How do I come from Crystal?

rbuser

We are looking at adding another reporting tool option to our product.

We currently create database views for all of our reporting and use
groups to create 1 - Many - Many reports.

I think our use of views is very similar to what DADE is for in
RB.

I get the impression that RB needs a DBPipeLine specific to each
report or view. The problem we have is when the user creates custom
view, there is no corresponding DBPipeLine to write a new report
that uses this "new" custom view.

Ideally, I would like the SQL statement stored with the report and
then extract that, assign it to a TSQLQuery and then run the report.

Is this possible?

digitalmetaphors

Yes, you can export (from the file menu) the datamodules (data definition
template) from DADE and save them in the database or to file as a .dtm, just
like you would save the report definition to database or to file as an .rtm.
Then you can import the datamodule at runtime when you user creates a new
report. Here is an example of replacing the datamodule for a report that is
loaded at runtime. Also, there was a similar thread on this yesterday in
the EndUser newsgroup.

http://www.digital-metaphors.com/tips/ReplaceDataModule.zip


Cheers,

Jim Bennett
Digital Metaphors

rbuser

I looked at the thread and it is similar but different.

Let me give you an example.

Our product comes with views for reporting.

I have view 1 - 24, registerd with DADE. Reports related to each, etc,
etc. My end user decides he wants some off the wall report that none of
our view or confirgured data sources already in DADE support.

He creates view #25. How do I set the system so he can do a custom
report on view #25? The only way that I can see is setting up this
relationship in code like I did the other 24 views. I can't be doing
this for all of my customers. It would be a maintenance nightmare.

So can Report Builder do this with out me writing any custom code each
time a client has this need?

digitalmetaphors

Add daIDE to the uses clause and your user can use DADE in the report
designer.

What database are you using? Depending on the DADE plugin, it should return
views as a valid table name. Then the user can create a DADE dataview on
this view as if it were a table on the database. The SQL will be correctly
generated. In the report design workspace, the Report | Data menu can be
changed to point to the new dataview and create the report that they want.
They can then save the datamodule s/he just created via the Export menu
option and load it for use it in other reports.

Cheers,

Jim Bennett
Digital Metaphors

rbuser

Thanks! this was exactly what I was looking for. From my reporting
person didn't see this very clearly in the manual. I will ask her to
take another look before we make a decision. It would be nice if this
was streamlined some how for the end user.

By the way, we will be using dbExpress.

digitalmetaphors

Also take a look at the tech tips newsgroup in the End User thread. There is
an article there which describes how to control the end user environment.


Cheers,

Jim Bennett
Digital Metaphors