Crystal Reports. Overview. Contents. Using Crystal Reports Print Engine calls (API) in Microsoft Visual Basic

Transcription

1 Using Crystal Reports Print Engine calls (API) in Microsoft Visual Basic Overview Contents This document describes how to preview a report using Microsoft (MS) Visual Basic, by making direct API calls to the Crystal Reports Print Engine (CRPE.DLL or CRPE32.DLL). This document utilizes the basic API calls in order to execute a report. This document assumes that the report connects to a PC based database using a native connection. This document is for use with Crystal Reports 5 and higher. INTRODUCTION...2 PREVIEWING A REPORT IN MS VISUAL BASIC USING API CALLS...3 CONTACTING CRYSTAL DECISIONS FOR TECHNICAL SUPPORT...5 6/24/2002 2:30 PM Copyright 2001 Crystal Decisions, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Page 1

2 Introduction Besides acting as a powerful stand-alone report creating application, Crystal Reports provides a report writing module that you can add to your own applications. As a developer using C, C++, Visual Basic, ObjectVision, Turbo Pascal, Visual dbase, Delphi, or any programming language that can access a DLL, you can add sophisticated report generating and printing capabilities to your applications without the time-consuming task of writing your own code. The Crystal Report Engine is a Dynamic Link Library (DLL) that allows your applications to access the same powerful report printing features that are available in Crystal Reports. As a licensed user of Crystal Reports, you receive royalty-free rights to ship the Report Engine DLL (CRPE.DLL or CRPE32.DLL) and all of its support files with any application you create. NOTE For more information regarding current runtime file requirements, please see the Runtime File Requirements Help file (located in the Crystal Reports program group). 6/24/2002 2:30 PM Copyright 2001 Crystal Decisions, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Page 2

3 Previewing a report in MS Visual Basic using API Calls The following steps describe how to preview a report in MS Visual Basic using the Crystal Reports API Print Engine calls. To preview the report: 1. Open a new project in VB. Click the File menu and then click New Project. Select Standard EXE and click OK. 2. Click the Project menu, and then click Add Module. In the Add Module dialog box, click the Existing tab and browse to Global32.bas (or Global.bas for 16 bit applications). GLOBAL.BAS and GLOBAL32.BAS declare all Report Engine functions for Visual Basic. CRPE.H declares all Report Engine functions for C/C++. NOTE CRPEDB.H declares several Report Engine functions for Visual dbase. Because of limits in the dbase language, not all Report Engine functions are available to dbase programmers. Refer to the individual function in Crystal Reports Developer's online Help for information on dbase availability. CRPE.PAS and CRPE32.PAS declare all Report Engine functions for Delphi. 3. Open the code window for Form1 and under the General Declarations section, type the following lines of code: Dim Job As Integer Dim Handle As Integer 4. On the blank form, insert two Command buttons. In the first Command button, type the following lines of code: Private Sub Command1_Click() 'Open the Print Engine 'This would be the same as adding an OCX control to a VB form 'The Handle variable captures the handle for the print engine. On success, it returns 1 for true. Handle = PEOpenEngine 'Open the Print Job for a particular report to open. This is similar to the ReportFileName property in the OCX. 6/24/2002 2:30 PM Copyright 2001 Crystal Decisions, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Page 3

4 'The Job variable captures the handle of the print job. success, it returns 1 for true. On Job = PEOpenPrintJob("<path to report file, including the.rpt file>") 'Set the destination of where the report is to be printed (Window, Printer, Export) 'This would be like the Destination property in the OCX Handle = PEOutputToWindow(Job, "REPORT.RPT", 0, 0, 520, 520, 0, 0) 'Start the print job and print it to the window 'This would be like the Action property in the OCX Handle = PEStartPrintJob(Job, True) End Sub 5. In the second Command button, type the following lines of code: Private Sub Command2_Click() 'Close the print job after the report has been previewed PEClosePrintJob (Job) 'Close the print engine before exiting the application. PECloseEngine End End Sub 6. Run this project by pressing F5. Click the first Command button to preview the report. To close the preview window, and close the Print Job and Print Engine, click the second Command button. 6/24/2002 2:30 PM Copyright 2001 Crystal Decisions, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Page 4

5 Contacting Crystal Decisions for Technical Support We recommend that you refer to the product documentation and that you visit our Technical Support web site for more resources. Self-serve Support: Support: Telephone Support: 6/24/2002 2:30 PM Copyright 2001 Crystal Decisions, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Page 5