Using dataset with Crystal 13

[Former Member]

We are a company that develops for the Spanish Administration. In some projects we have used Crystal Reports 13, sending the data to the reports through datasets.

When our customer installed Crystal Reports 14, the reports of our applications stopped working. When opened, they appear blank with no data. We think this is because the report generation has been changed in this version. According to our client, if the reports are used as if they were on a report server , the report directly connected to the data source, then it works fine.

We need to know if in Crystal Reports 14 there is a way to send the data to a report through a dataset.
If this is not possible, then we would need confirmation from you that to use datasets it is necessary to keep working with Crystal 13, and if you do not mind, why this is so.

We would appreciate your prompt reply because we have several projects that do not work properly, with consequent damage to our company and our customers.

Thank you very much in advance for your attention.

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Somos una empresa que realiza desarrollos para la administración española. En algunos de ellos hemos utilizado Crystal Reports 13, pasando los datos a los reports a través de datasets.

Cuando nuestro cliente ha instalado Crystal Reports 14, los reports de nuestras aplicaciones han dejado de funcionar. Al abrirse aparecen en blanco, sin datos. Creemos que esto ocurre porque cambia la forma de generar los reports. Según nos informa el cliente, si se utilizan los reports como si estuviesen en un servidor de reports (es decir, el report está conectado directamente a la fuente de datos) entonces sí funciona sin problemas.

Necesitamos saber si en Crystal Reports 14, existe alguna manera de pasar los datos a los reports a través de un dataset.

Si esto no fuera posible, entonces necesitaríamos confirmación por parte de ustedes de que para utilizar datasets es necesario continuar trabajando con la versión Crystal Reports 13, y si no es molestia, por qué es esto así.

Les agradeceríamos su pronta contestación ya que tenemos varios desarrollos que no funcionan correctamente, con el consiguiente perjuicio para nuestra empresa y el cliente.

Muchas gracias de antemano por su atención.

[former_member183750 · Accepted solution]

Hi Rocio

CR 14.x does not install any SDK... The equivalent SDK is in "SAP Crystal Reports, Developer Version for Visual Studio .NET" (v. 13.x). E.g.; there is no way for CR 14.x to consume datasets as these must be used in a VS .NET application. Installing CR 14.x would not interfere with the running of a .NET app as like I said CR 14 does not install any SDK.

So, we need more information:

From your description, I assume the application is using version 13 CR assemblies - please confirm.

Please define "stopped working"; errors, symptom, behavior

- Ludek

Senior Support Engineer Product Support, Global Support Center Canada

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[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Ludek,

Yes, our application is using 13 CR assemblies.
When I say that the reports of our application stopped working I mean the mentioned behavior: the reports don’t give an error when opened but they appear blank: with design, labels… but no data.

In the web.config we refer to the library we need and must be installed on the application server where our web application is deployed.
Specifically: CrystalDecisions.Web, Version = 13.0.2000.0

To be more precise, the problem has not been raised by the fact that our customer has installed CR 14 on the application server (they have installed Runtime Redistributable 64bit 14.1.1.1036, which installs CrystalDecisions.Web Version = 14.0 .3500.0. library, BTW).
The problem is actually that they asked us that, instead of CR 13 libraries, we must use CR 14 libraries. According to them CR 13 are outdated.

When we change the reference to the library of CR 14, reports appear with no data.

When you say that CR 14 should not interfere with the execution of a .NET application, you mean that could be installed on the application server both versions, CR13 and CR14?
If the application server has installed both versions, and our application uses libraries CR13, we believe the reports would come out correctly.
Please, may you confirm that this would be a valid configuration?

On the other hand, for the future, will the following versions of Crystal Reports include the SDK?
Or will CR 13 be the last version that allows using DataSets?
It’s to know if we, in the middle term, will have to modify our applications or change the technology we are using.

Thank you again,

Rocío

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Efectivamente, nuestra aplicación está utilizando 13 CR assemblies.

Cuando digo que ha dejado de funcionar me refiero al comportamiento que te comentaba que tienen los informes, que no dan error al ser abiertos pero aparecen en blanco: con el diseño, las etiquetas, etc. pero sin datos.

La aplicación la compilamos en 64 bits para plataformas any.

En el web.config hacemos referencia a la librería que necesitamos y que debe estar instalada en el servidor de aplicaciones donde se despliega nuestra aplicación web.

Concretamente: CrystalDecisions.Web, Version=13.0.2000.0

Para ser más precisos, el problema no se ha planteado por el hecho de que nuestro cliente haya instalado CR 14 en el servidor de aplicaciones (han instalado el Runtime Redistribuible 14.1.1.1036 64bits, que instala en el S.O. la librería CrystalDecisions.Web, Version=14.0.3500.0.)

El problema en realidad es que nos ha exigido que, en lugar de las librerías de CR 13, utilicemos las de CR 14. Según ellos, las librerías de CR 13 están anticuadas.

Cuando cambiamos la referencia a la librería del CR 14, los informes aparecen sin datos.

Cuando dices que CR 14 no debería interferir con la ejecución de una aplicación .NET, ¿quieres decir que se podrían instalar en el servidor de aplicaciones las dos versiones, CR13 y CR14?

Si en el servidor de aplicaciones están instaladas ambas versiones, y nuestra aplicación utiliza las librerías de CR13, nosotros creemos que los informes saldrían correctamente.

Por favor, ¿me puedes confirmar si ésta sería una configuración válida?

Por otro lado, de cara al futuro, las siguientes versiones de Crystal Reports ¿seguirán incluyendo el SDK? ¿O la versión 13 será la última con la que se podrán hacer informes con DataSets?

Es para saber si a medio plazo tendremos que modificar nuestras aplicaciones o cambiar de tecnología.

Gracias otra vez,

Rocío

[former_member183750 · Accepted solution]

Blank reports indicate that the report is being fed a dataset that does not conform to the format it is expecting. See the following on how to resolve this issue:

Troubleshooting Issues with VS .NET Datasets and Crystal Reports - Business Intelligence (BusinessOb...

- Ludek

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hello Ludek,

We can try what you say there but, the point is, referencing CR13 libraries, the reports works.

Why do they stop working using CR14 libraries?

Are really CR13 libraries outdated? Is it mandatory to update to CR14?

Thanks,

Rocío

[DellSC · Accepted solution]

The version 13.x libraries are Crystal for Visual Studio and are used to run stand-alone Crystal without either Crystal Reports Server (CRS) or BusinessObjects (BO).  The version 14.x libraries are for use when working with reports that have been published to either CRS or BO and will not work with reports that have not been published to one of those two systems.

-Dell