Unlike Active Reports by Data
Dynamics, Crystal Reports (at least Versions 8.5 and earlier) by Crystal
Decisions (formally Seagate Software) does not support the use of ActiveX
controls directly. While it is possible to insert the TAL Bar Code ActiveX
control into Crystal Reports as an OLE Object, there seems to be no way to
set it's properties through code. (If anyone knows how to do this please contact
us!) which means all you can do with it is print out the default bar code.
Either use Active Reports and save youself a lot of programming
time, or use the ActiveX control in a Visual Basic Application that saves the
barcodes as images and then inserts them into your report. Unfortunately there
are no Crystal Reports Gurus here at TALtech, but we have played with
Crystal Reports 7.0 and a demo version of 8.5. One of the Visual Basic Project
demos that ships with the Crystal Reports 8.5 Report Designer Component shows
how to load a picture at Runtime using the "onFormat event" of
a section in the report:
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'
Using the FormattedPicture property of the OLEObject object,
' the VB LoadPicture Method can be used to change a picture image
' at runtime. This example changes the coupon depending on the
' customer's last year's sales
'
Private Sub Section12_Format(ByVal pFormattingInfo As Object)
Select Case fldLastYearsSales.Value
Case Is < 10000
Set picCoupon.FormattedPicture = LoadPicture(App.Path & "\Coup20.bmp")
Case 10001 To 20000
Set picCoupon.FormattedPicture = LoadPicture(App.Path & "\Coup30.bmp")
Case 20001 To 30000
Set picCoupon.FormattedPicture = LoadPicture(App.Path & "\Coup40.bmp")
Case Is > 30000
Set picCoupon.FormattedPicture = LoadPicture(App.Path & "\Coup50.bmp")
End Select
End Sub
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Thus, it seems entirely possible that one could bind the
ActiveX Control to a field in a database using Visual Basic's
Database tools, then loop through a field in the database,
save a bar code as an image file, and generate a report using
Crystal Reports that uses the LoadPicture method
technique above to insert the barcodes. It may also be possible
to insert the bar codes as image files into an OLE field
in your table and bind a picture field on the report to that
field.
If anyone out there knows of a better way or has a working
example that you would be willing to share with others please contact
us!
Related Links:
Using the TAL Bar Code ActiveX
Control with a VB Data Report
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