Local Crystal Report development

Product update 10 of Sage X3 People brings back a feature that was very popular with the fat client we had in V6. However, due to obvious security reasons (we are now in a browser) this feature cannot be reused now to provide the ability to perform local developments in Crystal reports.

Pre-requisites

The first prerequisite is of course to have Crystal Designer installed in one of the following versions: 2008, 2011 or 2013.

You also need to create the relevant ODBC data source on your PC if you want to access to the database (at least to add a table to a report, or to add a column to a given query). This ODBC source already exists if a V6 fat client has been installed to connect to the target database.

Then, you need to install a new plugin in your browser by following a link in the Utility / Installation path of the Administration menus.

When this happens, the following screen appears during the download:

Then an installation procedure starts:

By clicking successively on Next, the installation completes.

Local use of Crystal Reports

There is no longer a session switch to Report Development mode.

The user parameter DEVCRY still remains, but it can have three values:

• No doesn't allow a user to edit reports
• Yes allows a user to switch a report in deveopment mode.
• Administrator allows a user to quit the development mode (by the Revert operation described further) even if he is not the owner of the sandbox copy.

At the very first use of the connector, you might have a pop up asking for confirmation, like the following one (this is the version displayed in firefox):

If you want to avoid the display of this pop up in the future, don't forget to check the "Remember my choice" box.

Report Edition

Editing a report starts from the report editor (classic page function GESARP). A contextual menu on the line that displays the report allows you:

• To switch the report to development mode (Transfer). This transfers the report to a local sandbox and launches the connector that runs the Crystal Report developer. The report is now locked by you and cannot be edited by someone else.
• To roll back if necessary, by using the Revert choice on the line (you will lose your modifications).
• To open Crystal Report designer by using Crystal Report Designer Load if you previously exited during the Report editing.
• To validate the report and to send it back to the repository (by using Commit).
• Don't forget first to click Save in the left panel of Crystal designer.

Each time you save locally from the report designer, a version of the report is automatically saved in the sandbox of the corresponding Report server. This allows you to test immediately the results of your modified report through the AIMP classic function. However, this option is available only for the user who edits the report; the other users continues to use the standard report as long as the commit has not been done.

Report creation

Creating a new report requires you to upload the new report first in the REPORT storage area on the application server. This can be done either from scratch, or by starting from a template that needs to be downloaded to the local PC, renamed, and uploaded.

The report can then be edited from GESARP function through the connector.