Merge module for Crystal Reports .net 1.1 that includes hotfix crnet11win

[Former Member]

Hi all.

I have a .net 1.1 application built with Visual Studio 2003 and integrated Crystal Reports. I deploy it using the merge modules that come with that version of Visual Studio, and I get the following error when exporting a report to PDF: "Error detected by Export dll".

After quite a bit of searching, I have discovered I have to apply the following patch: crnet11win_en. In fact, when I do the problem is fixed.

Now, are there updated merge modules for Crystal Reports for Visual Studio .net 1.1 that INCLUDE the hotfix, so I do not have to provide my client with the application installer PLUS the hotfix (not very professional-looking)? The merge modules I have found seem to be the same I already had, and they do not solve the error.

Thanks very much in advance.

Juan

[former_member183750 · Accepted solution]

see if the links provided in [this|https://wiki.sdn.sap.com/wiki/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=56787567] wiki help.

Ludek

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Ludek.

A filtering algorithm that´s obviously too smart won´t let my message go through because it does not follow the forum guidelines (?), even if I say very little. In short, I am going to try version 10.0.x (version 9.2.x seems even older than 9.1) and will let you know.

Juan

[Former Member]

Hello again, and sorry for the big delay... over all these months, when I had time, I tried and tried different options, but none worked.

Mainly, I tried all merge modules that are marked as working for .net 1.1, and with all of them the reporting worked fine, EXCEPT for exporting to PDF (same error all the time). Even though, as I mention, applying the patch does fix the problem.

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance, I am know back full time in this project so should be able to reply more continuosly.

Juan

[former_member183750]

What version of CR did you settle on?

What OS?

What CR Service Pack are you using?

Provide the link to the CR runtime you are trying to use.

- Ludek

[Former Member]

Ludek,

I tried the following merge modules from the link you provided:

• CR 9.1 (Assembly 9.1.5000.0), which was the one I originally had.

• CR 10.0.X (Assembly 10.0.3300.0)

• CR 2008 (SP 3) (Assembly 12.0.1100.0)

Mainly, then, all the ones that the wiki mentions as workable for .net 1.1. However, the patch mentions the issue is not resolved until mid 2007, so all versions previous to that date seem to me like will not work. This is the documentation about the error I get, from the patch:

Description: Exporting a report to Excel format on Windows Vista or Windows 2003 Server SP 2 results in an error "Error

detected by export dll."

New Behavior: The issue is resolved.

The issue is corrected in the following component version, or later.

ExportModeller.dll 9.1.1.528 07/01/2007

I develop in Windows 7, but I test also in Windows XP and Vista, and it doesn´t work in any of them until I apply the patch.

I am not sure if I answered all your questions with this, but I can´t think of more information to provide.

Now, I wonder this: I can download the merge modules and link with the new ones to deploy... BUT, should I also change the reference in the code to work with a newer version of the assembly???? The problem I have is that I only "see", from Visual Studio, the original assembly that came with VS2003 as the one I can reference (and that is version 9.1.5000.0). Should I also link with newer versions of the .net development libraries (and, if so, how do I install them)?

Thanks again for the help (and, by the way, for some reason the forum does not update my POP (can´t use the word e-m-a-i-l or the filter forbids the post :P) when there is a new reply to my post... which did the first time

Regards,

Juan

[former_member183750]

 

BUT, should I also change the reference in the code to work with a newer version of the assembly???? The problem I have is that I only "see", from Visual Studio, the original assembly that came with VS2003 as the one I can reference (and that is version 9.1.5000.0). Should I also link with newer versions of the .net development libraries (and, if so, how do I install them)? 

This is why I was wondering on what version of CR you are actually using. You can download all kinds of runtimes, but since you are referencing assemblies of version 9.1.500, then only the CR runtime for the version of CR that bundles with .NET 2003 will work for you. E.g.; that app will never even look with runtime of version 10, or 11, or any other.

To see higher version assemblies (and be licensed to use them in development), you'd have to have the Developer SKUs of the product. E.g.; CR 10.0 Developer. CR 2008 has no Pro \ Developer SKU, but you'd have to purchase a copy.

So, let's go with the version of CR that bundles with .NET 2003 (9.1.x).

Now, the fix for the export issue you quote is very specific to WIN 2003 SP 2 as this is where Microsoft decided to change their security model... The fix does not apply to any other OS supported by CR 9.1. For details see the wiki [Crystal Reports v. 9.1 to 12.x VS .NET Runtime Distribution & Supported Operating Systems

|https://wiki.sdn.sap.com/wiki/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=56787567]. Note that CR 9.1 does not support Vista and Win 7...

Also note that the fix is very specific to one export only; XLS. PDF export was not affected by this security change.

Windows XP should work, irrespective of the fix you are using.

So, back to square one.;

I'd recommend trying couple of sample apps:

u2022vbnet_win_export.zip

u2022vbnet_win_exporttopdf.zip

You can download those from here:

https://wiki.sdn.sap.com/wiki/display/BOBJ/CrystalReportsfor.NETSDK+Samples

More on the fix. It is available from here:

https://smpdl.sap-ag.de/~sapidp/012002523100009301312009E/crnet11win_en.zip

I do not know where the runtime got to and I'll check on that. However note that export to any format on an XP OS should work irrespective.

- Ludek

[Former Member]

Thanks Ludek.

I believe you are right in being suspicious about all these... because, one of the details I forgot to mention, is that the application did NOT have this problem for many years, and it suddenly appeared after a change of development machine (that is, new installation of Visual Studio 2003 on a Windows Vista machine, I believe that´s when it appeared)...

So yes, it´s all very strange. I will try those sample apps, it´s a good idea, and let you know.

Thanks very much once again.

Juan

[former_member183750]

Hi Juan

More info. It's been such a long time since I looked at CR 9.1...

The SP1 was all that was released for the version of CR that bundled with .NET 2003. There were never any new MSM files released that contained the fixes. But. You can run the SP right on the runtime machine (which you can not do with later versions of CR) and that will update the runtime.

Have a great weekend,

- Ludek

[Former Member]

Hello again, Ludek.

I have been working with the samples, and also messing in and out with my application, because I could not figure out why the samples worked (I created an installer application for them, installed it, and the export worked fine), but exporting in my application gave that export error.

Well, as it normally happens, I found the reason BY CHANCE. And it´s probably why I did not see it happen in the past (where I had only sample reports for the application, and now it´s running in a production environment with real data).

If I include CARRIAGE RETURNS in my reports, exporting breaks. If the text that is included has no carriage returns (like, for instance, there is no carriage returns in the sample reports), then exporting works fine!!!!!

So, the problem lies within the carriage return + line feed codes. I store those texts in an Access Database, from where the report is filled. As always, even with carriage returns, installing the patch solves the problem.

Any ideas?

Thanks once again.

Juan

[former_member183750]

Looking at [this|http://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/servlet/prt/portal/prtroot/com.sap.km.cm.docs/oss_notes_boj/sdn_oss_boj_bi/sap(bD1lbiZjPTAwMQ==)/bc/bsp/spn/scn_bosap/notes%7B6163636573733d36393736354636443646363436353344333933393338323636393736354637333631373036453646373436353733354636453735364436323635373233443330333033303331333533333334333333393335%7D.do] and [this|http://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/servlet/prt/portal/prtroot/com.sap.km.cm.docs/oss_notes_boj/sdn_oss_boj_bi/sap(bD1lbiZjPTAwMQ==)/bc/bsp/spn/scn_bosap/notes%7B6163636573733d36393736354636443646363436353344333933393338323636393736354637333631373036453646373436353733354636453735364436323635373233443330333033303331333233303337333333373330%7D.do] KBase, it may be that the following needs to be done:

1) Expose the required fonts to the application at the Operating System level.

2) Under the u201CRegional and Language Optionsu201D for the Operating System, go to the Languages tab and check the u201CInstall files for complex script and right-to-left languages (including Thai)u201D checkbox.

3) Also within the "Regional and Language Options" under the Advanced tab, check the u201CApply all settings to the current user account and to the default user profileu201D.

- Ludek

[Former Member]

Hi.

Once again, I have been forced to stay out of this project, and of this particular "issue", for a few months. And now I´m back again, after another feature update. Really sorry for the ups and downs on the thread.

So, with some more time again in my hands, and although there is always the back-up of executing the patch and not have the export error, I have gone back to trying to piece together a very simple example that shows the error.

If you remember, I had traced the bug down to having the CARRIAGE RETURN + LINE FEED as source of the problem. The last suggestion from Ludek to solve it did not have any effect (it would have been really weird, since I don´t deal with any of those "complex" languages anyway). Well, doing a bit more research the problem is actually ONLY WHEN TWO carriage return + line feeds, one after the other, appear in a text field that is shown in the report.

I can´t find a way to attach files to the thread post, so here´s the very simple code that makes my sample break:

1. I create the simplest of reports, just one text field from an ADO Dataset. The report is called "Very_simple_report.rpt"

2. I have created a form with a button (just as in the sample ExportToPDF), and this is the code when I click on it:

Private Sub Button2_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button2.Click

''The path/location where the exported file will be saved

Dim exportFilePath As String = Application.StartupPath + "exported.pdf"

''Create dataset and fill with data

Dim sourceDS As Very_simple_dataset = New Very_simple_dataset

Dim sourceDSNewRow As DataRow = sourceDS.Tables("ReportFields").NewRow()

''sourceDSNewRow("ReportField") = "Text without carriage return" -> with this line instead of next, everything works fine

Dim text As String = "Text with TWO carriage returns, this is what BREAKS IT" + vbCr + vbLf + vbCr + vbLf + "Second line"

sourceDSNewRow("ReportField") = text

sourceDS.Tables("ReportFields").Rows.Add(sourceDSNewRow)

''Create an instance of the simple report

crReportDocument = New Very_simple_report

''And set the datasource

crReportDocument.SetDataSource(sourceDS)

''Set the options for saving the exported file to disk

crDiskFileDestinationOptions = New DiskFileDestinationOptions

crDiskFileDestinationOptions.DiskFileName = exportFilePath

''Set the exporting information

crExportOptions = crReportDocument.ExportOptions

With crExportOptions

.DestinationOptions = crDiskFileDestinationOptions

.ExportDestinationType = ExportDestinationType.DiskFile

.ExportFormatType = ExportFormatType.PortableDocFormat

End With

''Export the report

crReportDocument.Export()

''Display a message letting the user know the export is complete

MessageBox.Show("Report exported to: '" & exportFilePath & "'")

End Sub

... and then, if I create the installer for this app, install it and run it, I get the export error. Not so, as mentioned in the code, if the line does not have TWO CARRIAGE RETURN + LINE FEED TOGETHER. Even just one doesn´t break it, it´s two (¿?).

Note: since the sample ExportToPDF was in VB.net, I wrote this new method also in that language. But my real project is in C#, so as expected the programming language has nothing to do wih the bug.

I can provide sample code, and installer... if someone is curious I guess I can place it in any of those file exchange sites (like WeTransfer) and post the link here. But I´ll leave it at this for now, hope someone can throw any light on this.

Thanks once again.

Juan

[former_member183750]

Hello Juan:

Just want to confirm;

at this point we're using CR 2008?

And what version of .NET?

Finally, originaly this thread started with framework 1.1, are we still on framework 1.1? Any chance of going to framework 2 or higher?

- Ludel

[Former Member]

Hi again, Ludek.

We are still stuck with the original environment: VS 2003 (hence .net 1.1), and the version of CR bundled with VS2003. No plans to migrate in the short term (I know, I would LOVE to but...

As I say, I can provide a sample installer for you to test this, if it helps.

Cheers,

Juan

[former_member183750]

Well, it would not be hard to get the files from you, however I suspect that all this would do is confirm that this is an issue in CR 9.1. Since there are no more Service Packs planned for CR 9.1, it would be a moot endeavor.

E.g.; best I could do would be to get as close to your environment where we can get a reasonable chance of a fix. That would probably be CR 2008, .NET 2005.

Let me know if that makse sense.

- Ludek

[Former Member]

Yeap, it makes sense: too old of a CR version, so even if I may have run into a bug... nothing to do at this point, I understand.

Well, at least we have the patch to survive!

Thanks for trying, Ludek.

Cheers,

Juan