Report Distribution

[lunchbox88]

Crystal Reports 8.5 and 9

I need a way for users to view reports that I create without giving them a full version of Crystal. What is the best way to go about this, and what products will I need? The preferred method is via a web page. There's an activeX viewer correct?

 

[synapsevampire]

With CR 8.5 came a product called Crystal Enterprise Standard, that should work for you for reports based on CR 8/8.5.

Crystal Enterprise is the viewing, scheduling and distrbution portal for Crystal Reports, but it's fairly expensive for a big kid version.

CR 9 saved reports are not compatible with CR 8.5, so if you're using both versions, you'll need CE 9 or above.

There are also 3rd party products, and with CR 8.5 you can distribute .exes.

3rd party:

http://www.kenhamady.com/bookmarks.html

You can also write code to do this depending upon the edition of Crystal that you have.

Also check out:

http://support.businessobjects.com

-k

-k

 

[lunchbox88]

So with CE, I would be able to point users to a web page, and they'd be able to view the reports within the browser window, and still have all the functionality (like drill-downs, etc)?

 

[synapsevampire]

Yes.

Look for the accompanying CE Standard CD that came with CR 8.5 (won't work for CR 9 reports). It allows for viewing, but not the scheduling. You'll need the big kid version for those functions.

Some people try writing their own website, but you'll spend a lot more in labor rolling your own to get the same functionality unless you're well below th minimum wage level

It also offers historical report instancing, so that you can keep old versions of the report, and it has security (Enterprise, NT Authentication, LDAP).

-k

 

[chelseatech]

If you are happy viewing reports inside a report viewer there are several 3rd party products available including my own cView report viewer.

Ken Hamady has a complete list on his web site.

Editor and Publisher of Crystal Clear

http://www.chelseatech.co.nz/pubs.htm