Passing parameters to Crystal Report w/o Report Viewer

[Mr_E]

Can anybody help me figure out how to pass a parameter to a Crystal Report in VB.NET without using a viewer? I know it would be easier with the viewer but I need to get around using the report viewer object. Thanks!

[Estuardo]

G'd evening!!
You don't need the viewer to print your rpt with/out params.
you can do something like this:

Private sub PritRpt()
 Dim strPath As String = "c:\YourReport.rpt"

  Try
            rpt = New ReportDocument
            With rpt
                .Load(strPath)
                .SetParameterValue("@YourParam", CReport.intParam)
                .PrintOptions.PrinterName = "PrinterName"
                .PrintToPrinter(1, False, 0, 0)
            End with
   Catch ex As EngineException
            MsgBox(ex.Message, MsgBoxStyle.Exclamation)
   End Try
 End sub

Good luck
Estuardo

[blakemckenna]

Estuardo,

This seems pretty straight forward and easy to understand, however, what I am trying to do is provide a Command Line parameter to a VB.Net application. This parameter will in turn be passed to my Crystal Report. Basically, what I am trying to accomplish is to suppress detail line printing and print sub-totals/summary lines instead based on the parameter that is passed to the report.

I've never used parameters in CR before so I'm not even sure I've set it up right. I've basically created a Parameter Field within my Report. In the section expert, I've clicked on the "Detail" section and checked it. In the Formula Editor...all I've done was check the parameter by enter the following line:

{?ReportType} = "D"

What is the "CReport.intParam". I didn't see CReport defined anywhere. Is this the actual parameter value passed from the VB.Net application? If so, I keep getting this error when I run my app.

"Invalid index. (Exception from HRESULT: 0x8002000B (DISP_E_BADINDEX))"

Thanks,

[Estuardo]

G'd evening Blake!
First of all Yes, you're right "CReport.intParam" it's a variable that holds the value for the parameter. thanks for mention it.
I have no experience with command line parameters, but i think that if you're sure that the vb.net app. gets the param then i can help from there.
I have created a form with the above code (fixed) and
A Blank report in CR X. What i have in that report are two objects: The parameter and the Formula fields.
for both i just right click on the respective category and selected "New"
When you create the parameter a window pops up asking for three properties,
The parameter name, the text to prompt and the Value type of parameter in
that order i did the following:

Name: @ThisParam
Prompting Text:
Value Type: Number

For the formula field, i named flResult and in the formula editor (with the basic sintax selected) i wrote:

if {?@ThisParam} =1 then
formula = "Value Is 1"
else
formula = "Value Is " & {?@ThisParam}
end if

Finally the fixed code

Imports CrystalDecisions.CrystalReports.Engine
Imports CrystalDecisions.reportsource
Imports CrystalDecisions.Shared

 Private Sub frmCallReport_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.Load
        Call PrintRpt()
End Sub

 Private Sub PrintRpt()
        Dim strPath As String = "c:\ThisReport.rpt"
        Dim rpt As New ReportDocument

        Try

            With rpt
                .Load(strPath)
                .SetParameterValue("@ThisParam", 300)
                .PrintOptions.PrinterName = "pdfFactory" '<---A Real Printer Here
                .PrintToPrinter(1, False, 0, 0)
            End With
        Catch ex As EngineException
            MsgBox(ex.Message, MsgBoxStyle.Exclamation)
        End Try
End Sub

Please note that you must add the three CR references to your project in order to make this work.
If the problem is with the command line arguments you may want to read this Investigating Command Lines

Good luck
Estuardo

[blakemckenna]

Estuardo,

I tried using your code and still got the same error message. Below is my exact code.

    Public Function CreateSettlementReport() As Exception
        Try
            Dim crSettlement As New rptSettlement
            Dim diskOpts As DiskFileDestinationOptions = ExportOptions.CreateDiskFileDestinationOptions()
            Dim exportOpts As ExportOptions = New ExportOptions()

            strSettlementReport = "\Settlement" & strReportDate & ".PDF"

            exportOpts.ExportFormatType = ExportFormatType.PortableDocFormat
            exportOpts.ExportDestinationType = ExportDestinationType.DiskFile

            diskOpts.DiskFileName = strPath & strSettlementReport
            exportOpts.ExportDestinationOptions = diskOpts

            With crSettlement
                .Load(strSettlementReport)
                .SetDataSource(DS)
                .SetParameterValue("@ReportType", strReportType)
                .Export(exportOpts)
            End With

            crSettlement = Nothing
            Return Nothing

        Catch ex As Exception
            strProcedure = "CreateSettlementReport()"
            strMsg = ex.Message
            WriteToErrorFile(strMsg, strProcedure, strProgram, intRecordCount)
            Return ex
        End Try
    End Function