Suppress Embedded Field... not working on Windows 8 or Server 2012 machines

[Former Member]

At our company we use Crystal Reports to generate various .pdf files in the application. Prior to this year we were on a 2008R2 server and all was fine, we migrated the EXACT same codebase to 2012R2 server and the reports now do not follow the 'suppress embedded field blank lines' on text objects. I've even modified the reports (empty space somewhere) saved the updated copy and saved it on the server app and when generated there is tons of empty space between lines (empty spaces). I'll attach a pdf that came from the Windows 2012 server (not working) and one from 2008 (working). Again these reports are identical, nothing is different except we migrated. I've also tried: isNull({value}) and that isn't working either.

I've installed version 13.0.12.1494 on the 2012 box and I think 13.0.2000.0 is on the 2008 box. I've changed the values in the web.config to make sure they are matching installed CR version. Any help appreciated. I'm out of ideas.

[former_member183750 · Accepted solution]

Hi Brad

It's hard to compare the screenshots as one is for Bill to: Acme Steel Products, the other is Acme Shipper.

E.g.; I'd like to see a screenshot of exactly the same data from your WIN 2008 server and WIN 2012 server.

A shot i the dark; see if setting a different default printer driver will help.

- Ludek

Senior Support Engineer AGS Product Support, Global Support Center Canada

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[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Sorry about that. Here are identical datasets with identical .rpt files. One is from our old 2008R2 server (correct and suppressed empty fields) the one highlighted show the new server taking the same data and .rpt file and not suppressing the embedded fields. Any thoughts?

Also these images are taken with the Windows Snipping Tool, they're loaded in a browser window in .pdf format from the app code.

[former_member11696 · Accepted solution]

Hi Brad,

Is this a WEB browser app or Windows Form app?

Are you exporting or printing to a PDF Print Driver or setting the output to a PDF Print driver rather than the ActiveX output and then printing to PDF print driver?

Need a little more info on the configuration...

Thanks

Don

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

This is a ASP.NET web application. We use the report export option and set it to pdf. This is saved in a directory on the server that we then open in a browser window for the client to consume. Hope that answers your question.

[former_member11696 · Accepted solution]

Yes it does, thank you.

Can you attach a report with sample data and saved data enabled. I'll test it here in SP 13 and see what happens.

To attach rename the rpt file to *.txt and use the Advanced editor to attach the file.

Thanks

Don

[former_member11696 · Accepted solution]

Oh and what is your default printer on the WEB server? Printers can alter the results of the export.

Try installing and setting the same printer driver as your 2008 Server has.

Don

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Sorry but I'm not sure what you mean or how to attach one of these reports with sample data.

I have attached the .rpt file as a .txt file but I don't know how to do the sample data that you are requesting.

crInvoiceMain_Mod.txt.zip

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

I'll do the print driver now and see what happens.

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

I've check the drivers (images above from server). I forget if I mentioned this issue occurs when I run the application locally on a Windows 8.1 Pro pc. I use Visual Studio and when I run the report locally on IIS it ignores the suppression also. I came across this article in regards to Quickbooks not displaying .pdfs on Windows 8 machines Windows 8 (64bit) and Quickbooks 2012 - Screaming Eagle TechnologyScreaming Eagle Technology . I did that which mimics the 2008 R2 server with the same print driver and there was no luck in it fixing the generated .pdf.

Running out of ideas but it's definitely isolated to the machine/CR version/setup because the .rpt is exactly the same. As you can get a good idea from the images I attached initially. Same document but the old server adheres to the 'Suppress Embedded' option and the 2012 server app is not.

Any other ideas?

[Former Member]

A little more information on the matter. I've installed CR Runtime version 13.0.12 and 13.0.9 and the result is still the same on the Win8/2012R2 machines.

[former_member11696]

Hi Brad,

First, don't use the windows XPS printer, it's a piece of C.... Lot's of known issues, not capable of printing landscape, some fonts do not work and you cannot specify multiple copies.

Check on the No Printer option in the RPT and see what happens, also try checking on Dissociate and see if that helps. Also, try using a real printer like an HP 4050 driver or something newer. HP has driver issues also so you may want to try a few different one.

And You can't have 2 versions on the same PC, uninstall SP 9.

I'll have a look at your report now.

Thanks

Don

[Former Member]

All of this can mess up the exporting to pdf in the browser?

[former_member11696]

Now that I've had a look at the report I believe you also need to change your Orientation to landscape, one field was off the page.

This may also explain why the XPS printer is causing issues, as I noted above the XPS printer does not support landscape formatting.

Other odd part is your report has the saved data checked on but generates an error that one of the formula failed to compile and discards the saved data.

Open it up in the Designer and Verify the database to update the DB info saved in the report file.

I'll test it on Windows 8.1 and see what happens there also.

Don

[former_member11696]

Yes, Crystal is very dependent on the hardware including the printer drivers. If no printer is selected then it relies on a file called usp10.dll. This generates the objects based on the video driver.

It is version 1.4 and MS has a new version 1.6 which can cause issues also. We cannot update to 1.6 due to the amount of dependencies we have on the specific 1.4 version.

Don

[former_member11696]

Can you preview the report again and go to the last page and the drill into the subreport. It may explain why I don't get the saved data.

Reattach it. Ah, right, the VS Report Designer which you are using does not have that option. Run your app and preview and then export to RPT format, that will have saved data. As for sample data just use a sample data source, if that is not what you are using now.

Or you can preview the report in VS IDE and export from there...

Don

[Former Member]

Here is the exported report in .txt format.

crInvoiceMain_Mod.txt.zip

[Former Member]

Don, were you able to see/find anything on the last report I uploaded.

[former_member11696]

It's a text export, I need you to open the report, preview it, go to the last page, drill into any subreport and then export it to Crystal Report format and then attach to the post

Don

[Former Member]

I can't seem to attach .RPT files or a zipped folder using the advanced editor. Am I missing the option somewhere?

[former_member11696]

Um, you attached it once already. Rename the rpt file to *.txt and then attach it.

[Former Member]

Sorry Don, was a bit out of it earlier with work issues.

crInvoiceMain_Mod.txt.zip