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active link tables and reports (web)

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    active link tables and reports (web)

    Dear Alpha People,

    Is there any difference in defining PathAlias for active link tables vs usual .dbf tables?

    I'm developing web application with MySQL as a backend database. I didn't use much active link tables through out the app, but I found out that it is very convenient to use them when building reports.
    So, I have a few active link tables and a set that is designed based on active link tables. Report is based on this set. When I run the report directly from alpha, everything is fine. My goal is to be able to run the report from the web, so I developed a script doing so. The scrips works perfect from localhost, but as soon as I publish the app to the server, I have 500 error:

    Code:
    500 Internal Server Error
    
    "Script Error
    Error:
    Amyuni Low Level Print:
    Layout name: IndividualDonor_ThankYou@[PathAlias.ADB_Path]\financial_gifts_thankyou.set
    Layout type: letter
    The system cannot find the file specified. 
    financial_gifts.dbf"
    I think I have my [PathAlias.ADB_Path] alias set correctly (at list I can see all the dbf files in that location). What can be the reason that my reports are not working?

    Thank you for any help,
    Olga

    #2
    Re: active link tables and reports (web)

    Don't build your report with an Active Link table as your data source.

    Instead, create a new report, and choose <SQL Data Source> as the report's source, and go from there.

    Then, make sure your development PC and web server have the same SQL connection and you'll be good to go.

    This will also make for much faster reports.
    -Steve
    sigpic

    Comment


      #3
      Re: active link tables and reports (web)

      Hi Steve,

      Does it mean that reports do not work with active link tables at all?

      Thank you for your reply,
      Olga

      Comment


        #4
        Re: active link tables and reports (web)

        Originally posted by moiola View Post
        Hi Steve,

        Does it mean that reports do not work with active link tables at all?

        Thank you for your reply,
        Olga
        A report will work with active tables, but it's overkill to use a read/write active table for a read only report.

        So it's not advisable because it's not as efficient. And we want speed where ever we can find it.....
        Al Buchholz
        Bookwood Systems, LTD
        Weekly QReportBuilder Webinars Thursday 1 pm CST

        Occam's Razor - KISS
        Normalize till it hurts - De-normalize till it works.
        Advice offered and questions asked in the spirit of learning how to fish is better than someone giving you a fish.
        When we triage a problem it is much easier to read sample systems than to read a mind.
        "Make it as simple as possible, but not simpler."
        Albert Einstein

        http://www.iadn.com/images/media/iadn_member.png

        Comment


          #5
          Re: active link tables and reports (web)

          Hi Al,

          Thank you for your reply.

          In my report I have 5 sub-reports for child tables. As far as I know it is possible to create only one SQL data source per report and there is no possibility to create additional SQL data sources for sub-reports. It would be a tricky part to create an SQL that will show only the fields I need and avoid duplication.

          May be I'm wrong and there is some way to specify additional data sources as it is in Crystal Reports and FastReport. Can you please advise if that is possible?

          Thanks again,
          Olga

          Comment


            #6
            Re: active link tables and reports (web)

            Originally posted by moiola View Post
            May be I'm wrong and there is some way to specify additional data sources
            You can switch from a table/view to a SQL - Stored procedure.....
            Al Buchholz
            Bookwood Systems, LTD
            Weekly QReportBuilder Webinars Thursday 1 pm CST

            Occam's Razor - KISS
            Normalize till it hurts - De-normalize till it works.
            Advice offered and questions asked in the spirit of learning how to fish is better than someone giving you a fish.
            When we triage a problem it is much easier to read sample systems than to read a mind.
            "Make it as simple as possible, but not simpler."
            Albert Einstein

            http://www.iadn.com/images/media/iadn_member.png

            Comment


              #7
              Re: active link tables and reports (web)

              Hi Al,

              Thank you for your advice. Seems using a select from a view/stored procedure is the only solution since working with active link tables is recourses consuming and alpha only supports one data source per report.

              So finally I had to create a very big view to union all my tables and show their contents correctly in the report.

              Thanks everybody,
              Olga

              Comment


                #8
                Re: active link tables and reports (web)

                Actually the more interesting question for me is why you don't think this is the right solution.....
                Al Buchholz
                Bookwood Systems, LTD
                Weekly QReportBuilder Webinars Thursday 1 pm CST

                Occam's Razor - KISS
                Normalize till it hurts - De-normalize till it works.
                Advice offered and questions asked in the spirit of learning how to fish is better than someone giving you a fish.
                When we triage a problem it is much easier to read sample systems than to read a mind.
                "Make it as simple as possible, but not simpler."
                Albert Einstein

                http://www.iadn.com/images/media/iadn_member.png

                Comment


                  #9
                  Re: active link tables and reports (web)

                  Well... May be just because I'm not familiar with alpha reporting capabilities so good.

                  I'm used to FastReport, where it was possible to create a several data sources for one report. I.e. a separate data source for report header (select to show compony information, for example), additional data sources for sub-reports, etc. It was really convenient and clear to use. Alpha reporting tool look&feel are very similar to FastReport's that's why, may be, I was expecting from alpha similar functionality...
                  Using only one data source is limiting the flexibility of report design, makes the volume of data extracting from the database bigger, makes SQL queries more complex, increases development time, etc.

                  Anyway, now I understand how it works : )

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Re: active link tables and reports (web)

                    If you need data from alternate data sources, you can pass arguments to the report with values established before the report is called. For example, you could populate an argument named "title" for a header from any data source and pass the argument to the report in the saveas()
                    Code:
                    dim args as sql::arguments
                    args.set("title",some value/s from an alternate source)
                    report.saveas(reportname,"pdf",filter,order,tempReport,.f.,null_value(),args)
                    Then add a calculated field on the report to show the values.
                    Code:
                    showTitle = a5_getargumentvalue("title")
                    If the argument "title" isn't populated or even passed to the report, you won't get an error, just a blank result from the function 'a5_getargumentvalue()'.

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Re: active link tables and reports (web)

                      Jerry,

                      Thank you for the hint, sometimes it can be useful.

                      Olga

                      Comment

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