How to create a DEF file

HI here is the informaiont for you: Crystal Reports New Crystal Reports can be created for Microsoft® Business Solutions Retail Management System. Although Retail Management System ships with a runtime license for Crystal Reports, the Crystal Reports program needs to be purchased to create or edit new Crystal Reports.

The Crystal Reports files included in Retail Management System are located in the Crystal Reports folder where the product is installed (C:\program files\microsoft\retail management system\store operations\CrystalReports).

Crystal Reports Rules Follow the rules below to produce Crystal Reports for Retail Management System.

The DEF filename must match the RPT filename. For example, Customer.def must be used to generate Customer.rpt.

The DEF file and RPT file must be stored in the folder dedicated for Crystal Reports. This folder is defined in Retail Management System Administrator and is stored in the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Retail Management System\Store Operations\Manager\Paths\Crystal Reports subkey.

Retail Management System v1.2 distributes Crystal Reports v8.5. Ensure that the new Crystal Reports are compatible with these versions.

An OLE database SQL connection to the Retail Management System database must be used.

A formula field for ReportDate must be included in the report.

Note: This can be blank at design time since the application passes data to this field at runtime.

In the Crystal Report definition files, use the variables listed in the following table.

Variable Description Filename The report filename. Description The description that appears on the report window. GroupCount The number of group sections in the report, not including the detail section. StartGroup Indicates the first group section for sorting purposes. TableCount Number of tables used in the report. VisibleSectionName Include one for each section displayed on the report. GH1 indicates the header section for group 1, GF1 indicates the footer section for group 1, and DETAIL indicates the detail section. Field Defines the fields that can be sorted or used in the selection criteria. They are defined as follows: Field = {description}, {field name}, {type}, {level}, {criteria}, {G.T. #}. Description The information used to identify the field in the user interface and the field in the database. Type Indicates the type of data in the field: 0 = string; 1 = numeric; 2 = date,

3 = Boolean. Level The sort level in which the field appears. For example, 1 means this field can be sorted at sort level 1. Use 0 if this field is not to be sorted. Criteria Indicates if this field is used in the selection criteria. Use 1 for yes, 0 for no. G.T. For future use.

"GBM" wrote:

Hello AKber and Antonio. Thank you for all your input. Akber: I don't know where I go to rate you (you'd asked me before).

Hi again,

all You need to do is click on YES button, if the answer was helpful. Rating is very important. Rate me also, if You found my add helpful.

Thanks, bfn

Antonijo

One quick question: Akber said: "A formula field for ReportDate must be included in the report." does that mean I create a formula in Crystal Reports and call it: ReportDate and without that the report won't run?

Hi GBM,

The FORMULA FIELD, used into the DefaultSelectionFormula or as any of the Fields (under FIELD NAME) You are trying to show, MUST be created in the Crystal Report (using the Crystal Report internal language, for formulas, where You can mix it with the database fields, special fields, running totals... ), so You can "call it" or "use it" in the DEF file. Also, if You don't want to show the formula field or do any default filtering for example, You can leave this in blank ...

Hope that this cleares up the doubt...

Regards, Antonijo