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mjwillyone
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Quote mjwillyone Replybullet Topic: Database File has Changed ... Fixing ..
    Posted: 03 Sep 2013 at 2:20am
Friends,

I have been asked to get a non-working, custom Crystal Report working again and could use some help.

The report is used under software used by a manufacturing plant. The software runs the CR engine.

When I open the report inside or outside the manufacturing software the heading text is there.. but no field data.

When I open the report directly in CR, I am told that the database files have changed. I allow CR to fix the report.   There is a sub report... those tables are also fixed. It appears that the report fields are still available in the tables. I do not know what has changed in those tables.

When I run the report directly in CR.. still no data. I have browsed the data and some fields show the data fast. Others... all I get is a spinning wheel and I have to close the report to stop is.

So ... What steps should I take to get this report running again?

Thank you very much!

Mike
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iSing
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Quote iSing Replybullet Posted: 04 Sep 2013 at 5:11pm
Hi Mike
 
My web session timed out with my first reply, so this one is a little more clipped!
 
I'm going to make some assumptions here, so bear with me.  It's a bit hard doing this without knowing your setup, so this is the most basic method I can think of doing this. 
 
A. you have contacted dbase admin to find out what has changed (eg location of dbase source for all tables, generated SQL views etc).
B. something is actually broken with the report - either a field has been removed, renamed or it's data type has been changed.  Someone, somewhere has changed something.  Either that or it's Crystal giving you random joy.
 
First - take a copy of your report without fixing the tables (if this is possible).  Let's call this Report A
Second - take a copy of your report after CR has fixed the tables.  Note the tables it has changed.  Let's call this Report B
In report design using Field Explorer (with "Show field type" selected) compare the two reports. 
Once you find the changed item(s), you should be able to correct it in Report B (either the table reference by linking to the updated table name, the field reference by referring to the updated field name; the field type, by correcting any formulas etc that point to it).
 
If you're unable to do this then it's a slower process.
Take a copy of your report.  We'll call it Report C
In the design of Report C, use the File, Save As to save a copy of the subreport - let's call it Report D. 
Use Database, Verify Database option.
See if Report D runs.  If so, wonderful - see next paragraph.
If not, slowly strip out the fields until you have a working report.  Suggest you start with date fields (changed from string to date or visa versa).  Then number references.  If you get back to one field & it doesn't work, then start again & remove entire tables (start with any SQL generated tables), one at a time, as it may be a link or an entire table that has changed.
 
Once Report D is working, delete the subreport from Report C (even if Report D worked without changing anything).
Use Database, Verify Database option. 
Fix any tables/references that you did to get the Report D working (if they are in the main report of Report C).
See if the whole thing works.
 
If no joy, then you'll need to do the same with the main report of Report C as you did with Report D.  Slowly strip out fields until it works.  If that doesn't work, remove tables.  Don't delete your formulas, simply comment them out.
If you do accidentally delete formulas, you still have Report A you can refer back to (even though it doesn't work - it has all the formulas & references).
 
Best of luck
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lockwelle
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Quote lockwelle Replybullet Posted: 17 Sep 2013 at 4:56am
just to add my 2 cents...

a database change, usually means that the underlying schema of the data has changed....may be nothing more than a column was added. As iSing said, Verify Database is usually your best friend.

Now why is the report not working...that is a more difficult question to ascertain. I would look at the Report/Selection Formulas/Record and see what is there. Perhaps comment it out by using // in front of each line. Also I would look at anything in the Database/Set Database Location that says Command as these are typical ways of getting and filtering data, and as you are wanting to get the report to return data...and then you'll go from there.

That is what I would try to begin with and see if I can anything to return on the report.

The last thing that comes to mind is to check the Links between tables. Perhaps these are no longer valid and that could also result in the no data...though a spinning wheel would imply that either the data is hard to find (CR has to look through every row in a very large table) or there is alot of data to retrieve. You can at least see if any data is being retrieved by watching the numbers on the lower right of the report. I don't know what they mean, but when they change, at least you know something is happening.

Hope some of this is helpful
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