Launch a Crystal Report Based on a Bus. Objects Universe with code

Question

Post Author: BobM
CA Forum: .NET
Launch a Crystal Report Based on a Bus. Objects Universe with code
We have purchased Business Objects Enterprise XI R2 and have designed a universe.  We have hundreds of scheduled reports that have been configured through the InfoView.  The problem is that we run these reports on a very odd date schedule and it is extremely cumbersome to go into these report definitions and change the dates in InfoView.
We would like to be able to store all the report parameters in a table (outside of the BO universe) along with the date and time we would like it to run.  All of this would need to be tagged with the report name so we know what report we are referring to.  Then we would like to sweep this table periodically (or use some other triggering mechanism) and launch the reports as specified (hopefully) using an API/SDK (like the one that used to be available with Crystal) to launch the .RPT file and pass all of the appropriate parameters, and possibly the credentials if need be.
In short we want to roll our own report scheduler due to some limitations we have found in the InfoView scheduler.
My main question is, does an API/SDK exist that can launch a crystal report that is based on a Business Objects Universe?  As I had stated, it needs to be able to pass parameters in the report call.  Based on my previous projects using Crystal connected directly to a SQL Server DB, I beleive this is possible, but I would like to hear from others that may be doing something similar with a Business Objects Universe back end.
We are using Crystal Reports XI R2.  Just to be clear, all of the functionality I specified up to the point where the report needs to be called is not an issue, we know how to do all of that.
Thanks in advance,Bob
Code; API; Business Objects; Universe; Crystal; BO Enterprise X11; Crystal Reports XI

Answer 1

With the code, you've presumably logged on to the database. To insert objects on to a new report you'd want to use code along the following lines:
private void AddTableFromDataSet(ref CrystalDecisions.CrystalReports.Engine.ReportDocument rpt, System.Data.DataSet ds)
ISCDReportClientDocument rasReport = rpt.ReportClientDocument;
// Convert the DataSet to an ISCRDataset object (something the ISCDReportClientDocument can understand)
CrystalDecisions.ReportAppServer.DataDefModel.ISCRDataSet rasDS;
rasDS = CrystalDecisions.ReportAppServer.DataSetConversion.DataSetConverter.Convert(ds);
// Add the dataset as a data source to the report
rasReport.DatabaseController.AddDataSource((object)rasDS);
// Add a field to the report canvas
// Note: This is quick and dirty. No positioning, resizing, formatting, etc.
CrystalDecisions.ReportAppServer.Controllers.ISCRResultFieldController rfc;
CrystalDecisions.ReportAppServer.DataDefModel.ISCRTable crTable;
CrystalDecisions.ReportAppServer.DataDefModel.ISCRField crField;
rfc = rasReport.DataDefController.ResultFieldController;
crTable = rasReport.Database.Tables[0];
crField = crTable.DataFields[2]; // Hardcoded field "Customer Name" in the Customer table from Xtreme Sample Database
rfc.Add(-1, crField);
// Save the report template to disk (without data)
//object path = @"c:\documents and settings\administrator\desktop\";
//rasReport.SaveAs("test.rpt", ref path, 0);
//MessageBox.Show("Done!");
For more info, see sample apps on the following link:
http://wiki.sdn.sap.com/wiki/x/IgBmBQ
Also, consult your 'Report Application Server .NET SDK Developer Guide" and  "Report Application Server .NET API Guide". I'd provide the appropriate links, but you do not mention the version of CR you are using...
Thread moved to the '.NET - SAP Crystal Reports" forum.
Ludek
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