Data Sources and Databases

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mastering crystal reports 9
Chapter 15 - Configuring Your Design Environment
Mastering Crystal Reports 9
by Cate McCoy and Gord Maric
Sybex 2003

There are some data sources and databases that you work with frequently and others that you’ll never use. You can configure Crystal Reports to focus on the ones that you do use. In addition, you can tune database performance for your environment. Many of the database options are globally set; Figure 15.1 shows the global database options area accessed through the File > Options menu. Data source defaults are set on the Data Source Defaults dialog shown in Figure 15.2.

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Figure 15.1. Global database options

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Figure 15.2. Global data source settings

I work only with Excel data files. Can I force Crystal Reports to look for only XLS data files? Choose File > Options, Data Source Defaults tab, Database File Filter area, and remove any unwanted file types.

All my database files are stored in a specific drive. Can I set a default to have Crystal Reports look there first for my databases? Choose File > Options, Data Source Defaults tab, Data Directory area, and use the Browse button choose a directory.

I’ve connected to the right data source, but I do not see my tables in the Database Expert. Choose File > Options, Database tab, Show area, and enable the Tables check box.

I do not see any stored procedures in the Database Expert, yet I know the database contains stored procedures. Is there a setting I need to know about? Choose File > Options, Database tab, Show area, and enable the Stored Procedures check box.

I do not see any views in the Database Expert, yet I know the database contains views. Is there a setting I need to know about? Choose File > Options, Database tab, Show area, and enable the Views check box.

The table names I’m seeing in Database Expert do not match the table names when I look at them through the actual database. Choose File > Options, Database tab, Show area, and disable the Synonyms check box.

I need to write a report using the database’s system tables, but these do not appear in the Database Expert. Choose File > Options, Database tab, Show area, and enable the System Tables check box.

I work only with payroll tables. How can I show only tables that start with the letters PAY in the Database Expert? Choose File > Options, Database tab, Show area, and in the Table Name LIKE area, type PAY%. The percent symbol will match any letters from where you use it to the end of a word. The underscore character will match on a specific character. For instance, the filter PAY% will find tables named PAYROLL, PAYEE, PAYMENTS, etc.

The database I work with contains an enormous number of tables. How can I show only the tables I created in the Database Expert? Choose File > Options, Database tab, Show area, and in the Owner LIKE area, type the name of the table owner. The percent symbol will match any letters from where you use it to the end of a word. The underscore character will match on a specific character. For instance, the filter _il% will find tables created by BILL and DILBERT.

Tables in the Database Expert are appearing with a hyphen and a comment after the table name. I’d like to see just the table names. Choose File > Options, Database tab, List Tables And Fields area, and enable a suitable combination of the Name, Description, or Both radio buttons.

The tables listed in the Database Expert are not in alphabetical order. Is this right? Choose File > Options, Database tab, Sorting area, and enable the Sort Tables Alphabetically option.

When I look at a list of fields in a database through Crystal Reports, they are not in alphabetical order. Is this right? Choose File > Options, Database tab, Sorting area, and enable the Sort Fields Alphabetically option.

The database I’m working with is indexed. How can I be sure Crystal Reports will use the indexes? Choose File > Options, Database tab, Advanced Options area, and enable the Use Indexes Or Server For Speed option.

For the current report only, choose File > Report Options and enable/disable the Use Indexes Or Server For Speed option.

I’m working with a SQL-capable database on a database server. Can I push some of the processing off Crystal and onto the database? Choose File > Options, Database tab, Advanced Options area, and enable the Use Indexes Or Server For Speed option.

For the current report only, choose File > Report Options and enable/disable the Use Indexes Or Server For Speed option.

I’m working with a SQL-capable database on a database server. Can I force the server to group the data so that Crystal Reports doesn’t have to? Choose File > Options, Database tab, Advanced Options area, and enable the Perform Grouping On Server option.

For the current report only, choose Database > Perform Grouping On Server.

For the current report only, choose File > Report Options and enable/disable the Perform Grouping On Server option.

When I search for data in a SQL database, I don’t care about the differences between upper- and lowercase letters; after all, green is still GREEN. Can Crystal ignore case for searches? Choose File > Options, Database tab, Advanced Options area, and enable the Database Server Is Case-Insensitive option.

For the current report only, choose File > Report Options and enable/disable the Database Server Is Case-Insensitive option.

When I connect to a SQL database server, my machine is tied up for a long time. Can I break out of this without crashing my machine? Choose File > Options, Database tab, Advanced Options area, and enable the Perform Query Asynchronously option.

For the current report only, choose File > Report Options and enable/disable the Perform Query Asynchronously option.

My database structure changes from time to time. How can I make sure Crystal picks up the changes whenever I open a report that uses the database? Choose File > Options, Database tab, Advanced Options area, and enable the Verify On First Refresh option.

For the current report only, choose Database > Verify Database.

I’ve upgraded from a Microsoft Access to a Microsoft SQL Server database. How can I make sure Crystal picks up the changes whenever I open a report that uses a changed database? Choose File > Options, Database tab, Advanced Options area, and enable the Verify When Database Driver Upgraded option.

For the current report only, choose Database > Verify On First Refresh.

I need to tell Crystal Reports that the database has changed locations. For the current report only, choose Database > Set Datasource Location.

I have finished using one SQL database server and need to use a different SQL database server, but Crystal Reports still thinks I’m using the first one. How do I change this? For the current report only, choose Database > Log On Or Off Server.

Can I see the SQL query that was sent by Crystal to a SQL data source? For the current report only, choose Database > Show SQL Query.

I want to prevent Crystal from retrieving duplicate records into my report from a SQL data source. For the current report only, choose Database > Select Distinct Records.

For the current report only, choose File > Report Options and enable/disable the Select Distinct Records option.

I want to use XML as a data source in Crystal. Where do I go to start this process? Open the XML Expert by choosing Report> XML Expert. This allows you to create a custom format for an XML schema as well as create validation by associating XSD and DTD files. Figure 15.3 shows the XML Expert.

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Figure 15.3. XML Expert

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Mastering Crystal Reports 9
Mastering Crystal Reports 9
ISBN: 0782141730
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2005
Pages: 217

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