Alternative to Crystal Reports

[Rob]

I've used Crystal Reports for years and whilst it's been a love-hate
relationship, it does it job. But I think it's become rather bloated over
time and I have one big issue with it - the installation on a web server
requires installation of a huge MSI which puts stuff all over the web
server, not just in the web folder.

This is fine (well fine-ish) if you host your own server but I'm developing
an application at the moment which we'd like to move to a hosted ISP.

Am I going to have trouble with using Crystal Reports XI in this
environment?

Are there alternative, lighter ASP.NET friendly reporting tools?

Thanks, Rob.

[Dave A]

I have not used it, but
http://www.telerik.com/products/reporting/overview.aspx looks good.

I am expereince with Teleriks other products, and if the reporting is half
as good as everything else they do then I can guarentee that it will be
infinitely better than Crystal (which I am experienced with - and hate with
a passion)

HTH

Regards
Dave A

"Rob" <rob_nicholson@nospam_unforgettable.comwrote in message
news:nM****************@newsfe5-win.ntli.net...

I've used Crystal Reports for years and whilst it's been a love-hate
relationship, it does it job. But I think it's become rather bloated over
time and I have one big issue with it - the installation on a web server
requires installation of a huge MSI which puts stuff all over the web
server, not just in the web folder.

This is fine (well fine-ish) if you host your own server but I'm
developing an application at the moment which we'd like to move to a
hosted ISP.

Am I going to have trouble with using Crystal Reports XI in this
environment?

Are there alternative, lighter ASP.NET friendly reporting tools?

Thanks, Rob.

[=?Utf-8?B?QnJhdWxpbyBEaWV6?=]

I would evaluate the pros and cons of migrating to SSRS (SQL Server Reporting
Services).

The good stuff is that you have your reporting capabilities in a different
server and you can integrate it in your web app in a lot of ways, no need for
strange activex controls or whatever, just query string, post, or even
webservices.

Bad news are... you are moving to a hosting company... How can you ask them
to install SSRS? :-) well some hosting companies (e.g. Discount ASP .net)
offers you SSRS hosting so you would have that issue solved.

And...this is just for excel export, I had made a comparison between
available technologies, hope it helps:

http://www.tipsdotnet.com/TechBlog.a...Index=0&BLID=2

Good luck
Braulio

/// ------------------------------
/// Braulio Diez
///
/// http://www.tipsdotnet.com
/// ------------------------------


"Rob" wrote:

I've used Crystal Reports for years and whilst it's been a love-hate
relationship, it does it job. But I think it's become rather bloated over
time and I have one big issue with it - the installation on a web server
requires installation of a huge MSI which puts stuff all over the web
server, not just in the web folder.

This is fine (well fine-ish) if you host your own server but I'm developing
an application at the moment which we'd like to move to a hosted ISP.

Am I going to have trouble with using Crystal Reports XI in this
environment?

Are there alternative, lighter ASP.NET friendly reporting tools?

Thanks, Rob.