I have a Crystal Report File and I want to know what's the name of the Stored Procedure that is being used on the Report. How can I retrieve it through the code behind. Is this possible?
C# code would be better since I do coding in C#.
Assuming that you're just interested in getting the name of the SP, then there are a couple different ways to tackle this:
If you have Crystal Reports...
Open the Set Datasource Location dialog. On the bottom pane will be a tree-view of the available database objects, including the list of stored procedures. The highlighted SP will be the one it is calling to retrieve data for the report.
If that doesn't help (ie: there's no highlighted Stored Procedure), then ight-click in the report designer area, select Database -> Show SQL Query. This will display the query used to retrieve data from your database. It will possibly have the name of a stored procedure in it.
If you DON'T have Crystal Reports...
Use this code from Code Project to load your report into C# and traverse the report from there. http://www.codeproject.com/KB/cs/loadingcrystalreport.aspx
If that doesn't help (ie: you're not ready to tackle the C# aspect of Crystal Reports), then you can use your database's profiling tool to spy on the calls from your report to see which SP(s) it is calling to get the data it needs to run the report. SQL Server's SQL Profiler is a good tool for just that purpose. Here are some tutorials to help get you going:
Microsoft MSDN: ARTICLE http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms187929.aspx
Tech Republic: ARTICLE http://www.techrepublic.com/article/step-by-step-an-introduction-to-sql-server-profiler/5054787
SQLServerPedia: VIDEO http://sqlserverpedia.com/wiki/Using_SQL_Server_Profiler
Unfortunately there is not a way to do this programmatically. You can see the datasource, set the datasource, but you cannot retrieve the actual SQL being used to generate the report other than through the Crystal Reports designer.
What I have is a project to convert about 200 or so Crystal Reports to SQL, I know there is no real way to do a 1 for 1 direct correlation, so what I want to be able to do is basically open up each report and dissect it for the query it uses in Crystal Reports, does anybody have an example or a place to start?
Thanks!
Try RptToXml:
Original, VB project
C# replacement
Another alternative is the PsCrystal PowerShell module
You will have to start by looking at the Field Explorer and go piece by piece though that to see where the logic and SQL are located. The SQL itself can be in the the Database Fields pull down but the rest of the sections may have logic that works on those SQL fields for display. I don't know of any shortcuts from there.
You should be able to use the CrystalDecisions.CrystalReports.Engine to open up the report and view SQL expressions related to each field. Check out : http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms226185%28v=vs.90%29.aspx
Scenario: Client maintains financial/compliance record in a spreadsheet for each quarter of the year. Spreadsheet contains columns which are not static, they can change from quarter to quarter and will not be same the next year. They want a portal by which all the regional managers (of stores/franchise) can enter their data and at the end aggregated at the national level.
Issue: As you could have guessed, I want to develop the spreadsheet column into sql table with all the columns, but the issue is that they want to add new columns dynamically (for future quarters) via admin side. Thinking of providing a textbox (columnname), dropdown (sqltypes possible) and add button which will basically add the column. But the columns can grow and that's not the right option, I guess. Other alternative is, instead of adding columns, I can add it as rows and then use PIVOT to do the sql part.
If anyone of you have developed this kind of application, could you please aware me of any complications before I proceed further with my idea of adding rows instead of columns for adding fields for the reports dynamically. If anyone has got sample example or reference online, please divert me there.
Take a look at Umbraco. It's a cms that puts the concept of PIVOT into practice. (Actually I believe most CMS does).
Actually, I'd go so far as to suggest building that application of yours in Umbraco. You will need to customise it a bit, but you will have quite a bit of heavy lifting already done for you, such as authorisation, membership, and the schema/content mechanism.
We've created a Crystal Report viewer application to house all of our company reports. It's built in such a way that any time we add, modify or delete a report, the viewer application itself does not need to change. The viewer app is completely driven by an XML configure file that tells it what reports are available, where they are, connection information etc. We want to keep it this way too. When we add a new report, we don't want to have to update everyone's viewer application.
The problem is that Crystal talks to our DB directly and we would prefer it didn't. Therefore, for each report, the viewer needs to query the database to retrieve the data each report needs. The problem is that many of our reports allow the user to enter a large number of filter criteria. Ideally, what we would like to be able to do is to have Crystal prompt the user to enter their filter criteria, like it currently does, and then be able to somehow get the SQL statement it would send on to the DB, pass it on to the DB ourselves, and tell Crystal not to. the viewer would then supply the report with data.
Does anyone know if this can be done? An alternative we've considered is to have the viewer prompt the user for the filter criteria, and then build the SQL statement. However, then each report becomes a C# coding project with an update to the viewer. We're trying to avoid that.
Thanks.
Interesting approach. I have only ever done the opposite.
Normally people like to build their own reports using a Crystal client. The report connects to a datasource specified in the report itself.
Using .NET to query the reports needs, set parameters and formulas then view the report is a piece of cake.
Anyway, there are only two methods that I know of called "pull" and "push". Pull is what I just described above. Push is what you described as a solution that you considered but it would involve coding for each report.
I'm afraid what you are trying to do has never been done before. However, I would recommend the "pull" method. It has worked very well for me with a client with dozens of users and hundreds of reports.
I need to create reports in a C# .NET Windows app. I've got an SQL Server 2005 database, Visual Studio 2005 and am quite OK with creating stored procedures and datasets.
Can someone please point me in the right direction for creating reports? I just can't seem work it out. Some examples would be a good start, or a simple How-to tutorial... anything really that is a bit better explained than the MSDN docs.
I'm using the CrystalDecisions.Windows.Forms.CrystalReportViewer control to display the reports, I presume this is correct.
If I'm about to embark on a long and complex journey, what's the simplest way to create and display reports that can also be printed?
I have managed to make this work now.
Brief Overview
It works by having a 'data class' which is just a regular C# class containing variables and no code. This is then instantiated and filled with data and then placed inside an ArrayList. The ArrayList is bound to the report viewer, along with the name of the report to load. In the report designer '.Net Objects' are used, rather than communicating with the database.
Explanation
I created a class to hold the data for my report. This class is manually filled by me by manually retrieving data from the database. How you do this doesn't matter, but here's an example:
DataSet ds = GeneratePickingNoteDataSet(id);
foreach (DataRow row in ds.Tables[0].Rows) {
CPickingNoteData pickingNoteData = new CPickingNoteData();
pickingNoteData.delivery_date = (DateTime)row["delivery_date"];
pickingNoteData.cust_po = (int)row["CustomerPONumber"];
pickingNoteData.address = row["CustomerAddress"].ToString();
// ... and so on ...
rptData.Add(pickingNoteData);
}
The class is then put inside an ArrayList. Each element in the arraylist corresponds to one 'row' in the finished report.
The first element in the list can also hold the report header data, and the last element in the list can hold the report footer data. And because this is an ArrayList, normal Array access can be used to get at them:
((CPickingNoteData)rptData[0]).header_date = DateTime.Now;
((CPickingNoteData)rptData[rptData.Count-1]).footer_serial = GenerateSerialNumber();
Once you have an arraylist full of data, bind it to your report viewer like this, where 'rptData' is of type 'ArrayList'
ReportDocument reportDoc = new ReportDocument();
reportDoc.Load(reportPath);
reportDoc.SetDataSource(rptData);
crystalReportViewer.ReportSource = reportDoc;
Now you will need to bind your data class to the report itself. You do this inside the designer:
Open the Field Explorer tab (which might be under the 'View' menu), and right-click "Database Fields"
Click on 'Project Data'
Click on '.NET Objects'
Scroll down the list to find your
data class (if it isn't there,
compile your application)
Press '>>' and then OK
You can now drag the class members
onto the report and arrange them as
you want.
Crystal is one possible option for creating reports. It has been around a long time and a lot of people seem to like it.
You might want to take a look at SQL reporting services. I have used both but my preferance is SQL reporting services. Its pretty well integrated into studio and works similar to the other microsoft projects. Its also free with the sql express etc.
This is a good article on beginning reporting services:
http://www.simple-talk.com/sql/learn-sql-server/beginning-sql-server-2005-reporting-services-part-1/
You can use the report viewer with client side reporting built into vs.net (ReportBuilder/ReportViewer control). You can create reports the same way as you do for sql reporting services, except you dont need sql server(nor asp.net). Plus you have complete control over them(how you present, how you collect data, what layer they are generated in, what you do with them after generating, such as mailing them, sending to ftp, etc). You can also export as PDF and excel.
And in your case building up a report from data and user input, this may work great as you can build up your own datasource and data as you go along. Once your data is ready to be reported on, bind it to your report.
The reports can easily be built in Visual Studio 2005 (Add a report to your project), and be shown in a Winforms app using the ReportViewer control.
Here is a great book i recommend to everyone to look at if interested in client side reports. It gives a lot of great info and many different scenarios and ways to use client side reporting.
http://www.apress.com/book/view/9781590598542
I second alex's recommendation to look at sql reporting services - if you have a sql developer license, then you probably already have reporting services
i don't like crystal reports, too much tedium in the designer (editing expressions all the time) too many server-deployment issues (check those license files!)
I use Crystal. I will outline my method briefly, but be aware that I'm a one man shop and it may not translate to your environment.
First, create a form with a CR Viewer. Then:
1) Figure out what data you need, and create a view that retrieves the desired columns.
2) Create a new Crystal report using the wizard giving your view as the source of the data.
3) Drag, drop, insert, delete, and whatever to rough your report into shape. Yes, it's tedious.
4) Create the necessary button click or whatever, and create the function in which to generate the report.
5) Retrieve the data to a DataTable (probably in a DataSet). You do not have to use the view.
6) Create the report object. Set the DataTable to be the DataSource. Assign the report object to the CR Viewer. This is one part for which there are examples.
Comments:
If you lose the window with the database fields, etc (Field Explorer), go to View/Document Outline. (It's my fantasy to have Bill Gates on a stage and ask him to find it.)
The reason for setting up the view is that if you want to add a column, you revise the view, and the Field Explorer will update automatically. I've had all sorts of trouble doing it other ways. This method also is a work-around for a bug that requires scanning through all the tables resetting which table they point to. You want to hand Crystal a single table. You do not want to try to get Crystal to join tables, etc. I don't say it doesn't work; I say it's harder.
There is (or was) documentation for the VS implementation of Crystal on the Business Objects web site, but I believe that it has disappeared behind a register/login screen. (I could stand more info on that myself.)
I've had trouble getting Crystal to page break when I want, and not page break when I don't want, etc. It's far from the best report writer I've ever used and I do not understand why it seems to have put so many others out of business. In addition, their licensing policies are very difficult to deal with in a small, fluid organization.
Edited to add example:
AcctStatement oRpt = new AcctStatement() ;
oRpt.Database.Tables[0].SetDataSource(dsRpt.Tables[0]);
oRpt.SetParameterValue("plan_title",sPlanName) ;
crViewer.ReportSource = oRpt ;
I found the following websites solved my problems. Included here for future reference.
CrystalReportViewer Object Model Tutorials for the tutorial on how to make the whole thing work. And also Setting up a project to use Crystal Reports
and specifically preparing the form and adding the control
i think this may help you out
http://infynet.wordpress.com/2010/10/06/crystal-report-in-c/
I strongly recommend trying an alternative reporting solution - I have a lot of experience with Crystal, and have managed to do some funky things with it in .Net, but quite honestly the integration of Crystal and .Net is an absolute pig for anything but the simplest cases.
I have tried RS. I am converting from RS back to Crystal. RS is just too heavy and slow (or something). There is no reason to have to wait 30 seconds for a report to render is RS when Crystal does it in under a second.