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Crystal Reports, ODBC & Access >> Crystal Reports General Issues >> Crystal version 10 ... Set Up ODBC Drivers
http://www.istechforum.com/YaBB.pl?num=1117735938

Message started by JPS_Purchase on 06/02/05 at 10:12:18

Title: Crystal version 10 ... Set Up ODBC Drivers
Post by JPS_Purchase on 06/02/05 at 10:12:18

I'm triyng to create a Crystal Report from Crystal v. 10.

The only DDF files I have are:

COMMENT.DDF
FIELD.DDF
FIELDEXT.DDF
FILE.DDF
INDEX.DDF

When I try and connect to any of these it says "Failed to load database information" & "Unknown Query Engine Error"?
I'm starting off Crystal by "creating a blank report" ... then "Create New Connection" (Since there's not a default connection and no history since I haven't connected to DBA before) ... then "Database Files" ... then I select a .ddf file and none of them work and it gives me that prompt.

What am I doing wrong?

I was told I need to create a ODBC driver, which I have no idea how to do. And then is that the only step I need to do to fix this?

Title: Re: Crystal version 10 ... Set Up ODBC Drivers
Post by Tim Keating on 06/02/05 at 12:12:46

Regarding ODBC connection, here is a well worn link to a white paper:

http://www.mwaccounting.com/dba/white_paper.htm

My understanding is that you don't need to use ODBC to connect to the DBA data files in Crystal, I don't use it much for v.7. Then again, I don't know anything about v.10.

Title: Re: Crystal version 10 ... Set Up ODBC Drivers
Post by aricon on 06/02/05 at 17:03:53

Hmmm, I think they may have taken down some pages on their site. The link seems to lead to a page with nothing...

Title: Re: Crystal version 10 ... Set Up ODBC Drivers
Post by kevind on 06/02/05 at 19:00:07

This Thread:
http://www.istechforum.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?board=CGeneral;action=display;num=1046815804

Covers Some basics with regard to accessing DBA Data files through ODBC.
While it is not necessary to access them throught ODBC,
if you do, you will benfit from the Pervasive Relational Engine.

Directly accessing the Btrieve files from Crystal will use the Transactional
engine and not "PUSH DOWN" work to the Server.

Title: Re: Crystal version 10 ... Set Up ODBC Drivers
Post by David Waldmann on 06/03/05 at 05:04:05

Tim Keating wrote:

My understanding is that you don't need to use ODBC to connect to the DBA data files in Crystal...

Kevind
wrote:

This Thread:
Covers Some basics with regard to accessing DBA Data files through ODBC.
While it is not necessary to access them throught ODBC, if you do, you will benfit from the Pervasive Relational Engine.

And, as I mentioned in that post, it is MUCH faster. In fact, I just recently re-did a report that used Btrieve with ODBC and it cut the refresh rate from about 5 minutes to about 15 seconds (that was probably the best case scenario I've seen).

Title: Re: Crystal version 10 ... Set Up ODBC Drivers
Post by Tim Keating on 06/03/05 at 06:39:53

David Waldmann wrote:

I have tried that as well with similar results. Wish I had known that before creating dozens of reports with direct access.

David/Kevin:

When I "red-did" my report, I reconnected through ODBC and then manually replaced each and every field, in the report, in the formulas, sort table, selection criteria, parameters, etc... Basically had to recreate the report using the old one as a template.

I don't know if I'll ever get around to doing this on all my reports.

Is there an easier way to do this? </wishfulthinking>

Title: Re: Crystal version 10 ... Set Up ODBC Drivers
Post by David Waldmann on 06/06/05 at 06:01:29

Tim Keating wrote:

Is there an easier way to do this? </wishfulthinking>

I've tried Database > Convert Database Driver to no avail. I've done it the hard way (as you described). If there's an easier way I'd love to know ;D

Title: Re: Crystal version 10 ... Set Up ODBC Drivers
Post by Danimal on 06/06/05 at 10:34:20

David Waldmann wrote:

I've tried Database > Convert Database Driver to no avail.

I have used this method using CR7 for Pervasive, and have had success with simple reports... to begin you will need a local ODBC Client DSN pointing toward your DBA data, select "Convert Database Driver...", check the box (Convert Database Driver on next Refresh) and select the PDSODBC.DLL [ODBC] file, select the DBA ODBC DSN, just click "OK" when asked to logon to DBA (unless your setup requires user/password authentication), then click "OK" to any error dialogs that pop up. Follow up with renaming the tables in "Set Location..." (from BKABCDEF.B to BKABCDEF_B), select "Yes" to fix up the report for each table upon clicking "Done", click "verify database" to ensure proper communication, then refresh your data.

Have had trouble with more complicated reports, causing CR to hang following the same procedure, and have also seen the multibyte character string problems using the ODBC driver as noted in my DBA Demo Online project in this forum.

Title: Re: Crystal version 10 ... Set Up ODBC Drivers
Post by Tim Keating on 06/06/05 at 12:57:49

Wow, many thanks for those tips Danimal. A few clicks of the mouse and I turned a 95 second generation time into 3 seconds.

My report linked multiple tables and I lost the links during the process so I would suggest that anyone trying this take a snapshot of those first.

Title: Re: Crystal version 10 ... Set Up ODBC Drivers
Post by David Waldmann on 06/07/05 at 04:13:10

Danimal -

Thanks for the details. I always just gave up when I got the error messages. This works great!