Hamlet081299
asked on
Specifying database in URL for Crystal Web Component Server
We are using the standard edition of Crystal Enterprise version 8 to deliver reports via our internet. The reports are selected from a menu and parameters entered into a form. This is then transformed into the appropriate URL using PHP.
I have read the documentation on "URL Commands for the Web Component Server" (ce8_url_commands.pdf) which has a section on "Logging onto your Database", but have not been able to get change the database from that which the report was originally designed with.
The documentation does specifically refer to "SQL or ODBC databases", but we are using OLEDB for our connection.
Can anyone tell me how to specify parameters in the URL that will allow me to specify a different database for OLEDB.
Thanks
H.
I have read the documentation on "URL Commands for the Web Component Server" (ce8_url_commands.pdf) which has a section on "Logging onto your Database", but have not been able to get change the database from that which the report was originally designed with.
The documentation does specifically refer to "SQL or ODBC databases", but we are using OLEDB for our connection.
Can anyone tell me how to specify parameters in the URL that will allow me to specify a different database for OLEDB.
Thanks
H.
ASKER
I've tried changing one of the reports to use ODBC, but I'm still not having much luck getting it to change databases through the URL.
I've tried using both System DSNs and File DSNs, but I think I must have something wrong still. I have two databases - one for test and one for production - "DBTest" and "DBProd". I created system DSNs on the web server also called "DBTest" and "DBProd".
Lets say a have a report "reportx.rpt", which has been created using "DBTest", and I want to display it using "DBProd" then I am using this URL ...
reportx.rpt?user-DBProd.DB
Is that correct?
H.
I've tried using both System DSNs and File DSNs, but I think I must have something wrong still. I have two databases - one for test and one for production - "DBTest" and "DBProd". I created system DSNs on the web server also called "DBTest" and "DBProd".
Lets say a have a report "reportx.rpt", which has been created using "DBTest", and I want to display it using "DBProd" then I am using this URL ...
reportx.rpt?user-DBProd.DB
Is that correct?
H.
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ASKER
That won't quite work for me. What I wanted is to have one set of reports that are reused against both a test and production database. At any time different users will access the same report but for different databases, and I wanted to avoid having to make copies of every report and then change the connection.
If you look at ce8_urlcommands.pdf, available from ...
http://support.businessobjects.com/communityCS/TechnicalPapers/ce8_urlcommands.pdf.asp
... you will see that on page 11 it describes how to pass server name, database name, user and password via the url. Maybe I'm mistaken but I took this to mean that I could CHANGE which database the report used.
H.
If you look at ce8_urlcommands.pdf, available from ...
http://support.businessobjects.com/communityCS/TechnicalPapers/ce8_urlcommands.pdf.asp
... you will see that on page 11 it describes how to pass server name, database name, user and password via the url. Maybe I'm mistaken but I took this to mean that I could CHANGE which database the report used.
H.
Hamlet,
I'm very familiar with this document - unfortunately what you're looking at on page 11 is simply another way to pass the authentication credentials, it does not allow you to change the database. That's documented here: http://support.businessobjects.com/library/kbase/articles/c2007327.asp.
Sorry, but if you're using unmanaged reports and you want to maintain both a test and production version, you'll have to maintain two separate reports (unless of course you change the ODBC as we've already discussed but that probably won't work in this situation).
frodoman
I'm very familiar with this document - unfortunately what you're looking at on page 11 is simply another way to pass the authentication credentials, it does not allow you to change the database. That's documented here: http://support.businessobjects.com/library/kbase/articles/c2007327.asp.
Sorry, but if you're using unmanaged reports and you want to maintain both a test and production version, you'll have to maintain two separate reports (unless of course you change the ODBC as we've already discussed but that probably won't work in this situation).
frodoman
ASKER
Not the answer I wanted to hear, but probably the only answer.
Thanks
H.
Thanks
H.
No problem - frodoman
To the best of my knowledge if the report is created with an OLEDB connection you cannot change it from the original database to a different one. If this function is a requirement you may have to go with an ODBC connection.
frodoman