I want to write reports for Visual Basic using 'Active Reports'. This
product seems much easier to use than Crystal Reports. But how reliable is
it compared to Crystal Reports? Are there a lot of problems, bugs etc.

Thanks in advance.
V.V.Raman

I LOVE Active Reports... easy to code.. to work with.. to print...  only
problem is.. it's $400  =(

Sunny B

I think it would be great if it works I got the 6.0 of crystal and at
development time it works great but after I built a project and did a setup
program at installation it gives me a runtime error...  if any one has seen
this probem or feels they can help  please email.

Pete

I have looked it over and know a well regarded system
designer/programmer using Active Reports exclusively.  He swears by
it.  I'm not yet certain myself because I haven't  used it for an
actual project but it seems very good.  I can tell you this though, I
have had many many headaches with Crystal and hope to hell Active
Reports does what its says.  

Good luck.

Tom

I have used Crystal Reports (worst GUI in the industry) since VB3.
Started using Data Dynamics' ActiveReports (AR) about two months ago.
Some bugs, but so far there are workable alternatives. What is cool is
to write real VB code (code that can be maintained). Crystal Reports
does too much behind the scenes and if you don't like what it does,
tough luck. Passing parameters to Crystal (at least through version
6.x) sucks big time. Crystal's mapping to DAO is moronic at best--
change the table structure and you must recompile the report. Unless
reflected in the result set of the query, ActiveReports could care
less about changes to the table structure.

I *never* use bound controls. Although AR can bind with controls on a
report,  unbound reports are easily created. In my opinion, AR's GUI
is far better than Crystal Reports and much easier to lay out (and
change) a report. The runtime viewer (freely distributable) is light
weight (under 300k). On projects involving identical reports, one set
written in Crystal Reports, the other in ActiveReports, distribution
overhead with AR is about six megabytes less. You can store multiple
AR reports in an ActiveX dll. One negative note: the ActiveReports
object is defined at run-time (late bound).

I haven't tried Data Dynamics' support yet--my policy is to work with
a control / product for a couple of months before trying the support
lottery. Data Dynamics is reportedly working out all existing bugs
before enhancing the product further. That, in itself, is a rather
remarkable philosophy in the software industry.

****** AllenL ********************************************************

In a nation ruled by swine, all pigs are upward-mobile...
Hunter S. Thompson (b. 1939), U.S. journalist.