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Dynamics GP Partner Newsflash: Crystal Reports for Great Plains
Category: ComputersCrystal Reports are popular, even considering the fact that you can deploy preset or develop new free reports in Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services or SSRS.
Crystal Reports designer is very traditional tool and there
are a lot of CR designers and IT professionals, who are very comfortable to
support Crystal Reports for Microsoft Dynamics GP former Great Plains. In this small publication we would like to
give you highlights on Crystal Reports Design and Deployment for Dynamics GP
via remote web sessions, or remote desktop connections USA and Canada
nationwide:
1.
Dynamics GP tables structure and DB
platform. Great Plains Dynamics GP,
starting with version 8.0 is available on Microsoft SQL Server only. GP 8.0 was compatible with SQL 2000 (or MSDE)
and GP 9.0 and 10.0 is compatible with both: Microsoft SQL Server 2000/MSDE and
Microsoft SQL Server 2005/MS SQL Express.
To review Dynamics GP business processes data flow and tables structure
you can install Dynamics GP SDK from CD #2 or simply look the structure in GP
interface: Dynamics GP->Tools->Resource
Description->Tables/Forms/Fields
2.
Dynamics GP Crystal Reports design best
practices. If you are making first steps
with CR, you should review report design wizard, however this approach is not
recommended for production reports. In
production, Crystal Report should be based off SQL Server Stored Procedure (where
CR automatically maps procedure parameters into report parameters, plus you
have unlimited power of temporary tables ? where direct select statement and
unionizing do not help), or SQL view. Dynamics GP company and system databases allow
you to add custom objects, such as SQL stored procedure or custom SQL view
3.
Crystal Reports niche. In Great Plains Dynamics GP you typically
deploy Crystal Reports where you are building industry specific reports: Sales
by product/salesperson/region/class, to give you good example. If you are looking for strictly financial
reports: P&L, Balance Sheet, Statement of Cash Flow ? consider FRx , CR is
not the best choice
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