Crystal Reports: Use your file system as a data source

You may not even know you can do use your file system as a data source, but you can! And doing so is extremely useful.

For instance, you may want to look for files above a certain size, find duplicate file names, or compare version numbers. In Crystal reports 7, use the Standard report wizard to select the file system and the starting directory.

Any of the file properties of the system are available to place on your report.

And what might those properties be, exactly? Microsoft hasn't yet (amazingly) killed off Windows Explorer though they have been treating it as something of low usefulness. Given the fact your hard drive is an electronic filing cabinet, this attitude defies logic. For many of us, Windows Explorer is the primary interface we have with our computers.

Windows Explorer isn't, for some insane "reason" put in a highly visible place by default. You need to make shortcuts to it and put those on the Start menu. Or do you? Try right clicking on the Start button, then select Explore. Voila!

With Windows Explorer open, you will need to adjust the View to change those useless folder icons that take up lots of space but convey no information. Why these even exist is probably impossible to explain. But set it to show file details.

Normally, Windows Explorer is set to a two-pane view. In the right pane, you can see the titles for the various types of file details. Right mouse-click that title bar, and you'll be presented with a long list of attributes you can add to it. And there's even a "more" selection for even more attributes. Contrary to common belief, Microsoft actually does value end users. This feature is the proof of that.

You can buy third party plug-ins to use with Windows Explorer, but check out its native functionality first.

A tool that goes well beyond what Windows Explorer can do is Report Analyzer.

This is the ultimate documentation and analysis tool for Crystal Reports administrators, server administrators, and others who need to maintain electronic filing systems.

Originally developed as a Crystal Reports tool only, with its version 5 release Report Analyzer became a powerful tool for analyzing any data repository.

Some key points:

• Generate summary and detailed documentation.
• Analyze report complexity metrics to assist with test plan development and maintenance planning.
• Easy to use documentation explorer to browse and compare report design settings.
  Print report design diagrams.
• Print report data dictionaries.
• Extensive formula printouts including call trees, object cross references, formatted listing, and conditional formulas.
• All documentation can be exported in a variety of formats including PDF, HTML and Word.
• Uses Crystal Reports to produce the documentation, enabling complete customization.
   

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