IF you have a spare NT 4 Pc around and can get it set up right (took me a day or two plus some tips from users) - BY FAR the simplest way to distribute reports is with the Crystal Web Component Server (or now called Crystal Enterprise in Crystal 8.5).
I just create my reports and save them each to their own directory on the NT 4 PC. Then I email a "link" to the file in Outlook express. The user clicks on the link and the report appears in their Internet Browser. They can add it to their favorites bar if they want to run the report regularly.
With this method, there is no need to compile the report, along with the miriad of dll's, etc. that are needed. Plus there is no need to install ODBC on each PC that needs to run a report. Distribution is instantaneous once I am finished with a report. I get instant feedback by email and can make modifications that they can check instantly.
I have had only one snafu with the Web distributed reports. I had 3 reports in Vantage 3.0 that wouldn't run in the Web Component because they were too slow (the Browser timed out - even after changing the time out setting in the browser). In 5.0 this was narrowed down to one report because of the new speed and better syntax found in Progress 9.1a over 8.3b. So now, I do an automatic export in Vantage to dump the tables I need, then I can run the long report from the .dbf tables in the Web Component and users get the information right away.
If you don't have an NT box, there is a possibility of using the Vantage Server as your Web Server also. It's a bit more risky, however, but it can work.
By the way, someone mentioned that Compiled Reports are no longer available with Crystal 8.5, but I've tried it and it worked for me (using the download for Crystal 8).
Troy Funte
Liberty Electronics
I just create my reports and save them each to their own directory on the NT 4 PC. Then I email a "link" to the file in Outlook express. The user clicks on the link and the report appears in their Internet Browser. They can add it to their favorites bar if they want to run the report regularly.
With this method, there is no need to compile the report, along with the miriad of dll's, etc. that are needed. Plus there is no need to install ODBC on each PC that needs to run a report. Distribution is instantaneous once I am finished with a report. I get instant feedback by email and can make modifications that they can check instantly.
I have had only one snafu with the Web distributed reports. I had 3 reports in Vantage 3.0 that wouldn't run in the Web Component because they were too slow (the Browser timed out - even after changing the time out setting in the browser). In 5.0 this was narrowed down to one report because of the new speed and better syntax found in Progress 9.1a over 8.3b. So now, I do an automatic export in Vantage to dump the tables I need, then I can run the long report from the .dbf tables in the Web Component and users get the information right away.
If you don't have an NT box, there is a possibility of using the Vantage Server as your Web Server also. It's a bit more risky, however, but it can work.
By the way, someone mentioned that Compiled Reports are no longer available with Crystal 8.5, but I've tried it and it worked for me (using the download for Crystal 8).
Troy Funte
Liberty Electronics
----- Original Message -----
From: Wendy Bowen
To: vantage@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2001 12:01 PM
Subject: [Vantage] Crystal Reports distribution
This may seem like a basic question................when you create your own customized Crystal Report how do others users get access to it? Do you install Crystal Reports on their workstation too and they just open up the report and run it? It sounds funny, but I never thought about how my users would get and run the reports that I'm making in Crystal.
Wendy Bowen
Network Administrator
Schmald Tool & Die, Inc.
(810) 743-1600 ext.323
wpursche@...
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