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c#windowsservicecrystal-reports

can windows service be used to generate & print crystal reports?


I have got an application that needs to print reports at a distant location connected via the internet. Since there is no network printer we have to send reports generated through email and wait for someone to print them.

I was thinking if I can use windows service to automate the task

I've got the following options

  1. get data from SQL Server base on filters transferred from distance location to generate crystal report and print it to the default printer.

  2. get the report in pdf format from distance location & print it to the default printer

is any one of the options possible.

I'm asking for some help here since I've not created a windows service up till now for anything

Your guidance is highly applicated

Thanks a lot

Amit Saraf


Solution

  • Yes, your application can use the Crystal runtime and trigger a printout or an export of a report without any display to the screen.

    Alternatively, the application can use a command line API of several cheap/free 3rd-party Crystal tools (typically, they are called viewers or schedulers) to achieve the same thing. The command line API would allow you to specify the rpt file, parameters, login info, printer destination, export format, export file, etc.