There was a recent SAP knowledge base article that I found interesting.

Whenever Crystal generates a SQL statement it always creates an alias for the table. Usually this alias is the same as each table name so some users don’t realize that an alias is being used.  Technically it is the alias, not the table name, that you see in the Continue Reading »
Why does CR sometimes add ‘1’ to a table name?

There is a technical article in the SAP library that caught my attention recently.    It mentions something called CR Logger and suggested that it could help you troubleshoot database error messages.  But when I went to read the article I was disappointed to find that there was no information on how to use it, when to use it, or what it would do for you.  So I decided to try it and see if I could see some value in it.

You unzip a DLL and put it into a specific folder in your CR 2008 program directory: Continue Reading »
Using CRLogger.dll to troubleshoot database issues

I have had several instances recently where a change to a report caused Crystal to generate strange SQL.  Sometimes you can see the problem under “Database > Set Location” where you will notice two different instances of the same database in the upper window.  Or, you may notice that your SQL Query gets separated into two or three independent queries when it should all be one query.  In a few cases the SQL gets so bad that it generates an error from the database, or it generates a “Cartesian product” result, trying to return all combinations of records between the tables.

If you run into a situation like this here are the steps that I have found that help:

1) Switch to design mode so that you don’t launch a query with every change.

2) Go into “Database >Set Location” Continue Reading »
Reseting SQL Errors

This isn’t strictly a Crystal topic, but it is a website that immediately earned a warm spot in my heart.   I was working with a customer who needed a PDF printer driver for extra wide exports, and I suggested CutePDF.  But instead of going to their site he went to ninite.com.  He checked off “CutePDF” from a list of about 90 free applications, downloaded an installer and then installed it in one click. I was impressed.

So I looked at the list of free applications and noticed several tools that I use were on that list, along with a few I have been meaning to try.  So I went to Ninite.com myself, checked off a dozen or so items and downloaded my own automated installer.  That installed all 12 of the applications in one click.  Those that were already installed were automatically updated to the latest version.  I was even more impressed.  No extra clicks, no extra tool bars, no figuring out which version you need and it is all on one site.  And I can rerun the same installer next month to see if any of these tools have an update or a later version.  If so it will be installed automatically.  Simple, elegant, free and effective.

And, thanks to Ron Ross, a Software Engineering Specialist at SPK and Associates for the heads up on this site.