Crystal Reports vs DataReports

[Peter Mount]

Hello

I have the free version of Crystal Reports that comes with VB6. Is Crystal
Reports
better than MS DataReports? Are there any good online tutorials that cover
passing
more than one parameter?

Thanks

Peter Mount

[Karine]

Hi,

CR is definitly better then DataReport... you can go on the Seagate web site
to get infos on the software...

KP

"Peter Mount" <pamount@iprimus.com.au> wrote:
>
>Hello
>
>I have the free version of Crystal Reports that comes with VB6. Is Crystal
>Reports
>better than MS DataReports? Are there any good online tutorials that cover
>passing
>more than one parameter?
>
>Thanks
>
>Peter Mount

[Chris Hylton]

I think this question has been asked before...were you the one who posted
the same question a couple weeks back ?

Anyway...it really depends on what you are trying to accomplish. MS DataReports
are MUCH lighter weight and faster (when opening and initializing) than Crystal
Reports. I've used both extensively, Crystal much more because it's been
around longer, but in a situation where a small, simple report is needed...the
MS report will be a better choice hands down.

The advantage of something like Crystal is the ability to build subreports
and more long term growth potential for complex reports...it also offers
many more events and methods to support this higher level of flexibility...but
I'm not sure that the free version supports (in fact I know it doesn't) many
of these more flexible features...so then, you are looking at spending $500
to get the heavy duty version of Crystal.

In my experience, Crystal is slow and can be a real pain in the butt if you
and someone else are building apps that both use Crystal (but different versions)...I've
had numerous situations where Crystal DLLs became a big pain in the butt
between my software and some other package I had no control over...The DLLs
are most definitely not 'reverse compatible' in all situations.

If you end up looking to buy a reporting package...I would highly suggest
that you consider DataDynamics ActiveReports...it offers the best of both
worlds...speed of a MS DataReport and the flexiblity (even more IMHO) than
Crystal. I've been using that for virtually all my application reporting
needs for a couple of years now and I'm very pleased with it.

On a personal note...I avoid Crystal like the plague...just my personal position
though...I think it's one of the slowest, most cumbersome, worst designed
products out there...but that's just me :-) Unfortunately, there isn't too
much competition out there for reporting tools of this nature...so your choices
are pretty limited. Yea, Crystal offers a ton of functionality...but most
of it you never use (at least I haven't) and the headache of these other
issues far outweigh the benefits of Crystal in my experience.

Chris

"Peter Mount" <pamount@iprimus.com.au> wrote:
>
>Hello
>
>I have the free version of Crystal Reports that comes with VB6. Is Crystal
>Reports
>better than MS DataReports? Are there any good online tutorials that cover
>passing
>more than one parameter?
>
>Thanks
>
>Peter Mount

[Peter Mount]

Hello

Thanks for your advice.

I don't think I asked that question before. However, as I've had a bad head
cold the past few weeks, it's possible I did but since forgot about it.
Though I just checked my "sent items" folder and there's is no record of it.

As it happens I just had success with DataReports.

I'll have a look at DataDynamics ActiveReports.

Have a good day

Peter Mount
pamount@iprimus.com.au

"Chris Hylton" <chrishylton@excite.com> wrote in message
news:3b90e027$1@news.devx.com...
>
> I think this question has been asked before...were you the one who posted
> the same question a couple weeks back ?
>
> Anyway...it really depends on what you are trying to accomplish. MS
DataReports
> are MUCH lighter weight and faster (when opening and initializing) than
Crystal
> Reports. I've used both extensively, Crystal much more because it's been
> around longer, but in a situation where a small, simple report is
needed...the
> MS report will be a better choice hands down.
>
> The advantage of something like Crystal is the ability to build subreports
> and more long term growth potential for complex reports...it also offers
> many more events and methods to support this higher level of
flexibility...but
> I'm not sure that the free version supports (in fact I know it doesn't)
many
> of these more flexible features...so then, you are looking at spending
$500
> to get the heavy duty version of Crystal.
>
> In my experience, Crystal is slow and can be a real pain in the butt if
you
> and someone else are building apps that both use Crystal (but different
versions)...I've
> had numerous situations where Crystal DLLs became a big pain in the butt
> between my software and some other package I had no control over...The
DLLs
> are most definitely not 'reverse compatible' in all situations.
>
> If you end up looking to buy a reporting package...I would highly suggest
> that you consider DataDynamics ActiveReports...it offers the best of both
> worlds...speed of a MS DataReport and the flexiblity (even more IMHO) than
> Crystal. I've been using that for virtually all my application reporting
> needs for a couple of years now and I'm very pleased with it.
>
> On a personal note...I avoid Crystal like the plague...just my personal
position
> though...I think it's one of the slowest, most cumbersome, worst designed
> products out there...but that's just me :-) Unfortunately, there isn't too
> much competition out there for reporting tools of this nature...so your
choices
> are pretty limited. Yea, Crystal offers a ton of functionality...but most
> of it you never use (at least I haven't) and the headache of these other
> issues far outweigh the benefits of Crystal in my experience.
>
> Chris
>
> "Peter Mount" <pamount@iprimus.com.au> wrote:
> >
> >Hello
> >
> >I have the free version of Crystal Reports that comes with VB6. Is
Crystal
> >Reports
> >better than MS DataReports? Are there any good online tutorials that
cover
> >passing
> >more than one parameter?
> >
> >Thanks
> >
> >Peter Mount
>

[Jesse]

The version of Crystal Reports that shipped in VB 6 was a much older version
of Crystal Reports.

Download beta 2 of Visual Studio .NET and try out the new custom build of
Crystal Reports for Visual Studio .NET and the .NET Framework. I think you'll
be more than pleased. You'll also notice that Microsoft liked it so much
that they didn't include their own report software.

P.S. Even going between version 7 and version 8 of Crystal Reports say a
speed increase of over 10x.

Regards,


Jesse

"Peter Mount" <pmount@iprimus.com.au> wrote:
>Hello
>
>Thanks for your advice.
>
>I don't think I asked that question before. However, as I've had a bad
head
>cold the past few weeks, it's possible I did but since forgot about it.
>Though I just checked my "sent items" folder and there's is no record of
it.
>
>As it happens I just had success with DataReports.
>
>I'll have a look at DataDynamics ActiveReports.
>
>Have a good day
>
>Peter Mount
>pamount@iprimus.com.au
>
>"Chris Hylton" <chrishylton@excite.com> wrote in message
>news:3b90e027$1@news.devx.com...
>>
>> I think this question has been asked before...were you the one who posted
>> the same question a couple weeks back ?
>>
>> Anyway...it really depends on what you are trying to accomplish. MS
>DataReports
>> are MUCH lighter weight and faster (when opening and initializing) than
>Crystal
>> Reports. I've used both extensively, Crystal much more because it's been
>> around longer, but in a situation where a small, simple report is
>needed...the
>> MS report will be a better choice hands down.
>>
>> The advantage of something like Crystal is the ability to build subreports
>> and more long term growth potential for complex reports...it also offers
>> many more events and methods to support this higher level of
>flexibility...but
>> I'm not sure that the free version supports (in fact I know it doesn't)
>many
>> of these more flexible features...so then, you are looking at spending
>$500
>> to get the heavy duty version of Crystal.
>>
>> In my experience, Crystal is slow and can be a real pain in the butt if
>you
>> and someone else are building apps that both use Crystal (but different
>versions)...I've
>> had numerous situations where Crystal DLLs became a big pain in the butt
>> between my software and some other package I had no control over...The
>DLLs
>> are most definitely not 'reverse compatible' in all situations.
>>
>> If you end up looking to buy a reporting package...I would highly suggest
>> that you consider DataDynamics ActiveReports...it offers the best of both
>> worlds...speed of a MS DataReport and the flexiblity (even more IMHO)
than
>> Crystal. I've been using that for virtually all my application reporting
>> needs for a couple of years now and I'm very pleased with it.
>>
>> On a personal note...I avoid Crystal like the plague...just my personal
>position
>> though...I think it's one of the slowest, most cumbersome, worst designed
>> products out there...but that's just me :-) Unfortunately, there isn't
too
>> much competition out there for reporting tools of this nature...so your
>choices
>> are pretty limited. Yea, Crystal offers a ton of functionality...but
most
>> of it you never use (at least I haven't) and the headache of these other
>> issues far outweigh the benefits of Crystal in my experience.
>>
>> Chris
>>
>> "Peter Mount" <pamount@iprimus.com.au> wrote:
>> >
>> >Hello
>> >
>> >I have the free version of Crystal Reports that comes with VB6. Is
>Crystal
>> >Reports
>> >better than MS DataReports? Are there any good online tutorials that
>cover
>> >passing
>> >more than one parameter?
>> >
>> >Thanks
>> >
>> >Peter Mount
>>
>
>