JeffvClayton
asked on
Crystal Report and Datatable
I have a Crystal Report which I designed by importing an access table and selecting the fields i wanted.
The actual report is generated not from the access table, but from a datatable which is filled from a query on the access table and others
The problem is the DataTable has a couple of extra columns which are added separately before the DataTable is used as the crystal report datasource
The extra column names do not exist in any database, but I know what they will always be named. How can I add report fields in the Crystal report to take the data from these extra columns, without having to design an access table with the extra columns and appropriate field names, attach the access table to the report to design it using the extra fields, and then takeg the fields out of the access table again or simply delete the access table, as the data will always come from a datatable generated on the fly. I have tried adding unbound formula fields of the same name but i just get blank entries,. Is their a way to add fields to the crystal report similar to database fields so that the crystal report will recognise all the columns in the DataTable?
The actual report is generated not from the access table, but from a datatable which is filled from a query on the access table and others
The problem is the DataTable has a couple of extra columns which are added separately before the DataTable is used as the crystal report datasource
The extra column names do not exist in any database, but I know what they will always be named. How can I add report fields in the Crystal report to take the data from these extra columns, without having to design an access table with the extra columns and appropriate field names, attach the access table to the report to design it using the extra fields, and then takeg the fields out of the access table again or simply delete the access table, as the data will always come from a datatable generated on the fly. I have tried adding unbound formula fields of the same name but i just get blank entries,. Is their a way to add fields to the crystal report similar to database fields so that the crystal report will recognise all the columns in the DataTable?
Create a temporary table having all fields including your two fields. Create Crystal report based on this table. Once finished report, delete that table. If you are passing dataTable with additional fields, it will work.
ASKER
Yes , thats the solution i put in the question, but is their a way of doing it without having to make a temporary table?
just an opinion, not an answer.
i recommend you steer clear of Crystal Reports......... just my opinion
www.devexpress.com has a nice reporting control much more flexible than CR. (as i say this, i am using CR in my apps, but has given me such hell that i intend to make the switch pronto)
NY
i recommend you steer clear of Crystal Reports......... just my opinion
www.devexpress.com has a nice reporting control much more flexible than CR. (as i say this, i am using CR in my apps, but has given me such hell that i intend to make the switch pronto)
NY
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Can u explain step 3 little bit more? Is that solve his additional fields issue?
Thanks
Thanks
ASKER
Yes thats another way to do it, although the problem is that i dont know how many extra fields i will have before hand, as the sql that generates the datatable is built up in code, adding fields from different databases as necessary. I was hoping their was a way to some how attach a formula field to a DataTable column, have seen this banded around but can't get it to work
cr.DataDefinition.FormulaF
cr.DataDefinition.FormulaF
ASKER
PS Using VB Net 2005
Well, my suggestion would be useful only when datasource for report has a fixed number of fields. That's a disadvantage.
But on the other hand how report will react when you pass a data with different schema than it was created with? To say the truth I've never tried.
On the other hand report could be designed with maximum possible fields and then report textbox's suppress property could be used to write a condition when a field should be hidden in a report.
But on the other hand how report will react when you pass a data with different schema than it was created with? To say the truth I've never tried.
On the other hand report could be designed with maximum possible fields and then report textbox's suppress property could be used to write a condition when a field should be hidden in a report.
ASKER
Yes it all comes back to having to design a schema with lots of fields, I will keep this question open for now in case someone knows how to define a formula field as a field object and tie it in to a datatable field
How a number of possible fields shown differ? I mean what is the minimum and the maximum number of fields you'll have to show?
Ramuncikas , Thanks for that ...
JeffvClayton , I think you can try with creating UnBound Fields. I think it will not show untill you bound it.
so u can make few more room there.
JeffvClayton , I think you can try with creating UnBound Fields. I think it will not show untill you bound it.
so u can make few more room there.
ASKER
After spending a lot of time looking at this and various user guides at businessobjects.com the answer is you have to define field names at design time, whether that means using xml schemas, linking to a database table or creating a text file of field names with no particular type of database in mind, the bottom line is the crystal report has to know field names beforehand, you can't define them at runtime.
ASKER
Thanks for all the replies, maybe the next version of crystal reports will allow a formula to be passed a field object.