Using Flex2Crystal in Windows Apps¶

Add the Flex2Crystal Library to Your Workspace¶

Flex2Crystal is installed as a DataFlex Library installed in the <User Documents>\Mertech Data Systems\Flex2Crystal\lib folder. This library needs to be included in your workspace or, in older versions of DataFlex, added to you workspace compile path.

1. Start DataFlex Studio.

2. Open the current workspace.

3. Select Tools ‣ Maintain Libraries from the DataFlex menu bar. Existing library paths (if any) are displayed in the Library Maintenance dialog box.

4. Click Add Library.

5. Navigate to the User Documents\Mertech Data Systems\Flex2Crystal\lib folder.

6. Select Flex2Crystal.sws, then click Open.

7. A confirmation dialog box prompts to add the library using relative pathing (Yes) or absolute pathing (No). It is recommended that you select Yes. The Library Maintenance dialog box shows the addition of the Flex2Crystal library.

8. Click OK.

Update Your Report View Files¶

A few simple search and replace operations in your report view (.rv) files are all that is required to run your existing reports with Crystal Reports version 2016.

1. Open your report view files in DataFlex Studio.

2. Change the include files.

   To include the new Flex2Crystal class and object definitions and to verify that the Flex2Crystal components are properly installed, perform the replacement shown below.

3. Connect to Flex2Crystal.

   To use the new Flex2Crystal class definitions, replace all occurrences of cCrystal with cFlex2Crystal. Examples are shown below.

4. Compile and run your program.

A Sample Migration¶

Code extracted from the OrdersByCustomerCR.rv example is shown below. The only changes required to make this code work with Crystal Reports version 2016 are:

• change CheckForCrystal.dg to CheckForFlex2Crystal.dg

• change Crystal.pkg to cFlex2Crystal.pkg

• change cCrystal to cFlex2Crystal

• change cCrystalAreas to cFlex2CrystalAreas

• (other cCrystal classes should be changed to their cFlex2Crystal equivalent)

Use CheckForFlex2Crystal.dg
Use dfrptvw.pkg
Use dfRadio.pkg
Use Windows.pkg
Use cFlex2Crystal.pkg

Deferred_view Activate_oOrdersByCustomerCR for ;
;
Object oOrdersByCustomerCR is a ReportView
   Set Label to "Orders by Customer"
   Set Location to 2 23
   Set Size to 72 185
   Set piMinSize to 72 185
         .
         .
         .
   Object oRunButton is a Button
      Set Label to "Run Report"
      Set Size to 14 53
      Set Location to 20 122
      Set Default_State to True

      Procedure OnClick
         Boolean bReportOK bCrystalOK
         String sReportName

         Get CheckCrystalEnvironment of oCheckForFlex2Crystal to bCrystalOK
         If (bCrystalOK) Begin
            Set psReportName of oCrystalReport to "..\Data\Flex2Crystal.rpt"
            Send RunReport of oCrystalReport
         End
         Else Begin
            Send DisplayDialog of oCheckForFlex2Crystal
         End
      End_Procedure

   End_Object     // oRunButton
         .
         .
         .
   Object oCrystalReport1 is a cFlex2Crystal

      Procedure MakeSectionsInvisible integer eSectionType Integer iGroup
         Handle  hoReport
         Handle  hoAreas hoArea
         Variant vAreas  vArea
         Integer iAreas  iArea iKind

         Get ReportObject to hoReport

         Get Create of hoReport U_cFlex2CrystalAreas to hoAreas // areas collection
         Get Create of hoReport U_cFlex2CrystalArea  to hoArea  // area object
               .
               .
               .

Creating a New Report¶

Flex2Crystal installs two workspaces that include reports that can be used as templates for creating new reports. The Flex2Crystal library contains ReportPreviewCR.rv, which shows how to use CDOs and ADOs in a report (see Using the CDO Interface and Using the ADO.NET Interface ). The Mertech Example Application workspace contains a report template and two sample reports that can be used as guides to create other reports. All the reports include the cFlex2Crystal.pkg and have a call to CheckCrystalEnvironment in the StartReport procedure.