VB.Net Crystal Reports Deployment

0
votes

I am trying to redistribute my visual studio 2010 program to client computers. When I publish the program and execute it from my developping computer, everything works fine (probably because crystal reports is installed). Although, when I try to execute the setup on the client computer, it runs into an error when trying to install:

"SAP Crystal Reports Runtime Engine for .Net 4.0"

My prerequisites are: Microsoft .NET Framework 4 Client Profile (x86 and x64) SAP Crystal Reports Runtime Engine for .NET Framework 4.0 Windows Installer 3.1

Install location is: "Download prerequisites from the component vendor's web site"

Here are the application files that are set to Included and Required.

.dll Files

Is there any reason for the "SAP Crystal Reports Runtime Engine For .Net 4.0" not installing? I tried putting one of the prerequisites to the full "Microsoft.NET Framework 4" instead of it's client profile - but that one wouldn't install either.

Here is a screenshot of the warnings I get: Errors

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vb.netdeploymentcrystal-reportsprerequisites
When testing on the client machine does .net framework 4.0 install first? for is it's own prerequisite. Also for all the included dll's have you considered ilmerge to merge the executable and the required dll's/ Also keep in mind that SAP Crystal Reports Runtime Engine For .Net 4.0 has it's own prerequisites that may not be met. Such as Microsoft .net framework 2.0 or > Microsoft.Data.Access.Components without seeing the project it's a little harder to figure out as there could be numerous other reasons as well. – Richard Sites
Hi Richard, unfortunatly if I select the .Net Framework 4.0 in the prerequisites, it does not install. Both the Framework 4.0 and the SAP Crystal Reports Engine fails to install. You're right for the .Net Framework 2.0 and the Microsoft.Data.Access.Components, I get warnings (not errors) that say I should include those as well ... I just can't find them. Thank you for your time – Alex
I saw on a few forums that Microsoft removed the ability to choose the .Net Framework 2.0 in Visual Studio 2010. Instead I should choose the .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 Client Profile... Any idea on this? – Alex
wiki.sdn.sap.com/wiki/display/BOBJ/… The reason they suggest 3.5 is because it contains 2.0 prerequisites. – Richard Sites

1 Answers

1
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For those wondering what I did to solve this. I changed from Crystal Reports to the built in ReportViewer control included in Visual Studio (Professional). It's free, and basically the same.

From experience, crystal reports was much easier to build the reports but when it came to the deployment of a program using Crystal Reports, I would have various bugs that would take forever to solve. All in all, it wasn't as robust as ReportViewer is in the deployement department.