Prompting for username/password before creating dynamic parameter

[DefinitiveAnn]

I've been going round with CR support for a couple of days about this.

Be gentle; I'm a newbie

CRXI Developer edition, Server/Repository not installed (yet). ODBC DSN to MS SQL Server 2000 database. We use SQL Server login permissions vs. Windows authentication.

When I use a dynamic parameter, every single time I run the report, I am prompted to log in to the database before the parameters are displayed for me to use. I understand that the parameter is querying the table before populating, but I don't have to log in to run the report - I'm already logged in! If I remove the dynamic parameter, my connection information seems to be entirely adequate to run the report. It's like the connection information isn't persisting to the parameter level.

I tried creating the list with a command and populating the parameter from the command results, but I am still prompted to log in (even though the items should be coming from a command internal to the report, if I understand the command feature correctly).

Any ideas? The most recent information I have from Crystal is to try creating a DSN with Admin rights and see if that fixes the problem. Even if it does, that's not an acceptable solution. User <> Administrator.

 

[synapsevampire]

If you place it in the Crystal Reports Server it won't do this once you've updated the parameter.

From within Crystal it does, which I agree is bloody annoying.

I don't reference the parameter when developing/testing for precisely this reason.

Crystal has always had an extremely difficult time in grasping parameter concepts, at least we have dynamic picklists now, it only took them 5-10 years longer than the competition to realize that they ar extremely useful to the world.

-k

-k

 

[DefinitiveAnn]

Grrr. I'm not up to speed on Crystal Server - if I distribute the report to customers (who will be running off of their own databases, not mine, and who will certainly not have Crystal Server) will they get the prompt anyway?

Soooooo lame.

Apparently the solution is to use the Millet viewer method for creating dynamic prompts. Good thing I was planning on using the viewer anyway - and I will minimize my dynamic prompts as I develop future reports.

Thank you so much for confirming what I feared.

 

[synapsevampire]

Apparently you can do this:

http://support.businessobjects.com/library/kbase/articles/c2018547.asp

-k

 

[DefinitiveAnn]

Thank you. I read that, but it didn't register as something I could do with just "crystal reports" - that I would need "business objects" Told you I'm a newbie.

Now to get that server and repository installed...

 

[synapsevampire]

Ahhh, right, you need BOE XI, sorry.

Yeah, there's a long list of parameter complaints throughout history using Crystal, and they promptly ignore them or as in your case, try to guess at solutions.

They need to hire real world developers.

-k

 

[Turkbear]

Hi,
As synapsevampire states, parameter and prompting are weaknesses in Crystal that, in our CE10 environment, led us to never use Crystal's parameter prompts but to use custom asp pages to provide choices to the user..

I am hoping, somewhat wistfully, that XI will make that less needed..But so far I'm not overly impressed that it will do it better than we can in code..





To Paraphrase:"The Help you get is proportional to the Help you give.."

 

[akaVivian]

We're having the same problem. My lead developer has been waitingn for a response from Business Objects for over a week now.

We're running Crystal Reports XI standalone (no server components), and while we've been able to code for the standard database login in reports with static parameters, we're getting an extra login prompt for any report with dynamic parameters. (It appears that I have to log in to fill the parameters and then log in again to actually retrieve the report data.)

Installing Crystal Enterprise is not an option in our environment, so the information in the support article mentioned earlier doesn't help us.

Based on our experience with this and other issues I've encoutnered, it appears that dynamic prompts weren't tested very heavily in standalone environments like ours.

Anybody have any ideas for things we could try?

Please use simple language; I've got lots of report writing experience, but I'm not a developer.

Thanks

 

[DefinitiveAnn]

After lo these many weeks, I got an answer from a delightful and helpful CR support rep. It only took a dozen e-mails back and forth before CR assigned a Rep on this side of the pond, who was able to actually TALK TO ME to resolve the problem.

In any case, I installed the most recent weekly hotfix build and re-created the parameters in my reports, and I am no longer prompted to log in. The build is 11.0.0.1994. I don't know how the cultural norms work here; should I post the links? The weekly files are not extensively QC'd, I am told, but the fix will be available in the next monthly hotfix, which should be out and generally available at the end of the month.

If one of the MVP's/Experts will let me know, I will post the links (or not). They are on the Business Objects ftp server.

 

[2CsDavid]

Sounds like I might have similar problems.
Report created with parameters and then compiled and distributed to another PC.
That PC asks for a logon defining....
ODBC MSAccessDatabase
User name prefilled as admin
Password blank

My techie guys are unfamilier with this (as am I) saying there is no user name or password protecting the data path that the report is trying to access.

Any ideas?