From the ESRI web-help, it seems that your license will be independant of ArcGIS desktop since your license comes directly from Business Objects.

HTH,

Bob

http://webhelp.esri.com/arcgisdesktop/9.3/index.cfm?id=501&pid=492&topicname=Using_Crystal_Reports

Starting at 9.3, the full Crystal Reportsâ„¢ product from Business Objects, which provides an advanced report authoring application, is no longer included with ArcGIS Desktop.

ArcGIS Desktop 9.1 and 9.2 included Crystal Reports XI Release 1. If you are upgrading to ArcGIS Desktop 9.3 from 9.1 or 9.2, you can continue to use your Crystal Reports XI software with 9.3. In order to enable the Tools > Reports > Crystal Reports Wizard in ArcMap 9.3, you need to install the Crystal Reports XI Release 2 runtime. This install is included on the Desktop 9.3 release media: on the ArcGIS Desktop Install DVD menu, it’s the choice called ArcGIS Crystal Reports Wizard. The Desktop Setup no longer prompts you to install Crystal Reports. (You don’t need to install the Crystal Reports XI Release 2 runtime to enable the Crystal Reports Wizard if you upgraded your Crystal Reports XI software to release 2).

Business Objects has released a new version of Crystal Reports: Crystal Reports 2008. If you have Crystal Reports XI, you can upgrade to Crystal Reports 2008 directly from Business Objects. See this page on the Business Objects Web site to upgrade: http://businessobjects.auc.com/ESRI2008/cd/index.html (Some international ESRI distributors may also be Business Objects resellers). Technical support for Crystal Reports 2008 is provided by Business Objects and may require an additional fee.

If you are new user of ArcGIS Desktop and you wish to use Crystal Reports 2008, you can buy it directly from Business Objects at the Web page mentioned above. To enable the Crystal Reports Wizard in ArcMap 9.3 to work with Crystal Reports 2008, you’ll need to install the Crystal Reports XI Release 2 runtime mentioned above.

If you don’t have any version of Crystal Reports installed, you can still enable the Crystal Reports Wizard in ArcMap 9.3 by installing the Crystal Reports XI Release 2 runtime mentioned above. This lets you to create, export, and print basic reports, and also open existing reports with the Crystal Reports wizard. However, you won’t be able to perform the advanced formatting and authoring available with the full Crystal Reports product.

There is no “direct exchange” between CR and ArcMap at 9.4 – but did they mention whether users will be allowed to continue running CR at 9.4?

That is, will your Crystal Reports license (which was supplied on the 9.3 DVDs) still be valid? Can you continue to run CR stand-alone?

Thanks,
Steve

My report should be a list: b,f,g,i,j
Carmina.
carmina_ha@hotmail.com

Could you describe a little bit more on what issues you are facing using the ActiveReports designer?

Are there specific features that you are looking for that the designer doesnt support? Is the API not easy or suitable enough? Are you designing the reports in Visual Studio or using the End User designer control to build your reports?

Please let me know and I would be glad to help you out. If your requirements seem feasible, we might be able to implement them in a future hotfix/sp release of ActiveReports.

We are currently in RC for ActiveReports 6, next version release of ActiveReports for .Net. We should be ready to release in a week time frame. I would suggest that if you have not played with it yet, please feel free to try and see if the new version serves your needs/requirements better. You can download the RC build here(http://downloads.datadynamics.com/ar6_601797.zip)

thanks

I work on the Geocortex Essentials team and was involved in the decision to use Active Reports for our reporting engine. We’ve had almost entirely positive feedback on Active Reports and have found that it performs well, is simple and lightweight, and has a small product footprint. I was surprised by your comment and would definitely encourage you to contact us if you have specific concerns or reporting issues.

As for ESRI’s use of Active Reports, I see it as a sensible choice and am excited to see how we can take Geocortex Essentials reports and reuse them in the ArcGIS environment.