[Koha] Access Koha database tables for Crystal Reports

[Greg Barniskis]

On 7/18/2013 1:51 AM, Iming Chan wrote:
> Dear all,
>
> Has anyone succeed in using Crystal Reports with Koha?  I am trying to
> create various Koha reports using Crystal.
>
> I have successfully installed an ODBC connection to the database via MySQL.
>
> When I try to create a new Crystal Reports using the report wizard, none of
> the Koha database tables are loaded (though I have selected Koha has the
> data source).
>
> Is there something else that I need to do?

Hi,

We use Crystal Reports standalone and Crystal Server with Liblime Koha, 
but it really shouldn't be any different for connecting to mainstream 
Koha, as you're not really connecting CR to Koha, but rather to MySQL 
Server. The Koha software has no role in this connection.

Just guessing (because this was a headache in our testing) that your 
problem may be related to Windows bit depth issues. It's definitely an 
issue for Windows 7 or Server 2008 that are native 64-bit.

Because Crystal is 32-bit software it requires that your ODBC connection 
be set up in the 32-bit version of the Windows ODBC Data Sources control 
panel. The version of this panel that opens from the Start menu is the 
64-bit version. To launch the 32-bit ODBC Data Sources panel, open a 
Windows command line and enter:

c:\windows\sysWOW64\odbcad32.exe

Then create your Koha ODBC DSN.

During the DSN setup procedure, you should have an option to Test the 
connection. If MySQL Server can be connected to over the network, and 
your SQL user name and password are accepted by the server, then you 
should be able to pass this test. If you cannot pass this basic ODBC 
configuration test, then Crystal Reports will surely not work. If you 
pass the test, Crystal should have no problem. Again, be sure you're 
testing a 32-bit DSN for use with Crystal.

Other issues that we bumped into with CR:

  * be sure to select the utf8 character set under the "Details" section 
of your Windows ODBC DSN configuration

  * you may want to also choose "Allow big result sets"

  * you may want to also choose "Don't cache results" (especially if you 
get "out of memory" errors)

Hope that helps,

-- 
Greg Barniskis, Computer Systems Integrator
South Central Library System (SCLS)
<gregb at scls.lib.wi.us>, (608) 242-4716