Re: Crystal Reports or similar

> Hi everyone
>
> I've just had a call from one of our clients. They have need of a data
> warehouse and have been quoted on
M$SQL+CrystalReports+BusinessObjects.
> As we're been spreading the OSS gospel for years, he'd like to hear
what
> we have to say on this and what OSS alternatives there are.
>
> I've been working with PostgreSQL and applications since Postgres95,
so I
> know my way round postgresql, what I don't know much about it the type
of
> functionality that CrystalReports+BusinessObjects would give you.
>
> What OSS or at least PostgreSQL friendly software would you suggest in
> this arena?
>
> Anton

If you are targeting win32 platform, you have a couple of different
options to considser.  If you have any in-house Delphi experience (or
c++), consider using Delphi with Ace Reporter.  Ace Reporter is not free
but it is open source and it can do all kinds of amazing things.  It is
very reasonably priced and has a redistrubtion license.  It works very
well with Zeos driver toolkit for Delphi which is an open source and
free.

Option 2 is to have MS office connect directly to PostgreSQL via the
odbc driver which has just been recently overhauled.  You can make
pretty decent reports with access and excel and this gives customers the
illusion that they can make their own reports which they seem to like.

Option 3 is any one of a vast array of web based technologies many of
which are better than option one, two or anything else out there.  The
problem with this is that many people don't understand just how powerful
this is...you can cut reports as html.

Merlin