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Crystal Reports:
Changing the data
file location at run time
To
develop a report, you have to know the format, name, and location of the
data. However, this can get complicated if file databases are designed
around a structure using identical formats in separate files (FoxPro,
MS-Access, Btrieve, etc.). For example, the NZ sales are in SALESNZ.DBF and
the US records are in SALESUS.DBF.
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.
This article is copyrighted by Crystalkeen, Mindconnection, and Chelsea Technologies Ltd.
It may be freely copied and distributed as long as the
original copyright is displayed and no modifications are made to this
material. Extracts are permitted. The names Crystal Reports and Seagate
Info are trademarks owned by Business Objects.
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