Crystal Reports .NET Is Utterly Shite

I have enjoyed using .NET, and C# very much and XCOPY deployment is a
dream.

Until I started to use Crystal Reports. It's crap beyond anything that
DLL hell ever managed to product. It's buggy, slow, clunky, badly
designed (push or pull model anyone???).

But that's not the worst. It a bastard to deploy (esp. if you've had
the pleasure of going from 2002 to 2003). And then you'd be lucky if
it actually works ok.

I've just had IIS crashing on me after trying to display current
parameter values in debug mode, and that's after a day of trying to
get round it's rubbish and convoluted object model.

It's a shame that Microsoft let this cancerous little embolism
anywhere near Visual Studio.

What utter shite.

Mark Roberts

Jeff. Do you know of any good documentation for someone who has never
before laid hands on Crystal Reports?

--
Stephajn Craig
"jeff" <> wrote in message
news:#HaVtp$...
> i've found it to be buggy to design reports, but once developed, i've
found
> it to be rock solid. ie, once working, always working.
>
> jeff
>
> "Mark Roberts" <> wrote in message
> news: om...
> > I have enjoyed using .NET, and C# very much and XCOPY deployment is a
> > dream.
> >
> > Until I started to use Crystal Reports. It's crap beyond anything that
> > DLL hell ever managed to product. It's buggy, slow, clunky, badly
> > designed (push or pull model anyone???).
> >
> > But that's not the worst. It a bastard to deploy (esp. if you've had
> > the pleasure of going from 2002 to 2003). And then you'd be lucky if
> > it actually works ok.
> >
> > I've just had IIS crashing on me after trying to display current
> > parameter values in debug mode, and that's after a day of trying to
> > get round it's rubbish and convoluted object model.
> >
> > It's a shame that Microsoft let this cancerous little embolism
> > anywhere near Visual Studio.
> >
> > What utter shite.
>
>

Stephajn Craig

it's difficult to find. you can get a lot of information from the crystal
reports web site by searching. the info is hard to find, but usually it's
there somewhere. i've searched for things, not found it then went back
later with new search ideas and found it. sometimes i couldn't find it by
searching their site directly, but did find a link to what i needed from
searching in yeahoo (a link to crystal reports). it's odd. if you are
familiar with reports in access, i find them to be very similar, identical
in many cases.

jeff

"Stephajn Craig" <> wrote in message
news:%...
> Jeff. Do you know of any good documentation for someone who has never
> before laid hands on Crystal Reports?
>
> --
> Stephajn Craig
> "jeff" <> wrote in message
> news:#HaVtp$...
> > i've found it to be buggy to design reports, but once developed, i've
> found
> > it to be rock solid. ie, once working, always working.
> >
> > jeff
> >
> > "Mark Roberts" <> wrote in message
> > news: om...
> > > I have enjoyed using .NET, and C# very much and XCOPY deployment is a
> > > dream.
> > >
> > > Until I started to use Crystal Reports. It's crap beyond anything that
> > > DLL hell ever managed to product. It's buggy, slow, clunky, badly
> > > designed (push or pull model anyone???).
> > >
> > > But that's not the worst. It a bastard to deploy (esp. if you've had
> > > the pleasure of going from 2002 to 2003). And then you'd be lucky if
> > > it actually works ok.
> > >
> > > I've just had IIS crashing on me after trying to display current
> > > parameter values in debug mode, and that's after a day of trying to
> > > get round it's rubbish and convoluted object model.
> > >
> > > It's a shame that Microsoft let this cancerous little embolism
> > > anywhere near Visual Studio.
> > >
> > > What utter shite.
> >
> >
>
>

jeff

So what kind of search keywords would you suggest for a total newbie to use?

--
Stephajn Craig
"jeff" <> wrote in message
news:...
> it's difficult to find. you can get a lot of information from the crystal
> reports web site by searching. the info is hard to find, but usually it's
> there somewhere. i've searched for things, not found it then went back
> later with new search ideas and found it. sometimes i couldn't find it by
> searching their site directly, but did find a link to what i needed from
> searching in yeahoo (a link to crystal reports). it's odd. if you are
> familiar with reports in access, i find them to be very similar, identical
> in many cases.
>
> jeff
>
> "Stephajn Craig" <> wrote in message
> news:%...
> > Jeff. Do you know of any good documentation for someone who has never
> > before laid hands on Crystal Reports?
> >
> > --
> > Stephajn Craig
> > "jeff" <> wrote in message
> > news:#HaVtp$...
> > > i've found it to be buggy to design reports, but once developed, i've
> > found
> > > it to be rock solid. ie, once working, always working.
> > >
> > > jeff
> > >
> > > "Mark Roberts" <> wrote in message
> > > news: om...
> > > > I have enjoyed using .NET, and C# very much and XCOPY deployment is
a
> > > > dream.
> > > >
> > > > Until I started to use Crystal Reports. It's crap beyond anything
that
> > > > DLL hell ever managed to product. It's buggy, slow, clunky, badly
> > > > designed (push or pull model anyone???).
> > > >
> > > > But that's not the worst. It a bastard to deploy (esp. if you've had
> > > > the pleasure of going from 2002 to 2003). And then you'd be lucky if
> > > > it actually works ok.
> > > >
> > > > I've just had IIS crashing on me after trying to display current
> > > > parameter values in debug mode, and that's after a day of trying to
> > > > get round it's rubbish and convoluted object model.
> > > >
> > > > It's a shame that Microsoft let this cancerous little embolism
> > > > anywhere near Visual Studio.
> > > >
> > > > What utter shite.
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>

Stephajn Craig

Mark Roberts wrote:
> Until I started to use Crystal Reports. It's crap beyond anything that
> DLL hell ever managed to product. It's buggy, slow, clunky, badly
> designed (push or pull model anyone???).
>
> But that's not the worst. It a bastard to deploy (esp. if you've had
> the pleasure of going from 2002 to 2003). And then you'd be lucky if
> it actually works ok.

Why would one use it? All you need to output reports is HTML and text
for the most part.

Michael D. Kersey

you can probably just browse for info you're looking for. they have a lot
of samples, which would be good to start. i think .net installs samples
also, but i've never looked at them. it really isn't all that difficult,
it's just picky about how it wants certain things done.

jeff

"Stephajn Craig" <> wrote in message
news:...
> So what kind of search keywords would you suggest for a total newbie to
use?
>
> --
> Stephajn Craig
> "jeff" <> wrote in message
> news:...
> > it's difficult to find. you can get a lot of information from the
crystal
> > reports web site by searching. the info is hard to find, but usually
it's
> > there somewhere. i've searched for things, not found it then went back
> > later with new search ideas and found it. sometimes i couldn't find it
by
> > searching their site directly, but did find a link to what i needed from
> > searching in yeahoo (a link to crystal reports). it's odd. if you are
> > familiar with reports in access, i find them to be very similar,
identical
> > in many cases.
> >
> > jeff
> >
> > "Stephajn Craig" <> wrote in message
> > news:%...
> > > Jeff. Do you know of any good documentation for someone who has never
> > > before laid hands on Crystal Reports?
> > >
> > > --
> > > Stephajn Craig
> > > "jeff" <> wrote in message
> > > news:#HaVtp$...
> > > > i've found it to be buggy to design reports, but once developed,
i've
> > > found
> > > > it to be rock solid. ie, once working, always working.
> > > >
> > > > jeff
> > > >
> > > > "Mark Roberts" <> wrote in message
> > > > news: om...
> > > > > I have enjoyed using .NET, and C# very much and XCOPY deployment
is
> a
> > > > > dream.
> > > > >
> > > > > Until I started to use Crystal Reports. It's crap beyond anything
> that
> > > > > DLL hell ever managed to product. It's buggy, slow, clunky, badly
> > > > > designed (push or pull model anyone???).
> > > > >
> > > > > But that's not the worst. It a bastard to deploy (esp. if you've
had
> > > > > the pleasure of going from 2002 to 2003). And then you'd be lucky
if
> > > > > it actually works ok.
> > > > >
> > > > > I've just had IIS crashing on me after trying to display current
> > > > > parameter values in debug mode, and that's after a day of trying
to
> > > > > get round it's rubbish and convoluted object model.
> > > > >
> > > > > It's a shame that Microsoft let this cancerous little embolism
> > > > > anywhere near Visual Studio.
> > > > >
> > > > > What utter shite.
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>

jeff

it's a heck of a lot easier... it can export to pdf.... you can use the same
report file for a windows app and an asp.net app.... it supports
charts/graphs... plenty of reasons.

jeff

"Michael D. Kersey" <> wrote in message
news:...
> Mark Roberts wrote:
> > Until I started to use Crystal Reports. It's crap beyond anything that
> > DLL hell ever managed to product. It's buggy, slow, clunky, badly
> > designed (push or pull model anyone???).
> >
> > But that's not the worst. It a bastard to deploy (esp. if you've had
> > the pleasure of going from 2002 to 2003). And then you'd be lucky if
> > it actually works ok.
>
> Why would one use it? All you need to output reports is HTML and text
> for the most part.

jeff

It's crufty to the max.

HTH,

Kevin Spencer
Microsoft FrontPage MVP
Internet Developer
http://www.takempis.com
Big things are made up of
lots of Little things.

"jeff" <> wrote in message
news:...
> it's a heck of a lot easier... it can export to pdf.... you can use the
same
> report file for a windows app and an asp.net app.... it supports
> charts/graphs... plenty of reasons.
>
> jeff
>
> "Michael D. Kersey" <> wrote in message
> news:...
> > Mark Roberts wrote:
> > > Until I started to use Crystal Reports. It's crap beyond anything that
> > > DLL hell ever managed to product. It's buggy, slow, clunky, badly
> > > designed (push or pull model anyone???).
> > >
> > > But that's not the worst. It a bastard to deploy (esp. if you've had
> > > the pleasure of going from 2002 to 2003). And then you'd be lucky if
> > > it actually works ok.
> >
> > Why would one use it? All you need to output reports is HTML and text
> > for the most part.
>
>

Kevin Spencer

not a problem. deploying is easy. there are simple, clear instructions
from crystal reports called "Crystal Reports for Visual Studio .NET
Application Deployment". It has both web and windows form application
deployment. other than that, it's like creating a report in access, and
actually the .net 1.1 version doesn't seem to be nearly as buggy. i haven't
had a crash yet (biggest problem in 1.0 version for me).

the problem i had was stupid things like you weren't able to drag/drop
certain things because it would blow .net up. however, if you double click
it, then it would work. after learning these things (a quick learner will
figure out quickly that dragging crashes it so you don't do it), it is a
breeze.

jeff

"Kevin Spencer" <> wrote in message
news:...
> If you can put together and deploy an ASP.Net Crystal Report in 5 minutes,
> my hat is off to you!
>
> HTH,
>
> Kevin Spencer
> Microsoft FrontPage MVP
> Internet Developer
> http://www.takempis.com
> Big things are made up of
> lots of Little things.
>
> "jeff" <> wrote in message
> news:...
> > well, if you find a way to put a chart in an html file in 5 minutes with
> the
> > basic tools supplied with .net, you might get me to listen to you.
> >
> > jeff
> >
> > "Kevin Spencer" <> wrote in message
> > news:%23$...
> > > It's crufty to the max.
> > >
> > > HTH,
> > >
> > > Kevin Spencer
> > > Microsoft FrontPage MVP
> > > Internet Developer
> > > http://www.takempis.com
> > > Big things are made up of
> > > lots of Little things.
> > >
> > > "jeff" <> wrote in message
> > > news:...
> > > > it's a heck of a lot easier... it can export to pdf.... you can use
> the
> > > same
> > > > report file for a windows app and an asp.net app.... it supports
> > > > charts/graphs... plenty of reasons.
> > > >
> > > > jeff
> > > >
> > > > "Michael D. Kersey" <> wrote in message
> > > > news:...
> > > > > Mark Roberts wrote:
> > > > > > Until I started to use Crystal Reports. It's crap beyond
anything
> > that
> > > > > > DLL hell ever managed to product. It's buggy, slow, clunky,
badly
> > > > > > designed (push or pull model anyone???).
> > > > > >
> > > > > > But that's not the worst. It a bastard to deploy (esp. if you've
> had
> > > > > > the pleasure of going from 2002 to 2003). And then you'd be
lucky
> if
> > > > > > it actually works ok.
> > > > >
> > > > > Why would one use it? All you need to output reports is HTML and
> text
> > > > > for the most part.
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>

jeff

i'm just a user of cr.

how do you think it's difficult to install. just read "Crystal Reports for
Visual Studio .NET Application Deployment". it puts in very plain english
the exact steps to deploy. it's about 6 steps. if you follow them (takes
you no more than 5 minutes to get it setup in .net), it works perfectly
every time. i don't know why nobody seems to read white papers on how to do
things.

jeff

"Michael D. Kersey" <> wrote in message
news:...
> jeff wrote:
> >
> > it's a heck of a lot easier... it can export to pdf.... you can use the
same
> > report file for a windows app and an asp.net app.... it supports
> > charts/graphs... plenty of reasons.
>
> You must be a Crystal Reports employee!-)) They're the only ones pushing
> the product.
>
> Crystal Reports is quite obviously an old Windows/Novell client/server
> package retrofitted to the WWW market. Crystal Reports is a pain to
> install and a pain to use. It is unnecessary: one needs only output HTML
> from ASP to produce reports.
>
> FWIW PDF is Adobe's proprietary format and is not a WWW standard at all
> (I *do* like PDFs for paper documents, but not for the WWW).
>
> The company needs to find a useful product to market and quit feeding
> off the oft-mistaken view of unknowing IT managers and other PHBs that
> somehow "reports" on the WWW should be anything other than HTML. Taking
> advantage of the stupidity of customers is NOT a marketing strategy.
>
> Good Luck,
> Michael D. Kersey

jeff