Crystal Smart Viewer for HTML

There are actually two versions of the HTML Smart Viewer, HTML Pages and HTML Frames. Both are based on the HTML 3.2 standard defined by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). The primary difference between the two versions of the HTML Smart Viewer is that the HTML Frames version allows a Group Tree to be displayed in a separate frame to the left of the report. This Group Tree works much like the Group Tree in the Preview Tab of the Seagate Crystal Reports Report Designer. The remainder of this section will discuss both HTML Smart Viewers in conjunction.

The Crystal Smart Viewer for HTML is not an actual viewer component that can be configured. Instead, the Crystal Web Reports Server or the Crystal Report Engine Automation Server translates a report into a set of web pages using the HTML 3.2 standard. Web browsers with support for HTML 3.2 table tags (i.e., Netscape Navigator 2.0 or later, Microsoft Internet Explorer 2.0 or later) will be able to view such documents. Browsers supporting font colors and table cell background colors will render a more accurate view of actual report objects (Netscape Navigator 3.0 or later and Internet Explorer 2.0 or later).

NOTE: If you drill-down on data and then click the Back button on a Netscape browser 3.x, you may encounter JavaScript errors. To prevent these errors, click the corresponding tab for the view you want retrieved, rather than the Back button.

Limitations of HTML Reports

Since HTML 3.2 format does not provide all of the formatting features available in the Seagate Crystal Reports report format, translating reports to HTML introduces several limitations, as described here. As a web administrator or designer, keep these limitations in mind when deciding how to distribute reports over your Internet or intranet site. These limitations include constraints on object layout, the objects translated, and other limitations.

Object Layout/Positioning

HTML 3.2 translation preserves relative positioning of objects and fields. However, absolute positioning, height, and width is browser dependent.

Objects Translated

Other Limitations

Overlayed Report Objects

●HTML 3.2 does not support overlaying. Report objects which are partially overlayed (even a tiny fraction) will appear alongside each other.

Report Object Borders

●If all 4 sides of the object have a border, an HTML box is drawn around the report object.

●If either a bottom or top side of the object has a border, an HTML horizontal rule is drawn above or below the object accordingly (lone vertical borders are not translated).

●Dotted lines appear as solid lines.

●Double lines appear as thick solid lines.

●Drop shadows appear as a box drawn around the report object.

●If the Tight Horizontal option is selected, HTML box width will be the approximate “width of report object” or “width of data.”

●If the Tight Horizontal option is not selected, HTML horizontal rule width will be the “width of report object.”

●Border/rule heights appear as “Height of font” only.

Drill-down

●Group drill-down is supported.

●Chart drill-down is not supported.

●Map drill-down is not supported.