[AccessD] Access and Crystal Reports

Drew Wutka DWUTKA at marlow.com
Sun Mar 9 13:57:00 CST 2003


I guess I am just playing devil's advocate.  Since Access let's you use VBA
within it's reports, and VBA can be used to do practically anything in
Windows, or Access, then it stands to say that there is virtually nothing
that CR can do, which Access can't.

Sure, there are always going to be speed/ease of use issues, however, I
think that one major advantage, which blows CR away, is that the reporting
within Access is a component of Access, not a special add-in.

Again, I have rarely used CR, so I am not trying to hack it, just defending
Access a bit.

Drew

-----Original Message-----
From: Shamil Salakhetdinov
To: accessd at databaseadvisors.com
Sent: 3/9/03 11:01 AM
Subject: Re: [AccessD] Access and Crystal Reports

This can be done IMO by using DLL/ActiveX extensions but the question is
why
this API calls should be executed on report generation? Why not get all
the
collected by API data on report data retrieval stage?

Shamil

----- Original Message -----
From: "Drew Wutka" <DWUTKA at marlow.com>
To: <accessd at databaseadvisors.com>
Sent: Sunday, March 09, 2003 7:15 PM
Subject: RE: [AccessD] Access and Crystal Reports


> A good example would be a report run by a network administrator, which
shows
> information on network users.  Some info stored in a database, some
from
say
> 'drive' space used, and some using API calls to retrieve domain
settings.
>
> Drew
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Shamil Salakhetdinov [mailto:shamil at smsconsulting.spb.ru]
> Sent: Sunday, March 09, 2003 3:34 AM
> To: AccessD
> Subject: Re: [AccessD] Access and Crystal Reports
>
>
> Drew,
>
> It looks like it cannot use Win API directly but:
>
> <<<+ quoting CR help +>>>
> The Seagate Crystal Reports Formula Editor and formula language are
powerful
> tools, enabling you to perform a wide variety of report-related tasks
easily
> and efficiently. The formula language is expandable as well. That is,
while
> it already includes a large selection of useful functions, it also
comes
> with the ability to accept new functions that you define to meet your
needs.
> User Defined Functions that are recognized by the Seagate Crystal
Reports
> Formula Editor can be created in a Dynamic Link Library or, for 32-bit
> environments, in an Automation Server.
> <<<- quoting CR help ->>>
>
> I.e. you can create helper DLL/ActiveX Dll following CR extention call
> protocol and use Win API this way...
>
> But what Win API calls are needed for reports' generation?
>
> HTH,
> Shamil
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Drew Wutka" <DWUTKA at marlow.com>
> To: <accessd at databaseadvisors.com>
> Sent: Sunday, March 09, 2003 2:50 AM
> Subject: RE: [AccessD] Access and Crystal Reports
>
>
> > Can this programming language handle API Calls?
> >
> > Drew
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Shamil Salakhetdinov [mailto:shamil at smsconsulting.spb.ru]
> > Sent: Saturday, March 08, 2003 11:52 AM
> > To: accessd at databaseadvisors.com
> > Subject: Re: [AccessD] Access and Crystal Reports
> >
> >
> > <<<
> > > One question.  Does CR have a 'program' language that you can run
in
the
> > > background of a report?  (Not just macro like, but VBA like, where
you
> can
> > > interface with the OS if you want type stuff....)
> > >>>
> > Drew,
> >
> > Yes, CR has a program language used to create formulas - see P.S.
> > What is important to note is that CR report generation customization
IS
> NOT
> > event driven!
> > This shocks at first an MS Access developer (that's from my
experience)...
> > Then when you get comfortable with that "new ideology" you see that
it's
> > very flexible...
> > I'd say that the usual customization technique in CR is
data-driven...
> > I expect you to "fall in love" with CR because the tricks it allows
to
do
> > aren't possible in MS Access - the key to the tricks IMO are
sections
> (these
> > are subsections of Report Header/Footer, Page Header/Footer,...) and
> > formulas, which can be specified on different levels of reports to
control
> > properties' values of report objects on runtime...
> > And of course you'll love drill-down (live reports) - this is where
one
CR
> > report may substitute several MS Access forms and reports with
> subreports...
> > And of course you'll love easy migration of all that stuff(reports)
to
the
> > Web from where they can be interactively using very good and
effective
> data
> > cashing technique...
> > ...
> >
> > >  instead of
> > > using the solutions that were used.
> > There are good Wizards for CR too but CR profis seldom use them (I'm
not
> the
> > one of such profis because I've had just a casual project with CR) .
> > CR can be used by powerusers I think for the cases like you describe
but
> > it's much more for programmers because only programmers are able to
show
> the
> > real power of CR through reports they create with it using
formulas...
> >
> > Shamil
> >
> >
> > P.S.
> > <<<<+ Quoting CR Help +>>>
> > formula
> > A formula is a symbolic statement of the modifications you want
performed
> on
> > certain data before it is printed on your report.
> >
> > For example, if your report is to contain a {file.SALES} field and a
> > {file.COST} field, you may want to create a GrossProfit field and
> designate
> > its text strings as {file.SALES} - {file.COST}. This is a simple
formula
> > that tells the program to subtract the value of the {file.COST}
field
from
> > the value of the {file.SALES} field and then to print the result.
> >
> > You can use formulas to calculate numeric values, compare one value
to
> > another and select alternative actions based on the comparison, join
> > multiple value into a single string, and to perform a multitude of
other
> > operations. Creating a formula in Crystal Reports is much like
creating
a
> > formula in your favorite spreadsheet.
> >
> > Note:    The term "formula" in Crystal Reports is equivalent to the
term
> > "expression" in Microsoft Access.
> >
> > Crystal and Basic Syntax
> > When creating formulas, you have the option of using either Crystal
or
> Basic
> > syntax. Almost any formula written with one syntax can be written
with
the
> > other. Reports can contain formulas that use Basic syntax as well as
> > formulas that use Crystal syntax.
> >
> > Crystal syntax is the formula language included in all prior
versions of
> > Crystal Reports. Basic Syntax is new to Crystal Reports 8.
> >
> > If you are familiar with Microsoft Visual Basic or other versions of
> Basic,
> > then Basic syntax may be more familiar to you. In general, Basic
syntax
is
> > modeled on Visual Basic except that it has specific extensions to
handle
> > reporting.
> >
> > If you are already comfortable with Crystal syntax, you can continue
to
> use
> > it, and benefit from the new functions, operators and control
structures
> > inspired by Visual Basic.
> >
> > Note:    Report processing is not slowed down by using Basic syntax.
> Reports
> > using Basic syntax formulas can run on any machine that Crystal
Reports
> runs
> > on. Also, using Basic syntax formulas does not require distributing
any
> > additional files with your reports.
> >
> > <<<<- Quoting CR Help ->>>
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Drew Wutka" <DWUTKA at marlow.com>
> > To: <accessd at databaseadvisors.com>
> > Sent: Saturday, March 08, 2003 10:27 AM
> > Subject: RE: [AccessD] Access and Crystal Reports
> >
> >
> > > Very good point.  I've watched this thread from the outside, for
two
> > > reasons.  I personally have never made a CR report, and at best I
> consider
> > > myself an 'amatuer' at report generation in Access.  When it comes
to
> > making
> > > reports in Access, I can do some pretty nifty stuff with code,
making
> > > stupendous 'special' reports.  However, there are people where I
work
> that
> > > do nothing but generate reports using the wizards, and then
tweaking
all
> > > sorts of things.  I have had to go into these reports from time to
time,
> > and
> > > I must admit that they get them to do exactly what they want with
> > relatively
> > > little fuss.  That is why I consider myself an amatuer at the
report
> > level,
> > > because half the time I would have jumped to VBA....(go figure),
instead
> > of
> > > using the solutions that were used.
> > >
> > > One question.  Does CR have a 'program' language that you can run
in
the
> > > background of a report?  (Not just macro like, but VBA like, where
you
> can
> > > interface with the OS if you want type stuff....)
> > >
> > > Drew
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: Wortz, Charles [mailto:CWortz at tea.state.tx.us]
> > > Sent: Friday, March 07, 2003 7:13 AM
> > > To: accessd at databaseadvisors.com
> > > Subject: RE: [AccessD] Access and Crystal Reports
> > >
> > >
> > > Shamil,
> > >
> > > True, CR allows independent sections in reports, and true this can
be
a
> > > useful feature.  But in my experience there never has been a
report
that
> > > I had to create that needed this feature.
> > >
> > > My last word on this thread is this:  Since everybody's previous
> > > experiences and personal preferences are different, there is no
one
best
> > > tool for everybody.  Of the tools that are available to you and
you
are
> > > comfortable using, try to pick the one that is most suitable for
the
> > > problem at hand.
> > >
> > > Have a nice day Shamil.
> > >
> > > Charles Wortz
> > > Software Development Division
> > > Texas Education Agency
> > > 1701 N. Congress Ave
> > > Austin, TX 78701-1494
> > > 512-463-9493
> > > CWortz at tea.state.tx.us
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: Shamil Salakhetdinov [mailto:shamil at smsconsulting.spb.ru]
> > > Sent: Thursday 2003 Mar 06 15:59
> > > To: accessd at databaseadvisors.com
> > > Subject: Re: [AccessD] Access and Crystal Reports
> > >
> > > > Access 2002 and CR 9.0 are
> > > > almost identical in their feature sets.
> > > Charles,
> > >
> > > I thought the same but then I made approx. 50 real-life CR reports
for
> > > HRM/Payroll system and my customer was a real guru in both
HRM/Payroll
> > > programming/reporting and CR itself (I worked as his
subcontractor) -
> > > and I soon realized that despite the fact that the feature set of
MS
> > > Access and CR seems to be very similar, the real power of CR is in
its
> > > unique and looking at first not very significant feature of
allowing
to
> > > have and manipulate on runtime of several (as many as you wish)
> > > independent sections/areas of Report Header/Footer, Page
Header/Footer,
> > > Group Header/Footer and Details...
> > >
> > > The only area where I've found MS Access "beats" CR 8.x, which I
used,
> > > is when you need in CR to copy and paste (or cut and paste) a
group of
> > > controls within one report or between reports - here CR sometimes
goes
> > > "crazy" and you need to realigh controls manualy after paste
> > > operation...
> > >
> > > Charles, I'd not like to have this thread to become"religious"
debate
> > > "CR vs. MS Access report generator" - let's stop it? - after your
> > > contr-arguments if you wish! :)
> > >
> > > Shamil
> > > _______________________________________________
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>
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