I'm a total Crystal Reports/Business Objects newbie...
I've been tasked with going through 100 or so Crystal Reports to determine which reports are using an 'embedded' connection string vs. one supplied by the BOXi server.
I've installed Crystal Reports and accessed a sampling of the reports, but haven't been able to locate any references to a Repository based connection string/datasource.
Can anyone point me towards where this configuration is managed?
Thanks!
Richard
I don't know if you've already tried this or even if it's too basic for you, but it's been 24 hours, so here's my 2 cents:
To see the data source of each report, open them up and go to the Database at menu at top. There, you'll want to browse through the "Database Expert", "Set Datasource Location", and "Show SQL Query" options. Look at the properties of each data source.
You may also want to make a practice report pulling data from your sources of interest. That can help you get used to CR.
when you deploy the report to BO, you use the CMC (central management console) to set the database connection information. it is here that you will find the answer to your connection-string question.
Related
I am stepping into a new reporting environment and I don't have a lot of background info yet. But my company utilizes a series of crystal reports.
I want to compare two reports that are identical except that they connect to different data sources. I can click on both reports in the Crystal Reports viewer, go to Database > Set Database Location and I am able to see the data source. If I do this for both reports in question, I can see that they both connect to different data sources, as expected.
However, when I export the two Crystal Reports as text files and then compare them using Notepad++, I don't see the datasource / connection string in the report files, so when I do a compare, they are exactly the same.
If the exported text files are exactly the same, how does Crystal Reports Viewer know to point one report towards a prod data source and another report towards the dev data source? It does not appear to be embedded in the exported metadata / report definition file.
Thank you!!
The connection info is simply not part of the exported report definition text.
But, obviously, it is part of the report definition.
If you need to export more detailed report definition information, including connection properties, consider getting a documentation utility. Ken Hamady maintains a list of those here.
I'm fairly new to using the Birt Report Designer and need to figure out how to generate a report from a SQLite database. I have suceeded in getting it to connect to the DB but am now unsure how to generate a report and the tutorials that I have found aren't of much help so far.
I have a template that was given to me by my employer that has a few fields, I'm wondering if these fieldnames (in the template) are supposed to match field names in the DB.
Also, when I go to Run->View Report-> As PDF I am unsure what I am supposed to enter for the field "User Key", does this correspond to a table name in the DB or something along these lines?
As of now, I have tried entering a table name but just a blank report is generated.
If anyone can point me to a good resource or help with this I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks
There are two books i could really advice:
BIRT - A Field Guide to Reporting
Integrating and Extending BIRT
and the Eclipse Help containing BIRT documentation.
I suppose the User Key could be report parameter (listed in Data Explorer window), which is passed to Data Set to select appropriate data. If I'm guessing right, check within a Data Set editor ("Parameters" tab and "Query" tab) where the User Key parameter goes in - probably to one of the table field in a WHERE clause. Parameters in a query are represented by question marks: SELECT * FROM fooTable WHERE barColumn = ?. Hope tracking this would lead to find out, what to enter to the parameter.
Additionally, ensure if your Data Set(s) is(are) connected correctly to your SQLite Data Source ("Data Source" tab in a Data Set editor).
Being as new as you are to BIRT, I would suggest building a couple of reports with the sample DB (Classic Models). There are many, many samples out there for you to use as a guide. Additionally, most tutorials will use the Classic Models data so you can follow right along. After you create a couple of practice reports (this should not take more than 30-45 minutes) the template you have been given will likely make A LOT more sense and allow you to make progress almost immediately.
If you are looking for a nice collection of tutorials and samples, be sure to check out Birt Exchange for Dev Share (samples) & tutorials.
As for the "User Key" this is almost certainly a report-level parameter used to filter the data set (as the previous answer points out).
Good Luck!
I am using crystal reports 2008, I want to use multiple data sources in one report. One is connecting informix and another is connecting redbrick data source. Both are independent data source and doesnt have any common value to co -relate them. Can we have that option?
Pleae advice?
Have you tried it already? Crystal Reports allows you to add tables, via Database Expert, from multiple datasources. It will warn you that it may not work, but many times it does.
I had the same problem.
But now its OK after using subreport.
ie. Create the subreport with just the details section and put in inside the main report.
According to my colleague,
For "independent data sources", that have no relationship at all,
we should use subreport.
I am using CR 9. Sorry about that.
I have never used Crystal Reports; however, my boss has asked me to provide him the "logic" used in a report generated for one of our customers. The report was created several years ago and the customer contact is new. He wants to know what information we use to calculate the data reported in each column. Is there an easy way to trace this information in Crystal?
You don't say what version of CR you are using, so I'll make an assumption. Run the report with any parameters that it may need. From the file menu, click on "Database" and on the drop down menu, there should be an option to "Show SQL Query".
I think if you run the report, it'll ask you for the date info. Then once it's done do the "show sql query" thing and it should fill in the dates for you in the query.
Is there is any way to change the datasource location for a report and all of it's subreports without having to open each of them manually?
Here is how I set my connections at runtime. I get the connection info from a config location.
#'SET REPORT CONNECTION INFO
For i = 0 To rsource.ReportDocument.DataSourceConnections.Count - 1
rsource.ReportDocument.DataSourceConnections(i).SetConnection(crystalServer, crystalDB, crystalUser, crystalPassword)
Next
For i = 0 To rsource.ReportDocument.Subreports.Count - 1
For x = 0 To rsource.ReportDocument.Subreports(i).DataSourceConnections.Count - 1
rsource.ReportDocument.OpenSubreport(rsource.ReportDocument.Subreports(i).Name).DataSourceConnections(x).SetConnection(crystalServer, crystalDB, crystalUser, crystalPassword)
Next
Next
If you are just doing this as a one-shot deal, my suggestion might not help. But, if you change data sources frequently, it might be useful.
Disclaimer: I haven't worked with Crystal since version 9.0, so I don't know if they have improved on this. I always used UDL files. Basically, it is a pointer to a data source. Set up your report to point to the UDL, and the UDL points to the data source. If the source changes, just update the UDL.
This is incredibly useful if you have multiple reports. You only have to update one file when the server changes.
Linked sub-reports (at least in CR XI) share the main report's datasource - presumably your report is already configured so that's not an option for you?
#Unsliced I think the problem he is getting at is when you take a crystal report someone developed against another database, and you bring it up in Crystal Reports XI, you have to do a Change Datasource for each field, including those in subreports. If you just change source on the top level of the report, it often errors. (I think that is a known issue in Crystal Reports).
I'm guessing you're talking about .rdl files from Reporting Services? (If not, my answer might be wrong)
They're basically just XML, so you could load each one of them in and do an XPath query to get the node that contains the datasource and update it.