Understanding How the Repository Works

The Crystal Repository that ships with Crystal Reports 9 is a standalone database. It is a Microsoft Access database that Crystal Reports maintains, which means that Crystal Reports internally understands how to create the tables and structures it requires to make the repository work.

If a new repository database is needed, all Crystal needs to know is where the database is located. The database itself need not have any tables or fields in it prior to populating the repository with objects and folders. Crystal Reports will create all the necessary tables and fields to make the repository work successfully. Be aware that a report can only connect to one repository at a time.

Crystal Reports uses ODBC to communicate with the repository database. This design is used so that if the report designer chooses, he can use any data source desired as a back-end database (such as Microsoft SQL Server, IBM DB2, Oracle, and others). You are not limited to Microsoft Access as the repository data store.

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For more information on ODBC, see Hour 3.


Some things you can do within the repository include

  • Adding objects and folders

  • Updating existing objects

  • Renaming folders and objects

  • Updating properties of objects

  • Deleting objects and folders



Sams Teach Yourself Crystal Reports 9 in 24 Hours
Sams Teach Yourself Crystal Reports 9 in 24 Hours
ISBN: B003D7JUVW
EAN: N/A
Year: 2005
Pages: 230

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