I have a simple VB6 application where I input information and store it on SQL SERVER. I went ahead and linked Access 2007 and SQL Server so that all my tables are in Access for report generating purposes. I created a mock report, and was able to generate a report for all users from the sql Table (from Visual basic) Now my question is this, on the report form in the VB application, I have a combobox that's being populated with Client Names from the sql server. What I need to do is allow the user to choose a name from the combobox and click PRINT and allow them to only generate the report for that one user. The names in the combobox have ID's assigned to them. I'm having a hard time coming up with a way to edit the query in access (where id=17) from VB to allow the report to be only generated for one user. Thanks for any and all help!
Dont you think that sending a query from VB6 to Access would be a better way instead of modifying the queries in Access.
Hope I understood your question correctly.
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Background: I have an .mdf database containing some numeric values that I need to change (specifically, scale and offset values for sensors). The database was created by a Visual Basic program that controls some lab equipment and stores pertinent data in the .mdf file. Please excuse my rudimentary knowledge of the topic; I'm a complete novice when it comes to SQL Server and VB.
After searching through many posts, I understand that to open the .mdf file, you must "attach" it in Microsoft Server Management Studio (I'm using that with SQL Server 2005), which I have successfully done.
Problem: It seems that this only allows me to view and modify the structure of the database, ie. tables, columns, data types etc., rather than the values of the database itself.
Is there a way to do this manually, like how you can edit the field data of .mdb files in MS Access? Again, sorry for my limited knowledge on the topic. I'll gladly provide extra details where needed.
You mention you want to use access. That can be done. Your database is up and running after attaching it.
In Access you can simply create an ODBC connection in access and use Access to edit/modify your data as much as you want. you can also create queries.
It is in the menu item "external data" [I'm guessing because I use a dutch version]. You select to create a "linked table", choose your server and you are done.
Right-click on the table you want to modify in SSMS and select "Edit Top 200 Rows".
If you have more than 200 rows to edit, you can connect to the SQL Server database with either Access or Excel.
Here are the instructions for Access:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/access-help/connect-an-access-project-to-a-microsoft-sql-server-database-adp-HP005274586.aspx
I'm using crystal reports 9, visual studio 2008, and oracle 9i in this project I'm doing. My crystal reports pull data from an oracle database, and are displayed on a CrystalReportViewer on a windows form. How would I make this connection using vb.net code?
Imagine this little scenario:
The host name for the oracle server is myHost.
The database name is myData
The username is myUser
The password is myPass.
Please assist me with the code to make this connection.
Your help will be highly appreciated.
Basically, you have a few options. If you've created a connection inside of the Crystal Report then you can hand off different login credentials to the report and crystal will handle it. You have to do it in a specific way through or it won't work (it's very picky on the order in which it's done). You will loop through the report and all the sub reports handing off new crendentials. The second route is to use a DataTable as your DataSource, populate it via VB.Net and hand it off (this doesn't sound like the route you're wanting to go).
Here are two blog entries where I describe how to pass new login credentials off to Crystal.
https://www.blakepell.com/2010-09-17-crystal-reports-changing-the-database-connection-from-net-subreport-links-and-the-case-of-the-missing-parameter-values
https://www.blakepell.com/2012-05-22-crystal-reports-extension-methods
In the first blog entry there is a "Private Sub ApplyNewServer(ByVal report As ReportDocument)" that will show you how to pass your new login and server information. It was extracted from another class so it might need slight modification to reference the login parameters you want to pass in.
Best of luck. ;)
I've got an .rpt file that I did not write and can find no documentation about. I want to be able to review the SQL that is generated from this report so that I can figure out, well, what data it was pulling and what WHERE clause parameters were used.
I can open it up and see the report layout. But when I select Database|Show SQL Query... the report tries to connect to the data source. The problem is, the data source being used is unknown to me, probably an ODBC connection used by whoever wrote the query. All I can do at that stage is 'Cancel' and I'm back to looking at the report designer.
Am I missing something? Can I get to the SQL query without connecting to the datasource? It seems like viewing the selection criteria shouldn't be dependent on a data connection.
Thanks.
version: Crystal Reports 2008
I know that this is an old thread, but I encountered this same problem. Effectively we used to have a database/application that has since been aquired by an external agency.
Although they now have the database/application they don't have access to crystal reports, so we can't just send them the old report that we used to run. Likewise we can't run it as we don't even have the database set up anywhere.... So instead our plan was just to extract the SQL code generated by the report and forward that on.
We experienced the same problem, but the solution is actually pretty simple.
If you don't have access to the original data source, just create a new 'blank' datasource (such as an ODBC connection). As long as the connection to the datasource works (i.e. it is some kind of valid datasource this it works fine). When running the 'Show SQL' option point the report to this datasource. As long as you don't try to actually run the report (and only show the SQL) the operation wont fail. This worked for our situation anyway. (Crystal Reports 2008)
(I can give more details if it helps in any way.)
It should be possible to find out some details about the existing datasource, by selecting Database > Set Datasource Location... .
As well as enabling you to change the datasource location, this should show you some information about the current datasource, such as which type of datasource is being used, and possibly (dependant on the type of driver) the name of the database. It is likely to be less helpful if (as you surmise) the datasource is ODBC, but if it uses a native driver there may be something useful.
Without the password, I'm not sure how much you can do. It seems "Show SQL Query" requires to report to run first, then generate the SQL plan.
It's not ideal, but you could go to Database > Visual Linking Expert to at least see the tables and how they are joined, and the go to the Record Selection Formula Editor and see what the custom WHERE statements are.
Viewing the SQL of a Command in a Crystal Report File
There are times you have just the report file, but not the associated database structure that the report uses.
This is common when dealing with example reports of functionality you wish to mimic.
This is a workaround ONLY to allow you to see the SQL of a Command that a Crystal Report is based on, when you don't have the underlying database connection that the report is based on.
In essence, the dialog box has to be satisfied before it will show the SQL, so we fool it with a legitimate Data Source, just not one that would work with the SQL that is actually in the SQL Command.
Why does a report use a command? Doesn't Crystal Reports have the ability to link tables?
When a Crystal Report is based on a record set that is too complex for the table linking functionality within Crystal Reports, the report can instead be based on a SQL Query, usually developed/tested in another editor tool and pasted into the command. This allows advanced SQL functions to be utilized.
If you don't already have a Data Source on your computer set up that you can connect to, you will need to build one first.
A simple Microsoft Access .mdb file saved in a simple location will suffice.
I placed mine with the path C:\A_test\test.mdb to make it easy to find.
If you don't have one, google for a sample mdb file and download it, saving it with a name and location you can remember. (You won't ever actually open this file, but just connect to it.)
Once you have the file saved, open the ODBC Administrator and create a New Data Source.
(you can get to the ODBC Administrator quickly from Start > type ODBC in the Search)
On the User DSN tab, click the Add button.
Scroll down the driver list to Microsoft Access Driver (*.mdb), select it and click the Finish button.
In the Data Source Name box, type a name (I used MyTest).
Click the Select Button and select the mdb file you saved from a previous step, click OK.
Click OK again. You will see your new Data Source listed by the name you gave it. Click OK.
You now have the data source you will need for the next steps.
Open the Crystal Report you want to see the SQL command for, and click on Database Expert button or Database>Database Expert Menu.
Under Selected Tables, right click on the Command and choose View Command
The Data Source Selection Box appears. Select the Data Source you created (or one you already use) and click the Finish button. The View Command box should open with the SQL in the left pane. Copy the SQL into your favorite text editor.
Whats happening is that the crystal reports needs a database to connect to regardless if its the original source DB or not.
Create a local database or use a database stored on a server, added it to your ODBC Datasources and use it when connecting. After a successful connection you should be able to view the SQL query without an error.
Let me preface this by saying that I know this is a stupid way to go about this, but it needs to be handled in this way.
I need to make an application that from a master database creates a number of access database files (tables of a larger db), then these are manually given to users who fill in data, the database files are emailed back to a user who, through the application, combines them again.
The only part of this that I am unsure about is problematically creating the access db's. I have read that through Microsoft Jet OLE DB Provider and Microsoft ADO Ext I can create them (the tables and data), but I also need forms.
I have yet to start writing anything and this is away from my area of work, so any insight/links would be much appreciated.
Also, I would hope to be able to write this in the free express version of visual studio. Are there components needed that would prevent me from this? Thanks.
If you are developing in vb.net then why do you need forms in the Access database? Create a vb.net application for the "client" pcs with the required forms reading and writing to the Access database.
If however you do need to have forms in an Access database. Create a database with the required forms and code. Distribute the code/form database and the data database. Add a method to the code/form database the creates links to the tables in the "data" database.
I have inherited an Excel spreadsheet which contains an external data query. I can edit the query, which provides a list of the columns returned, but it does provide the table that this data comes from. Is there any way to retrieve the actual SQL behind the query?
I think this may depend on the version of office you're using and the type of external data you're connecting to.
I believe if you're using Office 2003, and you're seeing columns like you say, there may be a SQL icon in the toolbar.
Click that to view the SQL used to return the data.
If you're using Office 2007, Go to the Data tab, click connections, then properties, then the definition tab, and change the command text.
However I believe you're using the first method.
This is from what I can remember, so I hope it's correct.
It could also be somewhat obsfuscated by using an ODBC link or something. Another way to get it is to run SQL Profiler on the SQL Server to see the exact SQL being executed. Of course, this won't help you edit it but you'll know what it is doing.