Crystal Reports File Format

[Former Member]

I'm interested in finding out the actual file format Crystal uses. I would like to develop an application that will allow me to pass as parameters the database provider and possibly table name and other things and modify the report file. This would be done in a batch mode for moving reports from test to production environments.

What I'm looking for is a file layout like you would see for that of a GIF or BMP graphics file.

Thanks

Edited by: Mark Zellner on May 15, 2009 9:28 PM

[former_member183750 · Accepted solution]

No such thing available. However you can use the Report Creation APIs from the RAS SDK to modify and even create from scratch a report.

For more info re. RAS see the following resources:

https://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/sdn/go/portal/prtroot/docs/library/uuid/10b840c0-623f-2b10-03b5-9d191386...

https://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/scn/go/portal/prtroot/docs/library/uuid/b050afe0-2fa5-2b10-658d-98f214ba...

https://boc.sdn.sap.com/developer/library

https://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/boc/businessobjects-samples?rid=/webcontent/uuid/b02c1cac-ad86-2b10-88ae... [original link is broken]

https://websmp106.sap-ag.de/~form/sapnet?_SHORTKEY=01100035870000713358&_SCENARIO=011000358700000002...

Note that you will have to have the full version of CR. Versions of CR that bundle with .NET do not ship with RAS APIs.

Ludek

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

So, I could do these things with the SDK but I would have to be running the Crystal Reports Server? Or would I just need the full version of Crystal Reports (I have CR 2008)?

[former_member183750 · Accepted solution]

No, no. I suppose in some way, RAS has by now become sort of a misnomer. You can use the APIs with Crystal Server, but you can also create windows or web apps apps using the RAS SDK, no Crystal Server needed. The server will run inproc, but you don't have to worry about that. Same runtime as for CR SDK when it comes to deployment too. Easy.

Ludek