The procedure for adding a database (i.e. the interface files that contain the selected fields) to a Crystal Reports report is described below.
1. Choose the Add Database to Report option in the Crystal Reports Designer's Database menu.
The Select Database File dialog box will then be displayed.
2. Click on the SQL tables button:
- If one or more entities have already been inserted, the Choose SQL Table dialog box will appear. In this case, click on the Log On Server button.
- If you are inserting the first entity, the Log On Server dialog box will appear directly.
3. In the Server Type list, select "Active Data (Field Definitions Only)" and click on OK .
The Select Data Source dialog box will appear.
4. Click on the Browse button for the Data Definition radio button.
5. In the Select Data Definition File box, open the directory defined in the TEMP system variable (maximum length 248 characters), and then the sub-directory with the same name as the current Adelia environment and finally the sub-directory with the same name as the template code for the program currently being edited. Select the " .ttx" interface file for the required entity. Then click on the Open button.
6. The Select Data Source dialog box is displayed again. Click on the Finish button.
7. The Choose SQL Table dialog box will reappear:
- If there is only one entry in the SQL Databases list, click on OK .
- Otherwise, select the required entity and click on the Add button, then on the Done button.
8. The Visual Linking Expert dialog box will then be displayed, with the selected entity's new table and all its data fields.
Note: The "_link" field is included with all tables in multiple file configuration. It is used internally by the system to link tables together. This link is made automatically as soon as a new table is inserted. Note that all tables must be linked by this field and only by this field.
There is an exception: a table that is not used in the report (i.e. none of its fields is placed) must not have a double link (previous table, next table). Such a case causes the following error message to appear when the print program is run: "The database file cannot be found". You can solve the problem by deleting the table from the report.
9. Click on OK .
The entity will now be incorporated into the report and you will be able to place all its component fields using the Database Field option in the Insert menu.