VB 3.0 Crystal Reports Files to Distribute /w Your .EXE Program

ID: Q110721

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Visual Basic Standard and Professional Editions for Windows, version 3.0

SUMMARY

You cannot distribute the CRW.EXE file to other users. CRW.EXE is the Crystal report-designer environment for making custom reports.

To distribute custom reports that you made using CRW.EXE, add a Crystal Custom Control to your program. You can attach your custom report to the Crystal Custom Control by using the ReportFileName property. Visual Basic can compile that program into an executable .EXE file. If you want to distribute that program to other people who do not have Visual Basic version 3.0 installed, you need to include additional files listed in the More Information section below.

For an example showing how to use the Crystal Custom Control, run the CRVBXSAM.MAK sample project located in the Report directory in Visual Basic.

MORE INFORMATION

You can run the Crystal Reports design environment in any of the following ways:

From the Window menu in Visual Basic, choose Report Designer.

In the Visual Basic 3.0 program group in Windows Program Manager, double-click the "Crystal Reports for Visual Basic" icon.

In File Manager in Windows, double-click the CRW.EXE file located in the Report directory in your Visual Basic directory.

You can use the Shell function to invoke the Crystal Reports design environment from an executable program written in Visual Basic. For example:
```
      x = Shell("CRW.EXE")
 
```

Microsoft does not allow you to distribute the Crystal Reports design environment (CRW.EXE) with your application. To access Crystal Reports from executable program written in Visual Basic, add a Crystal Custom Control to your program. You can make executable .EXE program files from programs that contain a Crystal Custom Control. If you want to distribute, sell, or test that .EXE file on another computer that does not have Visual Basic version 3.0 for Windows installed, you need to distribute the following files with that .EXE file:


   CRYSTAL.VBX       Crystal Custom Control file
   CRPE.DLL          Interface to the print engine.
   COMMDLG.DLL       Printer and file selection dialog box routines.
   CRXLATE.DLL       Only needed if your program uses ToWords() function.

 * PDIRJET.DLL       Crystal engine DLL.
 * PDBJET.DLL        Crystal engine DLL.
 * MSAJT110.DLL      Microsoft Access engine DLL.
 * MSAES110.DLL      Microsoft Access engine DLL.
** MSABC110.DLL      Microsoft Access engine DLL.
** CTL3D.DLL         Microsoft Access engine DLL.
   VB.INI            Visual Basic initialization file.

NOTES:


 * Files marked with one or two asterisks should be added to the list on
   page 582 in the "Visual Basic Version 3.0: Programmer's Guide."

** Files marked with two asterisks need to be added to the list in
   Appendix A of the "Crystal Reports for Visual Basic User's Manual."

Visual Basic's run-time dynamic link library must also be distributed with any executable Visual Basic program:

VBRUN300.DLL

If you are making reports with ODBC, ODBC SQL Server, ODBC Oracle, Paradox, dBASE, or Btrieve, you will need to distribute additional database-specific files. See the REFERENCES section below.

REFERENCES

See the "Runtime file requirements" topic in the Index of the Help menu topic for Crystal Reports. This is more up-to-date than the printed User's Manual.

Microsoft Visual Basic Version 3.0 "Professional Features Book 2", Crystal Reports for Visual Basic User's Manual.

Additional query words: 3.00 docerr


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Last Reviewed: June 8, 1999