Hi,

Can anyone help me out in Crystal Reports using lawson database?
Any documents on this are most appreciated.


Thanks in Advance.

Skonduru

Are you looking for tables and fields to use in your Crystal reports? If so there is topic called finding a field in LawsonTalk->Lawson Functional->HR/Payroll that may help. Lots of options for finding fields and tables that you'll need to write reports.

If you have a more specific question regarding Crystal and Lawson someone on the board can probably help. We use Crystal extensively for reporting on HR, PR, and BN.

Whatever your issue, we can probably get you the documents and/or support you need. I've pm'ed you.

What Lawson systems (ie HR/Payroll, Financials, Supply Chain, etc) are you needing reports for? What database is your Lawson system using? Are you connecting directly to the database (odbc or native connection) or are you using Lawson's OLE DB Connector? What is your experience with Lawson and/or Crystal?

If you are just getting started, I would suggest checking out the following site: http://www.lawsonguru.com/guru/default.aspx. Take a look at the ERD's and the Data Dictionary for the Lawson systems that are of interest to you.

If you are running Portal, using CTRL-SHIFT-O is your friend. It will show you the table prefix and field name (and more) for the selected field.

This site (LawsonTalk) is excellent for getting answers regarding specific questions/challenges/issues...

What is the difference between using ODBC and OLE DB for connecting to lawson with Crystal?

Thanks
Shane

OLE DB

• Requires install of OLE DB query builder
• Enforces laua security
• Predefined table relationships only
• Can use Lawson reports and forms as a data source, and you can also query Lawson Environment tables (ie GEN tables) that don't reside in your rdbms
• Derived fields available
• Query via dme (update via ags)
• Proprietary
• SLOW
• SLOW (worth mentioning twice)

ODBC or Native

• Requires install of database client
• Database security only
• Requires knowledge of table relationships
• Only database tables are available
• Only database fields are available
• Query via sql
• Faster server side processing

If you have power users that have a need to do adhoc reporting, OLE DB can make sense b/c of the predefined table relationships and laua security enforcement. 99.99% of the time, you want to use ODBC or Native drivers (in my experience).

CjMart,

I am thinking that it might be good to have both on my computer so that I can look up a table relationship. Sometimes I struggle with determining the best way to link tables. It sounds like OLE might be the way to handle this?

How do I add this OLE connection type?

Thanks
Shane

There is no issue with having the database client and ole db installed on the same pc.

There is definitely a learning curve with learning the Lawson table relationships. In theory, OLE DB can help with that.

You can download the install file from http://support.lawson.com. Log in, then go to Product --> Product Downloads --> OLE DB Object Services.

I have installed the OLE DB but I am not getting the automatic table links. When I add tables they do not link to eachother. I tried using "smart linking" option in crystal which does not seem like the right thing and I get a message that it is not supported...

Could someone send me a screen print of what the linking should look like when connecting using OLE with Crystal? I just want to show someone here what I am trying to get Crystal to do and what it should look like when it creates the links for me.

(I have attached what mine looks like when I add multiple tables)

Thanks
Shane

Check out the OLE DB Query Builder that you installed. Using the options on the database tab (select your table/fields), build a dme query. To build a multiple table query, select Relationships to view related tables. Copy/paste the enire dme query into Crystal. Add the field(s) to the report and then run it.

Will this show me the links graphically in Crystal or will it still display just the text like a "command" in crystal?

shanesmj,

the only way you are going to graphically see links is if you use ODBC or Native driver connections to the database (ie Oracle, SQL Server).

When I connect to Lawson using our ODBC with Crystal I have to create the table links myself.

When I connect to an access database with crystal all of the links are created for me automatically. I was hoping that by adding the OLE DB connection It would automatically create table links for me.

Shane

Unfortunately, you'll need to learn the relationships between the tables to build custom Lawson reports in Crystal...which there is a learning curve for.