Developing a web application using VBScript

This tutorial consists of a set of lessons and How To's that teach you how to develop a web application using the Crystal Enterprise Software Development Kit (SDK). If followed sequentially, these lessons will result in a simple, yet functional, client desktop.

• Lesson 1: Logging on to the APS
• Lesson 2: Querying the APS InfoStore
  • Lesson 2a: Navigating through folders
  • Lesson 2b: Listing the reports in a folder
  • Lesson 2c: Displaying the complete path to the current folder
  • Lesson 2d: Searching for reports
  • Lesson 2e: Building a Home Page
• Lesson 3: Viewing, modifying, and scheduling reports
  • Lesson 3a: Previewing reports using thumbnails
  • Lesson 3b: Viewing reports
  • Lesson 3c: Renaming reports
  • Lesson 3d: Scheduling reports
  • Lesson 3e: Building a Report Details page
• Lesson 4: Logging off and freeing licenses

The result of working through this tutorial is a web application that looks like this:

Code examples

As you are reading through the tutorial, be sure to follow along and read the code examples, even if they are long. They include detailed comments and are essential to the general understanding of the tutorial.

You can piece together the code examples to create working files. In each lesson, you will also find a sample CSP page that is the full version of the lesson examples, along with some additional error handling code.

To download the CSP files from this tutorial, click TutorialSamples_vb.zip.

To use sample files

1. Make sure that the example files are saved with a CSP extension. You may need to cut and paste the code into a text file and save it with a CSP extension.
2. Copy the example to the virtual directory of your Web Component Server (WCS) and, if it is on a separate machine, your web server. See the Crystal Enterprise Administrator's Guide for information about configuring servers and mapping paths.
3. Ensure that your web server and Web Connector are correctly configured and started.
4. In the same browser window, type the location and name of the example file that you want to view.
5. Open LogonForm.csp in your web browser using HTTP.

   Note:    If you type a local path for the CSP file in the browser, the example will not run. You must specify an HTTP style address; for example, C:\Inetpub\wwwroot\LogonForm.csp becomes http://localhost/LogonForm.csp.

Sample files

The ePortfolio desktop that is shipped with Crystal Enterprise offers more features and is more robust than the tutorial's web desktop. As you are working through the tutorial, refer to ePortfolio's CSP pages in order to get a clearer sense of how far the SDK tools can take you. You can find these sample files in the following directory: C:\Program Files\Crystal Decisions\Web Content\Enterprise\ePortfolio\language. Replace language with the information appropriate to your version of Crystal Enterprise: use en for English or ja for Japanese.