set location when contents of database changes

[Halfcan]

Hello,

I have excel files set up as ODBC's for my database.
we are using Crystal Enterprize to serve the reports to the web.
When I change the contents of the database, I do not change any of the fields,(columns) I'm just adding or subtracting rows of information that match the existing fields.

This is Weird:
After this change, I cannot view the reports through enterprize. Error from Crystal Report Viewer:
"Error in File dynamic48.rpt

Error in formula dynamic48.rpt [On Page Server: INOC-NT.pageserver]"
So I close the browser.

Now I go into CR, and run the report, without setting location, or verifing database. It runs, without errors and I close it, saying NO to saving any changes.

When I open the report in browser again, and the report does not error,and runs fine.

WHY is this?

Overwritting existing database:
Also we want to be able to change the database daily, and it seems if cystal reports is open, or if the report is being viewed through Crystal Report Viewer, then the database file is locked and can't be overwritten.
We will never know when the reports are being accessed from the web, so we need to be able to overwrite the database file at anytime.

Set Location:
If we change the database file name, then the ODBC has to be updated, and Set Location has to be done on each report.
with 25 to 30 reports, setting location each day when the data changes is impossible.

Does anybody have any ideas as to how we can update the database daily, without having to set locations,
and also without it being dependent on whether or not the database is not currently being accessed?

Thanks,
Andy

 

[synapsevampire]

Excel is a horrible data source, and it may be that the data types are being recast as a result of the changes.

I always insert a false row at the top of every spreadsheet to explicitly define data types, this solves 99% of my Excel problems.

-k

 

[Halfcan]

On row one of my excel file, are my headers:
ticket#, IP address, Description,......

so do you mean
on row 2 of my excel file, I should put in a dumbie row with
zeros for the number fields and blanks for the string fields?

or is row 1 good enough for a dumbie row?

Andy