtime files on the clients? Do I need to make reports in an older version of crystal?

Dan

 

[kenhamady]

This message is probably coming from the ODBC layer or the SQL Client. Are you using the same drivers and software to connect to the database on the client as you are on the development PC? Ken Hamady

http://www.kenhamady.com/

Crystal Reports Training/Consulting and a
Quick Reference Guide to VB/Crystal (including ADO)

 

[dancar]

Ken,

Thanks for reponding.

The development machine has the following:

Windows NT 40. Workstation
ODBC SQL Server driver 3.70.08.20
SQL Server 7 Tools
Crystal Reports Professional 8
Onyx Customer Center 5 (the database client)

I'm using this laptop for testing:
Windows 2000 Professional
ODBC SQL Server Driver 3.70.08.21
SQL 7 Tools
Onyx Customer Center 5

I've attempted to run the report from from Onyx on a few other machines as well, and the deciding factor as to whether the report shows data or produces a "join not permitted" error seems to be whether Crystal Reports is installed.

How does the Crystal installation affect ODBC?

Dan

 

[dcm]

dancar: there is a patch to handle outer reg issues available from the Crystal website at

http://support.crystaldecisions.net

Suggest you download this and see if this helps - otherwise you may have to consider use of a subreport structure to get the desired response David C. Monks
david.monks@chase-international.com

http://www.chase-international.com

Accredited Crystal Decisions Enterprise Partner

 

[MalcolmW]

Keeping your reports as simple as possible probably is, and should be, your primary goal, since there are version differences between your design and runtime environments.
One way to further this goal of simplicity is to base your reports on stored procedures, with or without parameters. That way your ODBC driver is left with the simple task of passing an execute statement, and any joining does not even reach the ODBC layer.
This doesn't answer your question about ODBC, but it might allow you to avoid the whole issue. Malcolm