Convert table linked report into a Command version - Howto?

Question

How can I convert hundreds of reports from table linked into a Command version?
One way to do is to take the SQL syntax off the report, add a Command with that Syntax and manually replace the database fields by the Command fields.
I can not believe that is the right way to this. Is there no hidden (re-)mapping fields button or another undocumented feature?
If this is the way to do it... when will there be a one-button-click solution. The underlaying data keeps the same, could not be that hard to build..?
Without that basic functionality Crystal Reports is not option for us anymore.
Backgroud: We do have hundreds of reports that are created by an ODBC (RDO) database (SQL Anywhere database), created by linking the tables and select the fields we like to use in the report. This works fine at least as we used the RDC method in our application. Because we are moving to .NET we could not use RDC anymore and have to use the .NET methods. However the .NET SDK is very limited. The only way to add more complex WHERE statements is to use the Command functionality of Crystal Reports.

Answer 1

Hi Hans,
Let me explain, Command Objects are sent directly to the DB server as is. CR does not alter the SQL at all. As you know in SQL there are minor differences between the various servers and the SQL syntax can vary from DB to DB. Because of this CR could not build in the logic to handle the vast number of potential mappings, and not jsut SQL types but also PC databases.
To be able to map reports based on connections directly to the DB through a Command object the current versions of CR do not have the ability. Possibly the next version may have this feature though but we can't say for sure until it's released. Check our WEB site for new versions and there functionality.
Next question about moving off of the RDC to .NET, you are correct. CR no longer allows you to modify the SQL statement directly. The RDC was actually supposed to stop you also but it did work.
One possible solution is to use .NET and inProc RAS ( Report Application Server) and using record sets. Your app can get the SQL from the report, process the query and appending the info onto the WHERE clause as well as other filtering and then set the existing reports data source to the record set. As long as your data is less than 5000 rows then no performance issues, over 5K and you may start to see slow report processing. Depends on other info and report complexity etc.
If this is an option for you please post your question to the Crystal .NET development forum. Also, you will need to use 12.x.2000.x versions of the CR .NET assemblies and not use the basic version 10.5 or 10.2 that comes with .NET 2008 and 2005.
Thank you
Don