3407110 - How to convert reports from Crystal Reports for Enterprise, to Crystal Reports?

• Crystal Reports for Enterprise will be remove from the next release. For more details, see the SAP Knowledge Base Article 3032096   
• How to convert reports created in Crystal Reports for Enterprise, to Crystal Reports?

• SAP Crystal Reports 2016
• SAP Crystal Reports 2020
     
• SAP Crystal Reports for Enterprise 4.2
• SAP Crystal Reports for Enterprise 4.3

• Crystal Reports for Enterprise, and Crystal Reports, have a lot of functionalities in common, but the following are key gaps that were identified in converting reports from Crystal Reports for Enterprise, to Crystal Reports:
  
  • Connecting to Relational Universe (UNX) - Support added from Crystal Reports 2020 - SP04  (Delivered in December 2023)
  • Connecting to SAP BW Query via BICS - Planned to be added in Crystal Reports 2020 - SP05 
  • Connecting to Relational Connection created in the Information Design Tool (IDT)
      
• SAP is working actively to close these gaps. In the meantime, Crystal Reports for Enterprise will remain supported until then end of support of SAP BusinessObjects Business Intelligence platform 4.3 (December 31, 2027)
    
• To convert reports from Crystal Reports for Enterprise, to Crystal Reports, below are general steps by connectivity type:
    
  
  • General Guidelines
    1. In Crystal Reports for Enterprise, open your report, and save it to your local computer.
        
    2. In Crystal Reports, open the report to convert.
        
    3. A dialog will pop up indicating it is a Crystal Reports for Enterprise report. Click "OK"
         
    4. Under the menu "Database", select "Set Datasource Location..."
        
    5. In Set Datasource Location, under the section: "Replace with", connect to the same data source as your current report.
         
    6. Select the Table in the Current Data Source, and the same Table for the new connection under "Replace with" section, and click "Replace"
        
    7. Repeat the steps for each Table.
         
    8. The Map Fields window may appear, if the Table / field name differ between Crystal Reports for Enterprise, and Crystal Reports. Map the fields.
       Note: if certain field has no alternative and can’t be mapped, they will have to be removed from your report.
         
    9. Click "OK"
         
    10. Back to the report, validate you are able to refresh the report successfully, and validate everything works as expected.
        • Normally formatting, formulas and summaries will be retained in Crystal Reports, adjust the report only if necessary.
        • Tag Cloud / Box Plot / Tree Map / Waterfall charts are not supported in Crystal Reports, switch to other supported chart types.
            
    11. Correct issues found during validation (if any)
          
    12. Save your converted report.
          
           
  • Relational Universe (UNX)
    From Support Pack 04 of Crystal Reports 2020 ( Delivered in December 2023 ) or newer, you can start converting reports based on Relational Universe (UNX) to Crystal Reports 2020. Beside the general steps above, below are additional things to keep an eye on during migration:
        
    
    1. When performing a set datasource location, select the new connection in Crystal Reports 2020 - SP04 and above called: “Universe (Unx)“
         
    2. After selecting the Universe, the Query Panel will pop up. User have to manually recreate the UNX Query.
       • Make a copy of same report and open it in Crystal Reports for Enterprise, side by side, so you can compare and recreate Universe query easily.
       • Before closing Crystal Reports Query Panel (QP), make sure the recreated query in Crystal Reports is exactly the same as the query in Crystal Reports for Enterprise. If there’s missing field, it will be removed from the converted report.
           
    3. For Crystal Reports 2020 - SP04 and above, Relational Universe (UNX) connectivity usage tips and known issues, see SAP Note 3371775 
       (Released in December 2023)
         
    4. Avoid using Crystal Reports “Universe” driver (for UNV universe), that driver will be removed from SAP BusinessObjects BI 2025.
       For more details, see the blog:UNV is dead, long live UNX
         
          
  • SAP BW Query
    

    It is possible to convert reports based on SAP BW Query to Crystal Reports 2020 SAP BW Query connectivity (crdb_bwmdx driver), but there can be some difficulties, like:

    • SAP BW Query field names differ a lot between Crystal Reports for Enterprise (BICS) and Crystal Reports 2020 (crdb_bwmdx), field mapping may be challenging.

    • SAP BW Query parameter & Hierarchical data handling in Crystal Reports for Enterprise (BICS) and Crystal Reports 2020 (crdb_bwmdx) are different.
      Crystal Reports 2020 BICS connectivity to SAP BW Query is currently planned in 4.3 SP05

    • The recommendation is to wait for Crystal Reports 2020 to supports BICS connectivity to SAP BW before converting reports, as it will be simpler.
        
        
  • Relational Connections
    Reports can already be converted from using Relational Connection created in IDT, to Relational Connection in Crystal Reports. ( ODBC, JDBC, ... )
    
    
    • Currently the IDT Relational Connection will be replaced with a “crdb” connection in Crystal Reports 2020
        
    • In future release, if Crystal Reports 2020 directly supports IDT Relational Connections (time TBD), that could also simplify the conversion steps for corresponding reports.
       
    • You can choose to convert the reports now (with the general steps above), or choose to wait for Crystal Reports to directly support IDT Relational Connections.
         
        
• IMPORTANT NOTE
  

  Note those plans and dates could change over time. The following blog contains more details, and screenshots, and will be updated when new functionality or information become available:
  
  Moving from Crystal Reports for Enterprise to Crystal Reports

CR, CR4E, CRFE, CR for Ent, CR for Enterprise, migration , KBA , BI-RA-CR , Crystal Reports designer or Business View Manager , How To