Fortunately, this functionality can be approximated by building a formula that manually counts the records. This formula, excuted during the report’s ‘WhileReadingRecords’ phase, will increment a Global variable. To work correctly, this formula will need to reside in the report’s Details section.

To build a report that uses this functionality, follow these steps:

1. Create a formula named ‘Records’.
2. Set the formula’s text to be:
   //Excute this formula as records are read into the report
WhileReadingRecords;
//define a variable that is available throughout the 'main' report
Global Numbervar Records;
//increment the variable
Records:=Records+1;

3. Place this field in the report’s Details section. Suppress the field by checking ‘Suppress’ check box on the Format Editor’s Common tab.
4. Create a new Page Header section by right-clicking the Page Header section and choose ‘Insert Section Below’ from the context menu.
5. Right-click the newly-created Page Header and choose ‘Section Expert…’ from the context menu. Check the ‘Underlay Following Sections’ checkbox.
6. Click the Conditional-Formula Editory button to the right of the ‘Suppress’ checkbox. Set the formula’s text to:
   //If the field isn't null, suppress the section; the field will only be null when
//the report does not contain data.
Not(Isnull({@Records}))

7. Add a Text Object to the report containing the desired message. Place the Text Object in the newly-created Page Header section.
8. Test the report.

Report with Data

Report without Data

Sample Report

Objective

Give the report

Instructions

Create the Sql Server Components

A Sql Server user-defined function (see Sql Server: DateRanges Function) will dynamically create the values that are needed for the this project. This function needs a Sql Server view (see Sql Server: GetNow View) to generate the system’s current date/time.

Create Data Connection

1. Open the Business View Manager and log in.
2. Create a new Data Connection.
3. Configure the Data Connection to attach to the appropriate Sql Server database.
4. Save the Data Connection as ‘Sql Server DC’.

Create a Data Foundation

1. In the Business View Manager, create a Data Foundation.
2. Select ‘Sql Server DC’ as the Data Connection.
3. Save the Data Foundation as ‘Sql Server DF’.

Create a Business View

1. In the Business View Manager, create a Business View.
2. Save the Business View as ‘Sql Server BV’.

Create a Command Object

1. Create a Command Object in the Data Foundation. Add the following text to the Command Object:

SELECT *
FROM dbo.DateRanges()
ORDER BY Sequence DESC

2. Save the Command Object as ‘DateRanges’.

Create a Business Element

1. Create a new Business Element in the Business View Manager.
2. Add the Description and Value fields from the ‘DateRanges’ Command Object.
3. Save the Business Element as ‘DateRanges’.

Add Business Element to Business View

1. Open the Business View.
2. From the ‘Insert’ menu, select ‘Insert Business Elements…’.
3. Locate and select the ‘DateRanges’ Business Element, click ‘Add’, then ‘Close’.

Create the List of Values

1. Create a new List of Value in the Business View Manager.
2. Select the desired Business View from the ‘Select Business View’ window.
3. Enter ‘Date Range LoV’ in the ‘Name’ textbox.
4. Expand the ‘DateRanges’ Business Element in the ‘Available Fields’ list.
5. Select ‘Value’, then click the ‘>’ button.
6. Check ‘Sort by Value in Descending Order’.
7. Choose ‘Description’ from the ‘Description Field’ dropdown list.
8. Click ‘OK’ to save the List of Values.

Examine Repository

Open the Repository Explorer in the Business View Manager. The list of objects for the Date Range Parameter should resemble this list:

Create the Dynamic Parameter

1. Create a new report using Crystal Reports XI.
2. Connect to the Repository that contains the ‘Sql Server BV’ Business View.
3. Create a new parameter, named ‘Date Range’. Leave the ‘Prompt Group Text’ textfield blank.
4. Select ‘Dynamic’ from the ‘List of Values’ dropdown list.
5. Select the Existing radio button and choose ‘Date Range LoV’ from the list.
6. Click ‘Create Parameter’ in the ‘Parameters’ column of the ‘Choose a Data Source’ group.
7. Set ‘Prompt Text’ to ‘Choose Date Range’.
8. Set ‘Sort Order’ to ‘Descending by Value’.
9. Set ‘Prompt With Description Only’ to ‘True’.
10. Click ‘OK’ to save the parameter.

Modify the Report

1. Add the CDateTime Custom Function to the report (see Crystal Reports: CDateTime).
2. Add a Custom Function named ‘getDateRange’ (see below) to the report.
3. Edit the Record Selection Formula. Add the following code:
   //set the database field to the value that is extracted from the 'Date Range' parameter
{table.date_field} IN getDateRange({?Date Range})
4. Add a formula field to display the date range. Add the following code to the formula:
   CStr(Minimum(getDateRange ({?Date Range}))) + " - " + CStr(Maximum(getDateRange ({?Date Range})))
   Add the formula field to the report.

Summary

When the report is run, the parameter form will resemble:

Dynamic Date-Range Parameter Sample

getDateRange Custom Function

'--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
'Author: Craig Buchanan;craig.buchanan@cogniza.com
'Purpose: Convert a string value into its equivalent Date Range
'Parameters: text - a string in the format index;startDate:endDate
' or index;NamedDateRange
' e.g. 1;1/1/2006:12/31/2006 or 2;MonthToDate
'Returns: Date Range
'--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Function getDateRange (text as string) As Date Range
If Instr(text,";")=0 Then Exit Function
Dim value as string: value = Split(text,";")(2)
If Instr(value,":")=0 Then
getDateRange = CDateRange (value)
Else
Dim startDate as Date: startDate = Cdate(Split(value,":")(1))
dim endDate as Date: endDate = cdate(Split(value,":")(2))
getDateRange = startDate to endDate
End If
End Function

Function ShellSort(Values() As Number)


‘exit if array has no elements
If Ubound(Values)=0 Then Exit Function

‘account for optional arguments
Dim LastElement As number
LastElement = UBound(Values)

‘Crystal Reports’ arrays are 1-based.
Dim FirstElement As Number
FirstElement = 1

Dim Elements As Number
Elements = LastElement – FirstElement + 1

‘find the best value for distance
Dim distance As Number
Do

distance = distance * 3 + 1

Loop Until distance > Elements

Dim temp as number
Dim index As Number, index2 As Number

Do

distance = distance \ 3
For index = distance + FirstElement To LastElement

temp = Values(index)
index2 = index

Do While (Values(index2 – distance) > temp)

Values(index2) = Values(index2 – distance)
index2 = index2 – distance
If index2 – distance < FirstElement Then Exit Do

Loop

Values(index2) = temp

Next
Loop Until distance = 1

ShellSort=Values
End Function

Parameters

Values

An array of numbers.

Return Value

A sorted array of numbers

Remarks

Arrays in Crystal Reports are limit to 1000 elements.

Example

//create an array of numbers
Numbervar Array numbers:=[44,2,77,4,9,1,0,55,3];

//sort the array
numbers:=ShellSort(numbers);

//returns 0,1,2,3,4,9,44,55,77,
numbervar i;

stringvar t;
for i := 1 to ubound(numbers) do

t:=t & cstr(numbers[i],0) & “,”;

t;

Requirements

This function requires the use of Basic Syntax.

Monday, June 17, 2002 – Cogniza announces the release of UFLTimeZone for Crystal Reports. UFLTimeZone for Crystal Reports provides date and time zone conversion functions that give new options when using Crystal Reports with Remedy’s Action Request (AR) System. To understand the value of this new product, some background on Remedy is appropriate.

Background

Remedy AR System, from Peregrine Systems, stores dates in ‘Epoch date’ format. An Epoch date is the number of elapsed seconds since January 1, 1970 at Midnight Greenwich Mean Time. To provide a more human-understandable value, the Remedy ODBC driver converts this value to the familiar date and time format, using the user’s regional settings, including time zone and seasonal adjustments (e.g. Daylight Savings).

Challenges

One of the challenges for developers, however, when working with Remedy’s AR System is the one-table-per-query restriction imposed by the Remedy ODBC driver. When working with Crystal Reports and Remedy, this restriction prevents more that one table or view from being used in a report.
To address this issue when using Crystal Reports within the Remedy ODBC driver, developers use sub-reports or request that the Remedy System Administrator creating a join table in the Remedy database. These solutions, while addressing the immediate need, lead to decreased database and report performance, increased report development time and increased demands on the Remedy System Administrator’s time. Fortunately, there is another solution to these challenges!

Solution

The solution to the issue is to use a database driver, supplied by Crystal Reports or the database vendor, in conjunction with the functions provided by UFLTimeZone for Crystal Reports. Essentially, UFLTimeZone for Crystal Reports provides the Epoch date and time zone conversion functions that would have been provided by the Remedy ODBC driver.

Features

UFLTimeZone for Crystal Reports offers these features:
• Conversions between Epoch dates and Windows date times.
• Epoch date and Windows’ date time adjustments for any of the world’s 75 time zones.
• Automatic adjustments for any of the world’s seasonal variations (e.g. Daylight Savings in North America).

Benefits

The benefits to using UFLTimeZone for Crystal Reports in conjunction with a non-Remedy ODBC driver are:
• Decrease the demands on the Remedy System Administrator’s time by eliminating Remedy Join Forms
• Reduce the number of Remedy client licenses, by generating reports externally from the Remedy client
• Reduce report development time, by using the latest version of Crystal Reports, Crystal Enterprise or Seagate Info

Free Trial

To download a 30-day-trial version of UFLTimeZone for Crystal Reports, visit http://www.cogniza.com/products/ufltimezone/UFLTimeZoneW_30.exe.

About Cogniza

Founded in 1996, Cogniza is a US company, headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota.