VS2008 - ReportDocument missing data when exporting to PDF

Question

Hi all,
First and foremost, I'm using:
- VS2008 with CR Basic (10.5.3700.0)
- CR 2008 SP4 (12.4.0.966)
- SQL Server 2008
I've developed a small VB.Net application that's supposed to simply load a report, set appropriate connections and parameters and finally export it to PDF.
While it works on simple reports, I'm having trouble with a report that uses a Stored Procedure to link between two tables. The PDF shows all the data that's obtained directly from tables, but misses the details that depend on the Stored Procedure.
This same report previews perfectly on CR 2008 SP4, where it's been developed.
What I've tried, based on SDN and general web search:
- Different ODBC and OLE DB (both SQLOLEDB and SQLNCLI / SQLNCLI10): No change.
- Compile in x86 and x64: No change.
- Add report to VS2008 project and preview it: No change; same data shown, same data missing.
- SQL Trace while previewing with CR2008 and exporting with .Net application: This showed something interesting; one fairly  simple SQL query when using CR2008 (that successfully returns data when pasted to SQL) was transformed into a query with several joins and cross joins (that does not return data when pasted to SQL) when using the application. Links being somehow changed, I presumed.
- Printout all the Database.Links from the ReportDocument prior to exporting: showed they were all correct.
- Following a post on this forum I've inserted a VerifyDatabase command after loading and setting connections: I now get an "Error in formula" stating that one of the Stored Procedure's fields that's used in a formula "is not known". Commenting this line  results (again) in a successfull export of a PDF... but with the same missing data.
Any thoughts?
Thanks in advance!
Regards,
Nuno
Edited by: Nuno Pinto on Oct 6, 2011 3:41 AM
Edited by: Nuno Pinto on Oct 6, 2011 3:46 AM

Answer 1

I don't think the language was the problem, but I had problems teasing out the correct info I needed (e.g.; CR 10.5 vs. 12.x, 32 bit vs. 64 and so on. But I know where the problem is now:
SAP Business One reports
This is a special OEM build of Crystal Reports.
It uses a database driver that CR 10.5 does not ship (something like crdb_SAPBusinessOne.dll (?))
So, you can not use CR 10.5 as it is missing the driver.
Using CR 2008 assemblies (12.x) will potentially be also problematic. While you will have the SAP One driver, you may not have the neccessary database logon APIs exposed.
E.g.; more than likely, this will not work. But, you can try the following;
Make sure you are using CR 2008 (e.g.; remove all of your CR 10.5 references)
Look at the KB [1553921  - Is there a utility that would help in writing database logon code?|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%7B6163636573733d36393736354636443646363436353344333933393338323636393736354637333631373036453646373436353733354636453735364436323635373233443330333033303331333533353333333933323331%7D.do]. there is a utility attached to the KB that will write out the DB logon code for you - in VB and C#. Use that code to try to connect to the report. The utility uses InProc RAS SDK which is part of CR 2008 and it is a free runtime - just like CR SDK. For basic info on working with InProc RAS SDK see the article [How to Use The RAS SDK .NET With In-Process RAS Server|https://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/sdn/go/portal/prtroot/docs/library/uuid/10b840c0-623f-2b10-03b5-9d1913866b32]
Now, keep in mind that I have never seen, never mind worked with a report based on SAP Business One (thus my ignorance as to the name of the actual CR DB driver). So this may work. Or not. All I can do from here is keep my fingers crossed. But please do share any successes or failures...
- Ludek
Edited by: Ludek Uher on Oct 7, 2011 1:46 PM