Crystal ActiveX Runtime Lib: Change text data source path at run time.

Question

We have some PCs running Crystal Reports 10 and some running CR 9 and 8.5. For each PC, we set up a System DSN ODBC data source (in Control Panel - Administrative Tools) for pulling data from text files to
generate reports.
Recently we wrote some routines (see the Visual Basic example at the
end of this message) to change the path of the data files at runtime.
According to the Crystal Reports Technical Reference Guide, we may use
the method LogOnServer() of an Application object or an DatabaseTable
object. However, we find that this does not work: the PrintOut()
method only pulls data from the default path as configured for the
System DSN, not from the path passed as the third parameter of
LogOnServer(). It does not return any error message.
We have also tried to use SetTableLocation() method, and it still does
not work.
Would any experts examine our code below and advise what we are missing? Thanks.
For the following VB example, we have:
System DSN Name: AP_WORKSHEET
Driver: Microsoft Text Driver
Database Directory: D:\0ood2 (i.e. the default path)
Crystal Report Document: D:\3g\run\Vision\apcyto\Reports\crBlockWS.rpt
(Which specifies that the data source text file name is BlockWS.txt)
Purpose : We would like to read the data source text file from
D:\0ood1 instead of the default path.
Following is the code of the VB macro:
Sub test()
Rem In this version of the subroutine, we call
Rem DatabaseTable.LogOnServer() and "Rem"ed out
Rem Application.LogOnServer() and SetTableLocation().
Rem We have un"Rem"ed each of them and "Rem"ed others and try to run.
Rem In all runs, data are pulled from the default file
Rem D:\0ood2\BlockWS.txt instead of D:\0ood1\BlockWE.txt.
Dim crxapp As CRAXDRT.Application
Dim crxRep As CRAXDRT.Report
Dim crxDB As CRAXDRT.Database
Dim crxTab As CRAXDRT.DatabaseTable
Dim crxConnPs As CRAXDRT.ConnectionProperties
Dim crxConnP As CRAXDRT.ConnectionProperty
Dim apropSubLoc As String
Dim apropConnBufStr As String
Set crxapp = CreateObject("CrystalRuntime.Application")
Rem
crxapp.LogOnServer "p2sodbc.dll", "AP_WORKSHEET", "<CRWDC>DBQ=D:\0ood1",
Set crxRep = crxapp.OpenReport
("D:\3g\run\Vision\apcyto\Reports\crBlockWS.rpt")
Set crxDB = crxRep.Database
Set crxTab = crxRep.Database.Tables(1)
apropConnBufStr = crxTab.ConnectBufferString
apropSubLoc = crxTab.SubLocation
crxDB.LogOnServer "p2sodbc.dll", "AP_WORKSHEET", "<CRWDC>DBQ=D:\0ood1",
Rem crxTab.SetTableLocation "D:\0ood1\BlockWS.txt", apropSubLoc, "DSN="
Rem Set crxConnPs = crxTab.ConnectionProperties
Rem Set crxConnP = crxConnPs.Item("DSN")
Rem crxConnP.Value = "AP_WORKSHEET"
Rem Set crxConnP = crxConnPs.Item("Database")
Rem crxConnP.Value = "D:\0ood1\BlockWS.txt"
Rem crxTab.Location = "BlockWS.txt"
crxRep.DiscardSavedData
crxRep.PrinterSetup (0)
crxRep.PrintOut
End Sub
For VB macros, the problem exists in all of CR 8.5, 9 and 10. However,
for another platform we are using, Unify Vision 4GL, it works for CR
8.5 while not working for CR 9 and 10.
Following is the source code in Unify Vision 4GL. This language may
not be popular, but I thin you are about to see how it calls the
Runtime Library methods LogOnServer(), OpenReport(), PrinterSetup() and
PrintOut().
%gfPrintCrystalReport
BOOL FUNCTION gfPrintCrystalReport($reportName)
BEGIN
if NOTMKNOWN(GF:$oSeagateId) then
create service of activex
class 'CrystalRuntime.Application'
object_ref into GF:$oSeagateId;
if MKNOWN(GF:$oSeagateId) then
begin
/* TD23013: Database directories are dynamic to
accommodate multiple user requirement of Citrix */
send message LogOnServer to GF:$oSeagateId
using
( 'PDSODBC.DLL', 'AP_WORKSHEET', '<CRWDC>DBQ='+GF:$WinTempDir,'','')
identified by $msgHandle;
if $msgHandle:MSG_STATE 'RESPONSE_PROCESSED'
then
begin
display 'Crystal Reports cannot connect
to the datasource ' for fyi_message wait;
return (FALSE)
end
send message OpenReport to GF:$oSeagateId using
($reportName, 1)
identified by $msgHandle returning
$oCrystalReport
if MKNOWN($oCrystalReport) then
begin
if (NOTMKNOWN(GF:$printerName)) then
set GF:$printerName to
$oCrystalReport->PrinterName;
if GF:$printerName $oCrystalReport-
PrinterName then
send message SelectPrinter to
$oCrystalReport
using
(GF:$driverName,GF:$printerName,GF:$portName)
identified by $msgHandle;
set $oCrystalReport-
DisplayProgressDialog to FALSE;
while TRUE
begin
DISPLAY NOTICE 'Print to : ' +
GF:$printerName
LABELS 'Ok'
DEFAULT, 'Cancel', 'Printer Setup'
RESULT INTO $userOption
switch ($userOption)
begin
case 0 :
send
message PrintOut to $oCrystalReport
using
(PROMPT_USER, NUMBER_OF_COPIES, COLLATED, START_PAGE, STOP_PAGE)
identified by $msgHandle;
set
$oCrystalReport to UNDEFINED
return
(TRUE);
case 1:
set
$oCrystalReport to UNDEFINED
return
(FALSE);
case 2:
send
message PrinterSetup to $oCrystalReport
using
(0)
identified by $msgHandle;
if
GF:$printerName $oCrystalReport->PrinterName then
begin
set GF:$printerName to $oCrystalReport->PrinterName;
set GF:$driverName to $oCrystalReport->DriverName;
set GF:$portName to $oCrystalReport->PortName;
end
break;
end
end
end
end
return
(FALSE);
END

Answer 1

Hi Sydney,
If you search the Developers help file you'll find info on using the method:
How to change the data source
This example demonstrates how to change the data source from native Access to an OLEDB (ADO) data source by using the ConnectionProperty Object, as well as how to change the table name by using the Location property of the DatabaseTable Object. CrystalReport1 is connected to the xtreme.mdb database found in the \Program Files\Crystal Decisions\Crystal Reports 10\Samples\En\Databases folder. The report is using the Customer table. A copy of the Customer table is added to the pubs database on Microsoft SQL Server.
' Create a new instance of the report.
Dim Report As New CrystalReport1
Private Sub Form_Load()
' Declare a ConnectionProperties collection.
Dim CPProperties As CRAXDRT.ConnectionProperties
' Declare a DatabaseTable object.
Dim DBTable As CRAXDRT.DatabaseTable
' Get the first table in the report.
Set DBTable = Report.Database.Tables(1)
' Get the collection of connection properties.
Set CPProperties = DBTable.ConnectionProperties
' Change the database DLL used by the report from
' native Access (crdb_dao.dll) to ADO/OLEDB (crdb_ado.dll).
DBTable.DllName = "crdb_ado.dll"
'  The connection property bags contain the name and value
' pairs for the native Access DLL (crdb_dao.dll). So we need
' to clear them, and then add the name and value pairs that
' are required to connect to the OLEDB data source.
' Clear all the ConnectioProperty objects from the collection.
CPProperties.DeleteAll
' Add the name value pair for the provider.
CPProperties.Add "Provider", "SQLOLEDB"
' Add the name value pair for the data source (server).
CPProperties.Add "Data Source", "ServerA"
' Add the name value pair for the database.
CPProperties.Add "Initial Catalog", "pubs"
' Add the name value pair for the user name.
CPProperties.Add "User ID", "UserName"
' Add the name value pair for the password.
CPProperties.Add "Password", "password"
' Set the table name. ' for SQL types it would be "database.dbo.table"
DBTable.Location = "Customer"
Screen.MousePointer = vbHourglass
' Set the report source of the viewer and view the report.
CRViewer1.ReportSource = Report
CRViewer1.ViewReport
Screen.MousePointer = vbDefault
End Sub