Re: Looking for alternatives to Oracle Reports 6

Mammoth,
  The first statement about Crystal, I wouldn't recommed it (we looked at it and rejected it for a number of reasons). I had used it in the past. It's been problematic and it's which release of the DAY are you running. It may work fine with MS solutions. Is Crystal the recommendation of a programmer (was this the tool he used before scenerio).??

Oracle Reports is used in house by our staff without any formal training only famaliar with Sybase/Powersoft Infomaker for reporting. A bit of small learning curve for them (OJT) now very comfortable with the Reports 6i.

Field Justification issue does occur on some fields under certain condtions. Learning the grouping and how to use it.

The template is getting changed? What are you saving over it?

Wywswig statement is not true. Our only wsywig problem is when creating a PDF output file needing to print it once.

The comment about moving a pixel and eating memory? is not true. We run MSOffice /outlook with Reports fine on MS win98 first edition. What else is your developer running at the sametime which may be the problem.?

I wouldn't assume the training implies knowledge. Maybe the developer isn't completely familiar / doesn't want to learn / or just wants to go back to what he's done before.

Simple reports should be a piece of cake with this use the wizard.

When you want a complex report that the next tool can't do good, then what? We saw this with Infomaker. The programmer will have already forgotten how to use Reports.

Bite the bullet and learn the tool it will pay off in the long run.

hth.

"mammoth.usenet-access.com" <x_at_x> wrote in message news:3af47f9d_4_at_Newsfeeds.com...
> If I see how much time my programmers loose making simple adaptations to a
> report, then I am quiet surprised. My programmers have followed all
 courses
> on reports they can follow, so there should no be lack of knowledge.
 Anyways
> they have no problems with forms, developer, designer, pl/sql or other
> products, only reports.
> Some things that really disturb me are :
> -) The Wysiwig does not work correctly. The preview doesn't show what you
> will get on paper. So, you first have to print to see what you will get.
> -) One can use a template, but only once. If you choose the template, then
> you can start changing all reports and not only recompiling, but really
> changing.
> -) Things like justification don't work properly.
> -) Reports is not intuitive at all.
> -) Report is a memory consumer. Moving an item one pixel and 200k of
 memory
> is lost and is never regained.
>
> I am sure that choosing another product will mean less integration. But we
> don't have any complicated reports. No matrix-reports or so, we just want
 to
> print simple things like contracts via the client, with the only
> complication that we want documents printed in 3 languages. So ease of
> lay-out and use is very important and that is what reports doesn't offer.
>
> Dirk Verschueren
>
>
> "Daniel A. Morgan" <dmorgan_at_exesolutions.com> wrote in message
> news:3AF3A339.65DFC915_at_exesolutions.com...
> > "mammoth.usenet-access.com" wrote:
> >
> > > We are currently looking for alternatives to Oracle Report 6
> > >
> > > We are running a 8.1.7 Oracle Database
> > > We have NT clients and want to continue the use of Forms 6.
> > >
> > > Does any one know of good alternatives ?
> > > What about Crystal Reports ? Has anyone experience with this soft ?
> > >
> > > Thanks,
> > >
> > > Dirk V.
> > > Ordonix_at_planetinternet.be
> > >
> > > -----= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =-----
> > > http://www.newsfeeds.com - The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World!
> > > -----== Over 80,000 Newsgroups - 16 Different Servers! =-----
> >
> > I have experience with Reports, Discoverer, Crystal, and Cognos. And I
> > can't imagine what you think you are going to gain by spending more
> > money on another product that will have poorer integration and poorer
> > performance.
> >
> > Please explain what you need that you are not getting now. That will
> > help in making a recommendation.
> >
> > Daniel A. Morgan
> >
>
>
>
>
> -----= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =-----
> http://www.newsfeeds.com - The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World!
> -----== Over 80,000 Newsgroups - 16 Different Servers! =-----
Received on Mon May 07 2001 - 19:56:46 CEST