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Crystal Reports, ODBC & Access >> Crystal Reports General Issues >> Distributing reports
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Message started by Steve_Carpenter on 02/04/04 at 12:30:27

Title: Distributing reports
Post by Steve_Carpenter on 02/04/04 at 12:30:27

Hi ...

FHC has purchased a Pervasive-specific (2000i) copy of Crystal Reports 8.5 from DBA. I've created a nice new shop traveler for our Production Manager but it won't work on PC's other than the PC it was created on.

What are our inexpensive options for distributing this report to all PC's in the production area?

Thanks,
Steve Carpenter

Title: Re: Distributing reports
Post by David Waldmann on 02/06/04 at 13:44:55

Print it to a PDF file and save it to a globally accessable network drive, or email it.

Title: Re: Distributing reports
Post by shadowcaster on 02/06/04 at 14:42:09

we use this

print factory PDF creator

you can print and e-mail in 1 step and it works great with DBA unlike some PDF generators

www.fineprint.com

jw

Title: Re: Distributing reports
Post by Lynn Pantic on 02/06/04 at 15:25:55

I think he wants to distribute the Executable Crystal program so users can run the report themselves, not distribute the output. I seem to recall there was something you had to download to be able to do this in the more recent versions of Crystal but I forget what or where.

Title: Re: Distributing reports
Post by HB on 02/06/04 at 20:45:40

Seagate used to provide a distribution expert addition, but I believe nolonger does so. The file is called SCR8_Distr_Expert and contains rdwiz.exe. It is an add on for ver 8, but works on ver10 also.
I have a copy of this free file (6MB+).
helmut@generalpencil.com

Following is the "manual" that comes with it:
==============================================================================
Seagate Software Tech Support Phone: 604-669-8379
Fax : 604-681-7163

Online Support: http://support.seagatesoftware.com
answers@seagatesoftware.com
==============================================================================
File Name: SCR8_Distr_Expert.exe Compatible with versions:
Seagate Crystal Reports 8.0
Contents: rdwiz.exe

install.txt (this file)

Description:
------------
Compiled Reports and Distribution Expert add-in for Crystal Reports 8:

This update enables Crystal Reports 8 to compile and distribute reports to users
who do not have the Crystal Reports 8 Designer. Compiling a report creates an executable of
the report which can be previewed, printed, or exported outside of the Crystal Reports 8
Designer. The Distribution Expert creates a setup package of Crystal runtime files with reports
which can be installed on computers without the Crystal Reports 8 Designer.

After running the update, the "Compile Report..." and "Report Distribution Expert..." menu items
are made available under the Report menu in the Crystal Reports 8 Designer.

Note that this download has been made available for backwards compatiblity with previous
versions of Crystal Reports. This download includes no new features or fixes from previous
versions of Crystal Reports. Users are encouraged to distribute reports using the new Web Component
Server which has many advantages over Compiled Reports. For information on using the Web
Component Server, please refer to Chapter 17 of the User's Guide and the Web Reporting
Administrator's Guide (web.pdf), both of which are located in the \Docs directory of the product CD.

Compiled Reports and the Report Distribution Expert are expected to be phased out in the
next release of Crystal Reports.

The following are known issues with this release of Compiled Reports and the Distribution
Expert:

- Clicking the 'Next>>' button under the '1.Options' tab in the Distribution Expert causes
the Distribution Expert to analyze for files and then shutdown unexpectedly under
certain circumstances.

- If Crystal Reports 8 is installed using a Network install, the Distribution Expert cannot
be accessed through the 'Compile Report' box (click the 'Report' menu, then click 'Compile
Report...'). The Distribution Expert can only be accessed directly by clicking the 'Report'
menu, and then clicking 'Report Distribution Expert...'.

- Using the Distribution Expert to distribute reports using ODBC Data Sources generates a
list of several ODBC files (i.e. Odbc32.dll) under the '3. Third Party Dlls' tab. These
files should not be distributed with the Distribution Expert. ODBC core components should
instead be installed using Microsoft Data Access Components (MDAC). The latest version
of MDAC can be found at www.microsoft.com/data.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Installation:
-------------

Note: You must have the Crystal Reports 8 Designer installed before running rdwiz.exe

1. Extract rdwiz.exe into any temporary folder.

2. Run rdwiz.exe. Click Next to install the Report Distribution Expert.

==============================================================================