Crystal Reports: Changing the data file location at run time

One solution is to write a report for each data file and set the location appropriately. But to do this, you have to know where your user has their data and what it the files are called. Maintenance can also become a headache if you have many separate files with many reports to maintain.

There is another solution. We supply cView, which allows non-technical users to easily run Crystal Reports without the need to have a CR license or compiled reports.

cView searches for Crystal Reports and then views them. cView even lets the user change the data file location at processing time. Download a trial copy of cView, if you would like to know more about this low-cost, high-productivity utility.

This is a windows-based solution. If you really need a Web-based solution and your budget allows for it, do take a look at Business Intelligence's Web-based solutions. Carefully calculate the licensing costs for your total operation, before deciding on Web vs. Windows approaches.

cView is a stand-alone SAP Crystal Reports .rpt viewer that allows users without a CR license to view Crystal Reports, while preserving drilldown and other Crystal Reports functionality. This inexpensive but powerful desktop alternative to the SAP Crystal Reports Viewer saves you money.

Administrators will appreciate these features:

• File Associations. You can install cView as the default viewer of rpt files. So if you send a rpt with saved data to a cView user, the user just needs to click on the rpt file to open and view inside cView.
• Database Security. cView stores all the database security information prior to processing the report. You can lock this away from users, so they never see the database password.
• Ease of Control. Manage a folder of reports, and use the local network security to decide who can view which reports.
• Secure Subreports. If your report includes a subreport that requires a database password, cView can process the report. Some report viewers can't.

Users will appreciate these features:

• Desktop Shortcut. You can create a shortcut on your desktop to run a report in cView with one click. The shortcut just needs to call cView, a function easily accomplished by file association.
• Ease of Use. View is easy to use. It is as simple as clicking a toolbar button, or using a menu to do a File/Open on a rpt file.
• Interactive Reports. If a report uses parameters, cView will prompt the user with the questions and allow them to select answers from pick lists. cView supports all parameter types including multi-value, range, and multi-value/range.
• One-click Print and Export. With one click of the toolbar, cView will print or export the report without requiring you to preview it first.
• Output Flexibility. A viewed report can be exported to other formats including PDF, Excel, Word, XML, and csv. The results can be printed, emailed, or saved in a disk folder.
• Report Instances. cView can create a instance of your report. This is a report with saved data that you want to archive or store for later viewing.
• Set Print Date. You can set the print date prior to running a report so the reports process at a specific time. This is useful for running reports at another historical point in time.
  View History, Folder and Instances. You can select a view of all the reports in a folder, the history of the last ten reports, or all the reports in the instances folder. Then you just select the report and can print, view, or export that report.

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