Bespoke Report to generate xml file - Anybody up for it?

[Deepwave]

Hi Everyone,

I need a bespoke crystal report writing but I'm not an expert and it seems difficult to easily obtain V8.5 anyway.

The report will be used to generate an XML output via Mole End's automation software for individual orders.

The report itself should be quite simple, just requiring a few fields such as customer address and items ordered.

I can email a copy of the xml output required if anybody wishes to view what the report will require.

I obviously don't expect any help that anyone offers to be free.... unless you just love a challenge .

Look forward to any replies. Thanks.

[Mike Hughes]

I believe Duncan's your man for customised reports.

Try sending him a pm if he doesn't pop up. ( Duncan Rounding).

Mike

[Duncan Rounding]

Crystal reports 8.5 will not generate an xml output. You will need a database query and some code for that. You might want to approach mole end or perhaps teclan who may be able to help.

[Jan]

You can produce custom order xml output with our order processing for Actinic tool - more details and a free trial here :

http://www.mole-end.biz/acatalog/Mul...r-Actinic.html

It can be run in batch mode and so can be used with automation.

Regards,

[Jan]

I have also just sent you a sample XML file with instructions in reply to your query in our mole end support system.

Regards,

[Deepwave]

Thanks for the help everyone.

Jan has provided a solution via his 'off the shelf' automatic order processing software which works really well.

At first I was looking at the crystal reports solution because Jan's software can take .rpt files and turn them into xml output files with unique filenames per order.

However his software can generate the xml file formatted exactly as required in another way, but this method doesn't have the option to give each file a unique filename. A small issue in the scheme of things which can be worked around.

Once again thanks for the help everyone.

[guccij]

Jan has provided a solution via his 'off the shelf' automatic order processing software which works really well.
However his software can generate the xml file formatted exactly as required in another way,

Because a software developer couldn't possibly be a woman, could they ...

[Deepwave]

Sorry if I offended anyone.

I thought Jan's surname sounded scandinavian and thought male, like footballer Jan Molby as opposed to female newsreader Jan Leeming for example).

Couldn't put me straight on this one could you Jan?

[Jan]

I don't think my surname helps - it make me sound more like a Yan than a Jan.

You can add macros to the file name to make it unique - [%TIME%] might work for you, their isn't one to add an order number at the moment but we could look at adding it in a future version.

To use it with automation, you need to call it in batch mode - the help file has the available commands detailed in the 'automation and batch options' section. You can export and email in batch.

I can't see how you would process one order at a time though. Is it possible for your supplier to accept a file with more than one.

Regards,

[Jan]

We have two programmers here, Jan (me - female) and Pat (male), people always seem to think that I am a bloke and Pat is a woman, we even once had a customer call up to check because he had a bet with his girlfriend (he lost). Happens all the time so no offence at all.

Cheers,

[Deepwave]

Ooooops!. Yep it was definitely your surname that made me think Yan rather than Jan. Sorry Jan.

No chance of pigeon holing people Gucci. My software programming ex-girlfriend of 7 years would know that.

Once again sorry if anyone is offended.

[leehack]

You should of called her Jo instead.

[Jan]

lol Lee, now that does annoy me :-)

[To explain to Darren - for a while people used to mix up me and my good friend Jo on this board]

Regards,