27aea1d1ad
git-svn-id: https://svn.code.sf.net/p/lazarus-ccr/svn@5438 8e941d3f-bd1b-0410-a28a-d453659cc2b4
97 lines
4.5 KiB
Plaintext
97 lines
4.5 KiB
Plaintext
======================================================================
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FlashFiler Crystal Reports Driver
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======================================================================
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Introduction
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============
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This Dynamic Link Library is an add-on for FlashFiler v2.0x to enable
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Seagate Software's Crystal Reports to directly access FlashFiler databases.
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To use this database driver, you must already have installed Crystal Reports
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v4.5 or v5.0 (32-bit only). The driver ships as an authenticated
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DLL which you will install as a Crystal Reports database driver.
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Installation
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============
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The database driver is named: P2BFFxxx.DLL, where <xxx> refers to the version
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of the build.
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Before installing this driver, it is assumed that Crystal Reports has already
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been installed on the machine. Copy the P2BFFxxx.DLL file into the
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C:\WINDOWS\CRYSTAL directory.This is the location where Crystal Reports stores
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most of its database drivers. If you don't already have a C:\WINDOWS\CRYSTAL
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directory, and you're certain you've correctly installed Crystal Reports,
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search your hard disks for a native Crystal Reports database driver such as
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P2BPDX.DLL, P2BXBSE.DLL, or P2BBDE.DLL. Copy your FlashFiler driver into
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that same directory. Crystal Reports also keeps drivers in the
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C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM directory and the CRW application directory. You should
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install the FlashFiler driver into C:\WINDOWS\CRYSTAL unless you have need to
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move it to one of these other directories.
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When Crystal Reports opens a data file, it scans the directory containing its
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database drivers and loads each one until it finds one that responds positively
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that it can recognize the data file given to it. Unfortunately, some of the
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native Crystal Reports drivers incorrectly respond that they can recognize
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FlashFiler data files. When this happens, the table structure displayed by
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Crystal Reports usually contains only a single field called FIELD1.
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You can verify whether Crystal has settled on an incorrect driver by selecting
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File|Report Options from the main menu. At the bottom of this dialog, above
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the grayed out combo box is a grayed out label showing the name of the driver
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that Crystal loaded to process this data file. It should say PDBFFxxx.DLL.
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If it does not, then you've stumbled onto a native Crystal Reports driver that
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is not behaving robustly. You must remove this errant driver from the
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directory (or rename it so that it no longer matches the pattern P2B*.DLL).
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Remember, for 32-bit Crystal Reports, even if File|Report Options says it's
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loaded the driver PDBBDE.DLL, it's really referring to P2BBDE.DLL. All the
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32-bit drivers are prefixed with P2B although this display always reports
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PDB prefixes in both versions.
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Setting the Network Configuration
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=================================
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Since the Crystal Reports database driver is actually a FlashFiler client
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application, it needs to be aware of the network protocol to use to connect
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to the FlashFiler server. Use the FlashFiler Client Communcations Utility
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to set the protocol and optional fixed server name values for each client
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workstation.
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Using Crystal Reports
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=====================
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Accessing FlashFiler data files through Crystal Reports is similar to accessing
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desktop files. You'll have to select the physical FFD file from a drive and
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directory. For example, select File|New from the main menu. Click the
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"Custom>>>" button. Click "Data File". Then select your FlashFiler data file.
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Paths to other machines will be converted to Universal Naming Convention
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format before being processed by the FlashFiler server. Paths to the local
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machine are only valid if the server is also running on the local machine.
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You can change Crystal Report's default wildcard specifier to accomodate
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FlashFiler datafiles as follows:
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32-bit: In the registry, change DatabaseSelector to "*.ff2" in the
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following key:
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HKEY_CURRENT_USER
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Software
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Crystal Software
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Crystal Reports
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DatabaseOptions
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Technical Support
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=================
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This driver was developed by TurboPower Software Company and is not supported
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in any way by Seagate Software. DO NOT CONTACT SEAGATE SOFTWARE FOR TECHNICAL
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SUPPORT REGARDING THE FLASHFILER DATABASE DRIVER FOR CRYSTAL REPORTS. Refer
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all technical support questions related to the Crystal Reports driver directly
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to TurboPower Software.
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Technical support questions can be sent to support@turbopower.com, or you may
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use our support newsgroup turbopower.public.support.flashfiler
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