Wrox Professional Crystal Reports for Visual Studio NET Second Edition phần 7 ppsx

06 557300 Ch06.qxd 3/24/04 9:36 AM Page 206 Chapter 6 need to set the ReportSource property in the load event (as shown subsequently using the URL from our earlier example): CrystalReportViewer1.ReportSource = “http://localhost/Chapter06/inventory_reportService.asmx” With the ReportSource property set, you can treat this just like any other report, setting properties for the viewer and previewing the report, which is shown in Figure 6-11. Figure 6-11 Internal Report Web Service An internal Report Web Service refers to a Web service that has been added to your project as a refer- ence. This method is sometimes also called the Proxy Method because every application that consumes a Web service has to have a way to communicate with the service when the application is running. Adding a reference to your Report Web Service creates a Proxy Class that in turn can communicate with the ser- vice and create a local copy. 206 06 557300 Ch06.qxd 3/24/04 9:36 AM Page 207 Creating XML Report Web Services To add the XML Report Web Service to your Web or Windows application, select Project → Add Web Reference to open the dialog shown in Figure 6-12. Figure 6-12 Using this dialog, enter the complete URL of your Report Web Service and click OK, and this will add this reference to your project in the Project Explorer under Web References. To bind an internal Report Web Service to the Windows Crystal Report Viewer, you will again need to set the report source, only this time using the reference you have added instead of a URL. For example: CrystalReportViewer1.ReportSource = New localhost.inventory_reportService() From that point, all of the techniques you learned in Chapter 3, “Designing Reports,” and Chapter 4, “Report Integration for Web-Based Applications,” can be applied to the Report Viewer to customize how your report is presented. Generic Report Web Service To consume a report served through the generic Report Web Service, you will need to add the report from the Server Explorer to your project. In the Server Explorer dialog, under the node marked Crystal Services, navigate to the Server Files branch, where you should be able to see all of the available reports that are within the Samples path we looked at earlier. 207 06 557300 Ch06.qxd 3/24/04 9:36 AM Page 208 Chapter 6 To add a report to your project, simply drag and drop the report onto a Windows or Web form. From that point, you can add the appropriate Crystal Report Viewer to your form and bind the report to the viewer, as shown here: CrystalReportViewer1.ReportSource = ServerFileReport1 All of the properties, methods, and events available in the Crystal Report Viewer can be used from this point. Deployment Considerations Report Web Services are deployed on a Web server and can be consumed by developers and users within your organization or externally, based on where you deploy the service itself and what access users have to the location you have selected. When deploying Report Web Services (and Web applications in general), we have two deployment options. The first is the easiest and involves copying your project to the Web server for deployment. To use this method, you will need to open the project where your Report Web Service resides and select Project → Copy Project, which will open the dialog shown in Figure 6-13. Figure 6-13 You will need to specify a folder location for your project, as well as a Web access method. If you select the FrontPage method, you must have the FrontPage Extensions installed and configured on the server where you want to deploy your Report Web Service. Choose the File share method if you have direct access to the server and just want to copy the files over. At the bottom of the dialog, you will also need to select what files you want copied across to the Web server. You have three choices: 208 06 557300 Ch06.qxd 3/24/04 9:36 AM Page 209 Creating XML Report Web Services ❑ Copy files needed to run this application—will copy across all of the built output files and any files where the BuildAction property is set to Content ❑ All project files—will copy across everything, including the output and source files, and so on ❑ All files in the source project folder—will copy across all files within the folder, regardless of whether they are included in the project The second method of deploying a Report Web Service involves creating a Web setup project that can be used to deploy your service on a local or remote Web server. To create a new Web setup project, select New → Project and from the folder marked Setup and Deployment Projects, select the icon for Web Setup Project and make sure you click the radio button for Add to Solution (instead of Close Solution). We will call this project WebServiceSetup. A new tab called File System on Target Machine will open. Right-click the Web Application Folder and select Add → Project Output. From the dialog that appears, shown in Figure 6-14, select Content Files, Primary Output, and Debug Symbols all at once using Ctrl-click. Figure 6-14 With these components added, save your project and select Build WebServiceSetup to create a Windows Installer Package (MSI) that will install your Report Web Service. If you are deploying this to a server that does not have Visual Studio .NET or the .NET Framework installed, you will need to install that before you install and deploy your Report Web Service. 209 06 557300 Ch06.qxd 3/24/04 9:36 AM Page 210 Chapter 6 Summary In this chapter, we looked at XML Report Web Services and how they can be used to improve the exchange of information between organizations, cut down on development time, and extend simple reporting applications. We found that from the Visual Studio IDE, it takes only a few clicks to add a report and publish as a Web service. With an XML Report Web Service created, the second half of the chapter focused on actually consuming and deploying XML Report Web Services. With that under our belt, it is time to take a look at working with .NET data. 210 07 557300 Ch07.qxd 3/24/04 9:38 AM Page 211 Working with .NET Data Up until now we have been creating reports directly off of tables in a relational database, but Crystal Reports .NET can actually be used to create reports from a wide variety of datasources, including ADO .NET, and it provides a number of tools for working with databases. In particular, there are a number of tools and techniques available within Crystal Reports .NET for working with SQL, allowing you to leverage your knowledge of SQL and any existing queries or reports that you may be using. In this chapter, we will be looking at the way Crystal Reports .NET works with different data- sources and how it interacts with ADO .NET. This will include: ❑ Understanding data access ❑ Working with datasources ❑ Creating SQL commands and expressions within Crystal Reports ❑ Working with ADO .NET At the end of this chapter, you will have an understanding of how Crystal Reports .NET interacts with different datasources, the options for working with these datasources, and using ADO .NET as a datasource for your report development. The Sample Files In the download files for Chapter 6 (C:\Crystal.NET2003\Chapter06\), you will find all of the datasets and reports used in this chapter: ❑ Employee_Profile_Basic—This version is used as the starting point in two examples in this chapter. ❑ Employee_Profile_Table—The same as the basic version with a second table added to the report. 07 557300 Ch07.qxd 3/24/04 9:38 AM Page 212 Chapter 7 ❑ Employee_Profile_SQLExp—The same as the basic version with an SQL Expression added to the report. ❑ SQLCommand—A report based on a Virtual Table created from an SQL command, discussed in “Defining Virtual Tables,” later in this chapter. ❑ Reporting_App_Dataset—An application that only contains a dataset. ❑ Reporting_App_ViewData—An application that displays an ADO .NET dataset. ❑ Reporting_App—A report that takes its data from an ADO .NET dataset. If you have problems running these examples, please read the sections in this chapter relating to them. Data Access with Crystal Reports .NET Traditionally, Crystal Reports accessed data through two different methods—native connections and Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) connections. A native connection to a datasource was accom- plished through a set of specialized .dll files and executables that were specific to your datasource. Over the years, Crystal Reports has teamed up with a number of database and application vendors to create native drivers for PC or file-type databases, relational databases, and various ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems. The second data access method is through the ODBC layer, providing a common interface for interrogating relational databases. Regardless of where the data resides, ODBC provides a reliable, stable platform that can be used to develop drivers and data access methods. With the integration of Crystal Reports into Visual Studio .NET, the native and ODBC drivers that were included with previous versions of Crystal Reports are no longer provided for use, and datasources are now accessed through one of the following methods: Datasource Description Project data Crystal Reports can leverage the ADO .NET Framework and report directly from the datasets that appear in your application. OLEDB (ADO) For datasources that can be accessed through OLEDB, including SQL Server, Oracle, and Microsoft Jet 3.51/4.00-accessible datasources (Access, Excel, Paradox, dBase). ODBC (RDO) For datasources that can be accessed through an ODBC-compliant driver (which is just about every other datasource). In addition to reporting from tables, views, and stored procedures, Crystal Reports .NET will also allow you to enter an SQL command to serve as the basis for your report (see “Working with SQL Commands and Expressions” later in this chapter). Database files Includes a number of file-type database formats, including Access, Excel, XML, and Crystal Field Definition files (TTX), as used with previous ver- sions of Crystal Reports and bound reporting. More datasources Any other datasource supported by Crystal Reports .NET. To help both new and existing report developers, the following section walks through the different types of data you may want to integrate into your reporting application. 212 07 557300 Ch07.qxd 3/24/04 9:38 AM Page 213 Working with .NET Data Database Files Previous versions of Crystal Reports could use a direct, native connection to create reports directly off of file-type databases, including dBase/Xbase, Paradox, and FoxPro, among others. Through this direct connection, Crystal Reports extracted data without having to submit an SQL state- ment against a database server. With the ease of use, there was also a price. Because the data is held in a file and not on a database server, there is no opportunity to push the processing back down to the database server. Also, when working with these types of databases, the only join available between two or more tables was a left-outer join, meaning all of the information from the left-hand table will be read first, and any matching items from the right-hand table will also be shown. As mentioned earlier, these native drivers (and the limitations that come with them) are not included with Crystal Reports .NET, apart from the direct drivers for Excel and Access. In order to create reports from these datasources, we have a number of options: ❑ Use an ODBC connection—using a compatible ODBC driver to access your datasource ❑ Use an ADO .NET dataset—create a dataset from your datasource Create a custom data provider. For developers who have a specific data file format, you can create a cus- tom data provider for your datasource. For more information on creating your own Custom Data Provider, check out the MSDN article at http://msdn.microsoft.com/msdnmag/issues/01/12/DataProv/ toc.asp. One type of native connection that is still supported is the direct connection to Microsoft Access databases and Excel spreadsheets. Both of these file types can be used as the datasource for your report without having to use ODBC. Relational Databases By far, the most popular data access method is through a native or ODBC connection to a relational database. The retail version of Crystal Reports that you would buy in a store ships native drivers for the most popular RDBMS, including DB/2, Informix, Oracle, and Sybase, among others. Most of these native drivers require that the standard database client be installed and configured before they can be used. Again, these drivers are not available with Crystal Reports .NET, so you will need to look at connecting to these datasources through the following methods: ❑ Use an ODBC connection—Uses a compatible ODBC driver to access your datasource. ❑ Use an OLEDB connection—Uses a compatible OLEDB provider to access your datasource. Providers are available for SQL Server, Oracle, ODBC Drivers, and Jet 4.0, among others. ❑ Use an ADO .NET dataset—Creates a dataset from your datasource. ❑ Utilize a custom data provider—Currently, there is a custom data provider available for SQL Server and an Oracle provider in beta (available from the MSDN site) that allow you direct access to the database. 213 07 557300 Ch07.qxd 3/24/04 9:38 AM Page 214 Chapter 7 OLAP Data OLAP data (sometimes called multidimensional data) can be accessed and used in your application through OLEDB for OLAP, a standard interface for accessing OLAP data, but unfortunately Crystal Reports .NET does not support OLAP reporting in this version. If you do have an existing report that shows an OLAP grid, this area will be blanked out when you first import your report. Crystal Dictionaries, Queries, and Info Views With previous retail versions of Crystal Reports, there were two separate tools designed to make report development easier. The first, Crystal Query, could be used to create Crystal-specific QRY files that con- tained SQL queries. You could then use these query files as the datasource for your report. The second tool, Crystal Dictionaries, was used to create dictionaries (DC5, DCT) that served as a meta- data layer between your report and the database itself. Using a Crystal Dictionary, you could take care of all of the linking and joins for the user, reorganize and alias fields and tables, and add help text and data for browsing, among other things. Unfortunately, none of these file formats is supported as a datasource for reports within Crystal Reports .NET. If you do have an existing report that uses any of these datasources, you will receive an error mes- sage and will be unable to use the report. If you wanted to create a report with similar features, you would need to base your report on the underlying database. If you do need to work with complex SQL queries, Crystal Reports .NET provides the ability to use SQL Commands as the basis for your report, effectively cutting out the need to use Crystal Query files. Currently, there isn’t any way to work around Crystal Query files for creating a meta-data layer between the end user and the database itself other than using various third-party meta-data providers. Other Datasources In the past, Crystal Reports has included a number of drivers for nontraditional datasources, including SalesLogix Act!, Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft Logs, and more. Most of these datasources have had their own unique setup and configuration requirements, as they do not fit into the standard datasource categories that can be accessed through a native or ODBC driver. Because the drivers for these datasources are not included with Crystal Reports .NET, you will need to find an alternative method of accessing this data, using a data provider. So, in summary, Crystal Reports .NET supports the following datasources: ❑ Any database with an ODBC driver ❑ Any database with an OLEDB Provider ❑ Microsoft Access databases ❑ Microsoft Excel workbooks ❑ ADO .NET datasets ❑ Legacy recordsets (Classic ADO, CDO, DAO, RDO—which covers just about everything else) 214 07 557300 Ch07.qxd 3/24/04 9:38 AM Page 215 Working with .NET Data Now that you understand the different ways Crystal Reports .NET can access data, we need to take a look at actually working with these datasources from within your report. Working with Datasources When working with data within the Report Designer, most of the options and functionality relating to databases and tables can be found in the Database menu, found under the main menu by right-clicking in your report (see Figure 7-1). Figure 7-1 In the following sections, we are going to look at some of the most common tasks when working with data in our reports. 215 [...]... receive a message informing you of this, and that Crystal Reports NET is proceeding to fix the report (shown in Figure 7- 11) Figure 7- 11 If Crystal Reports NET finds simple changes, like a database field that has been extended or a decimal place that has changed, it will simply update its version of the data structures and display the message “The database is up to date.” If Crystal Reports NET finds a major... to your report design The first thing you should look for is your new table in the Field Explorer, shown in Figure 7- 6 If you expand the Employee_Address table, as shown in Figure 7- 7, you can add some extra items to the report that you couldn’t see before, for example, Country, Postal Code, and of course, City 219 Chapter 7 Figure 7- 6 Figure 7- 7 Drag City from the Field Explorer to the Details section... alias of the datasource within Crystal Reports NET and will not touch the underlying SQL statement Selecting OK will accept this and present you with the Visual Link Designer, as seen in Figure 7- 16, which you can use to change the links between the different tables, as we described earlier in this chapter 226 Working with NET Data Figure 7- 15 Figure 7- 16 2 27 Chapter 7 Working with SQL Commands and... new values to display; for example, projected sales figures can be generated by applying a mathematical expression to the previous year’s sales Defining Virtual Tables To see this feature in action, create a new Visual Basic NET Windows Application within Visual Studio NET called SQLCommand (This project is available in the code download at the location C: \Crystal. NET2 003\Chapter 07\ SQLCommand.) Select... steps: ❑ ❑ 230 Drag the CrystalReportViewer (under Windows Forms in the Toolbox) to Form1.vb Drag ReportDocument (under Components in the Toolbox) to Form1.vb Working with NET Data ❑ Double-click the CrystalReportViewer that sits on your form to generate the procedure that loads your report when you run the report ❑ Insert the following code in the procedure: CrystalReportViewer1.ReportSource = New sql_command()... arrange the Visual Linking Expert layout for readability, but sometimes you will get better results if you position the tables yourself 223 Chapter 7 If it’s still open from the last example, take a look at employee_profile.rpt in Crystal Reports NET The report has been created from the Employee and Employee_Addresses tables To see the SQL that Crystal Reports NET has generated, right-click the report,... Indexes or Server for Speed—Use existing database indexes or the database server itself for processing where a performance improvement could be gained ❑ Perform Grouping on Server—If you have created a summary report with none of the details showing and no drill-down capabilities, you can push the grouping of that report back to the server This improves performance because Crystal Reports NET doesn’t have... clause will be inserted into the SQL that Crystal Reports generated ❑ Database Server is Case-Insensitive—By default, Crystal Reports NET is case sensitive, mean­ ing {Customer.Country}=”ca” and {Customer.Country}=”CA” would return different datasets This setting eliminates that case sensitivity for SQL databases ❑ Select Distinct Data for Browsing—When browsing for data from pull-down or browse dialogs,...Chapter 7 Setting Database Options Crystal Reports NET has a number of options that are specific to working with datasources and can be set once for the design environment To see these settings, open any report, right-click, and select Designer → Default Settings → Database, which will open the dialog shown in Figure 7- 2 Figure 7- 2 You can select the database objects you wish to show when creating a Crystal. .. Employee_Report_Table that is saved in the Chapter 07 folder of the code download and shown in Figure 7- 8 220 Working with NET Data Figure 7- 8 You may want to adjust the linking in the Visual Linking Expert, or check the database schema for more information on how the tables should be joined together, which is described in the next section Using the Visual Linking Expert Relational databases are usually . Figure 7- 4), which you can then use to add additional data structures to the report. 2 17 07 5 573 00 Ch 07. qxd 3/24/04 9:38 AM Page 218 Chapter 7 Figure 7- 3 Figure 7- 4 218 07 5 573 00 Ch 07. qxd. that you couldn’t see before, for example, Country, Postal Code, and of course, City. 219 07 5 573 00 Ch 07. qxd 3/24/04 9:38 AM Page 220 Chapter 7 Figure 7- 6 Figure 7- 7 Drag City from the. will receive a message informing you of this, and that Crystal Reports .NET is proceeding to fix the report (shown in Figure 7- 11). Figure 7- 11 If Crystal Reports .NET finds simple changes,