Crystal Report Viewer fails for browser versions >=10

[Former Member]

We're using the Crystal Reports for VS2010 SP2 and get the following error when trying to generate a report in Firefox 10.0.2 and Chrome 18.0.1025.11 beta-m:

[NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.]
   CrystalDecisions.Web.ViewerGlobal.get_IsNetscape6Up() +88
   CrystalDecisions.Web.CrystalReportViewer.Render(HtmlTextWriter output) +83
   System.Web.UI.Control.RenderControlInternal(HtmlTextWriter writer, ControlAdapter adapter) +27
   System.Web.UI.Control.RenderControl(HtmlTextWriter writer, ControlAdapter adapter) +8991378
   System.Web.UI.Control.RenderControl(HtmlTextWriter writer) +25
   System.Web.UI.Control.RenderChildrenInternal(HtmlTextWriter writer, ICollection children) +208
   System.Web.UI.HtmlControls.HtmlForm.RenderChildren(HtmlTextWriter writer) +173
   System.Web.UI.HtmlControls.HtmlContainerControl.Render(HtmlTextWriter writer) +31
   System.Web.UI.HtmlControls.HtmlForm.Render(HtmlTextWriter output) +53
   System.Web.UI.Control.RenderControlInternal(HtmlTextWriter writer, ControlAdapter adapter) +27
   System.Web.UI.Control.RenderControl(HtmlTextWriter writer, ControlAdapter adapter) +8991378
   System.Web.UI.HtmlControls.HtmlForm.RenderControl(HtmlTextWriter writer) +40
   ASP.app_filters_reportviewer_aspx.__Render__control1(HtmlTextWriter __w, Control parameterContainer) in c:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v4.0.30319\Temporary ASP.NET Files\qfmui\10eb2bd5\d0d0d3a5\App_Web_e2fg2prg.2.cs:0
   System.Web.UI.Control.RenderChildrenInternal(HtmlTextWriter writer, ICollection children) +109
   System.Web.UI.Control.RenderChildren(HtmlTextWriter writer) +8
   System.Web.UI.Page.Render(HtmlTextWriter writer) +29
   System.Web.UI.Control.RenderControlInternal(HtmlTextWriter writer, ControlAdapter adapter) +27
   System.Web.UI.Control.RenderControl(HtmlTextWriter writer, ControlAdapter adapter) +8991378
   System.Web.UI.Control.RenderControl(HtmlTextWriter writer) +25
   System.Web.UI.Page.ProcessRequestMain(Boolean includeStagesBeforeAsyncPoint, Boolean includeStagesAfterAsyncPoint) +3060

If I change the user agent string in Firefox to that of Firefox 7.0.1 everything works as expected, this implies there is some logic in get_IsNetscape6Up() which is failing because the major browser version as reported by the user agent string is two digits instead of one.

We encountered a similar issue for our legacy pages containing Infragistics 2007 controls but were able to fix that by overriding the System.Web.Configuration.HttpCapabilitiesBase.BrowserCapabilitiesProvider and faking the browser version to 9.80. Crystal Report Viewer is apparently not using .Net's built in HttpBrowserCapabilities object, is there anything else I can adjust to stop the viewer failing?

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Turns out this was a problem of our own creation.

Until recently we had some legacy areas of our web application which used Infragistics 2007 controls.  These broke completely for browsers with versions of 10 or greater, so we had a custom Browser Capabilities Provider which set the version number to 9.80 for any browser of version 10 or greater.  This fixed the Infragistics controls but apparently also led to this Crystal issue - perhaps Crystal is expecting the version number and the other browser cap details to correspond?

Anyway, after recently eradicating all remaining traces of the Infragistics controls I was also able to remove this browser capabilities hack and now we don't get the error.

[former_member183750 · Accepted solution]

Hi Robert

Many, many thanks for sharing the solution. I suspect it may come in handy for others in the future

Happy coding,

- Ludek

[Former Member]

You misunderstand. I'm not suggesting you change your release cycle, I'm suggesting that your releases anticipate the fact that there will be from 2-3 new versions of FireFox before your next patch comes out. You can currently download version 10 (release), 11 (beta), 12 (aurora) and 13 (nightly) of FireFox which allows you to 'see the future' for at least as far as the next three months.

[former_member183750]

Hello Robert

Understood. Great suggestions, but what other beta software would we have to "anticipate"? IE? MapInfo? Database clients? Perhaps new file export types. New Java framework? New .NET Framework? Know what I mean? There is so many 3rd party apps that we need to work with, it would be a pretty tough slog to be ahead of the curve with all of them.

Just my nickel's worth, but I did include a link to this thread in my ping to Program Management so they'll see the conversation we had and let's see if they'll comment on it.

One thing I do know for sure. R&D does not like to work with Beta releases - and I understand why not. From personal experience, (even with Beta od CRVS2010) working with Beta software turns out to not be such a good idea

- Ludek

Edited by: Ludek Uher on Mar 7, 2012 9:08 AM

[Former Member]

Of course working with beta software has it's own risks, but there's a difference between what 'beta' means in the context of something which is released every few years like visual studio than every few weeks like Firefox. I'm not suggesting it is easy for you to keep up with their schedule, just that it's going to be necessary if SAP want to claim with a straight face that they support Firefox.

Of course if Mozilla had released versions 5.0, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4 and 5.5 instead of 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 then we wouldn't see this particular issue...

As an aside, while we're discussing beta versions, I just installed the Windows 8 Community Preview and IE10 gives the exact same exception

[former_member183750]

I understand. Let's see what the PM says.

I'm sitting next to a co-worker and he has also just installed WIN 8. He has not tested a web app so I'll sic him at it LOL and let you know.

- Ludek

[former_member183750]

hello Robert

Today must be my day. I already got a reply from PM (normally it takes a "bit" longer...). Anyhow, here is what he said:

With Firefoxu2019s release cycles, I donu2019t think weu2019ll be able to officially support the latest versions 
of Firefox at every service release.  We do our best to test the released versions of Firefox 
that align with our releases.  I donu2019t know the details but Iu2019ve heard there is a plan in place where
the support team(s) (?) will test the most recent releases of Firefox with whatu2019s currently 
shipping by SAP and log bugs as necessary.

(umm, this is my - Ludek note here ) -> news to me re. support doing QA... find out something new every day. Anyhow, continuation of the message from PM:

The current plan for CR for VS2010, the SP3 release (expected in April) will support up to 
Firefox 9.  If there are reproducible bugs in Firefox 10 (or higher), then please enter a bug 
and escalate and it will be investigated for the next available release.

I'll revisit this once SP3 is out there and do an escalation for Firefox 10 - ok?

- Ludek

[Former Member]

Ok, just to confirm: this means the earliest we're likely to see a fix is SP4 around July?

Note that the current release of Firefox right now is 10, 11 is due 13th March ( https://wiki.mozilla.org/Releases ).

Or are you suggesting SP3 might fix it because that will have been tested in current Firefox (10)?

[former_member183750]

Ok, just to confirm: this means the earliest we're likely to see a fix is SP4 around July?

- that is my understanding

Or are you suggesting SP3 might fix it because that will have been tested in current Firefox (10)?

- looking at this:

The current plan for CR for VS2010, the SP3 release (expected in April) will support up to

Firefox 9.

I don't think Firefox 10 issue will be fixed in SP3 - if it is, it will be more by accident than design.

- Ludek

[former_member183750]

You'll love this (it came in a follow up to that ping email I sent to the PM):

http://www.asugnews.com/2011/11/01/waiting-on-sap-user-communities-fix-sap-businessobjects-browser-w...

Happy reading

- Ludek

[former_member183750]

Another update.

We created a web app on a WIN 8 beta computer. Out of the box, WIN 8 installs IE 10. Running a report in the web app, the report does not show up - all we get is stripes where the data should be. Switching IE10 to compatibility mode "resolved" that issue.

We then installed Firefox 10 and ran the same report in the web app. The report came up just fine - no errors, no Firefox mods, nothing. Not sure if this is because we're on WIN 8, but I'll try it in the next couple of days on a WIN 7 computer.

- Ludek

[Former Member]

Thanks for the update. I'll try getting a simpler report to work when I have a chance to look at this again (probably not until next week now). The reports that are failing have a bunch of stuff on them so it is entirely possible this is triggered by some detail of the reports. I can try working out a minimal report which triggers the issue when I have some time.

Unfortunately the reports are fairly fundamental to our app (there's a desktop version as well as the web version I deal with, sharing the reports), so practically the amount of stuff I can change without making them useless is quite small.

[Former Member]

Just wanted to note here: I upgraded to SP3 today and I still see the get_IsNetscape6Up error on our reports in browsers with versions >= 10.

[Former Member]

Tested on SP4 with Firefox 14.0.1 today, still see the same "Object reference not set to an instance of an object" occurring at "CrystalDecisions.Web.ViewerGlobal.get_IsNetscape6Up() +88".  I've not had chance to drill down into the report to work out what particular feature triggers the problem.

The work-around I've been using is to detect a browser version >=10 and hide the ReportViewer control and generate a PDF instead.  This is OK for our static reports but has led to a problem in the reports which as for parameters.

[Former Member]

Just to keep everyone up to date, I can still replicate this issue on SP5 with Firefox 22 (the current release) on any report which asks for a parameter.  Plan to install the latest SP next week after we've got a build out.

[former_member184995]

It will be trial and error on your part as I do not believe either of those browsers is supported or tested with the product.

I would think eventually they will be, but for now I do not know of anything you can do other than what you are doing to get around it.

[former_member183750]

From the [SAP Crystal Reports, version for Visual Studio 2010 - Supported Platforms|http://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/sdn/index?rid=/library/uuid/e06b8953-a62b-2d10-38b9-ca71f747e2b1]:

Supported Browsers

 Internet Explorer 7

 Internet Explorer 8

 Internet Explorer 9

 Firefox 2.0

 Firefox 3.5

 Firefox 3.6

 Firefox 7

 Firefox 9

 Safari 3.1

I'll ping the Program management guys and see what they are planning to do in the future re. firefox 10. Re. Chrome 18.0.1025.11 beta-m:, I won't bother asking since it is a beat(?).

Ludek

Follow us on Twitter http://twitter.com/SAPCRNetSup

Got Enhancement ideas? Try the [SAP Idea Place|https://ideas.sap.com/community/products_and_solutions/crystalreports]

Edited by: Ludek Uher on Mar 7, 2012 7:11 AM

[Former Member]

Firefox will be getting a new release every 6-12 weeks, as Chrome has been doing forever, so you need to have a different sort of support strategy in place than listing specific versions if you plan to keep supporting it. From version 12 onwards the plan is that Firefox will update silently, just like Chrome already does, users will be upgraded without knowing it.

The issue isn't that the viewer doesn't work on Firefox 10 - it does if I adjust the user agent string - it's that a catastrophic error happens apparently because the get_IsNetscape6Up method is apparently expecting the major version to be a single digit. I can't tell for sure because I can't debug into that. If this method didn't fire an exception then everything else seems to work. I've not so far been able to work around the exception, the User Agent string in the request object isn't updatable without some low level IIS hacking as far as I can tell.

The Chrome support is less of an issue for us, I know you don't claim to support it anyway, but the fact that the version on my machine is the dev version isn't significant. Every version of Chrome will be at 18 within a few weeks. Our main future concern there would be if Crystal Reports doesn't work on Android tablets with Chrome installed as the browser.

[former_member183750]

Hello Robert

SAP CR fix cycle is based on a 3 month + turnaround. Given that, I highly doubt that SAP will adjust the cycle to exactly fit Firefoxe's 6-12 week cycle. E.g.; I wonder what other software verndor's fix cycle SAP should be adjusting to(?).

But, like I said in my last post, I'll determine what the approximate lag time for this may be and you can then adjust based on that.

- Ludek

[Former Member]

By the way, Firefox now has an ESR version which will only see major updates every 42 weeks.  Might fit in better with your own product release cycles

Rob