I am in need of an ad-hoc reporting tool for generating reports from a
database on an SQL server. Crystal Reports has all of the
functionality I need but the price tag is too high.

Are there any free tools out there like crystal Reports?

One option is Reporting Services, which is free if you have a SQL
Server license:

http://www.microsoft.com/sql/reporting/default.asp

Simon

depending on your needs, you might want to also consider tools like
php, ruby, python, etc: while they lack some of crystal report's
functionality, I think that they more than make up with it with:
- cost
- ease of integration with standard applications
- flexibility in presenting info
- ease of publishing over web
- ability to easily manage application within standard version
control environment

I think the only weakness of this kind of approach is that it requires
light programming skills that crystal doesn't, and that it doesn't lend
itself to printable reports as much as crystal/brio/etc do. On the
other hand, simple tables & charts are a breeze, and I'd much rather
have 20 inter-linked pages on the web in php, than 20 crystal reports
on someone's desk.

buck

afsinclair@optonline.net wrote:

> I am in need of an ad-hoc reporting tool for generating reports from a
> database on an SQL server. Crystal Reports has all of the
> functionality I need but the price tag is too high.
>
> Are there any free tools out there like crystal Reports?

Perhaps you haven't noticed ... but IBM DB2 and Oracle are not
Microsoft products. If not Crystal look at Cognos.
--
Daniel A. Morgan
University of Washington
damorgan@x.washington.edu
(replace 'x' with 'u' to respond)

www.fast-report.com offers FreeReport, Freeware reporting tool based on
previous version of the FastReport.

a> Are there any free tools out there like crystal Reports?

Igor Shekalev, www.sqledit.com - powerful database tools

afsinclair@optonline.net wrote:
> I am in need of an ad-hoc reporting tool for generating reports from
a
> database on an SQL server. Crystal Reports has all of the
> functionality I need but the price tag is too high.
>
> Are there any free tools out there like crystal Reports?

how about a free database with said tools :- Ingres.

michaelnewport@yahoo.com wrote:

> afsinclair@optonline.net wrote:
>
>>I am in need of an ad-hoc reporting tool for generating reports from
>
> a
>
>>database on an SQL server. Crystal Reports has all of the
>>functionality I need but the price tag is too high.
>>
>>Are there any free tools out there like crystal Reports?
>
>
> how about a free database with said tools :- Ingres.

How about you not spam every usenet group you can spell?
--
Daniel A. Morgan
University of Washington
damorgan@x.washington.edu
(replace 'x' with 'u' to respond)

DA Morgan wrote:
> michaelnewport@yahoo.com wrote:
>
> > afsinclair@optonline.net wrote:
> >
> >>I am in need of an ad-hoc reporting tool for generating reports
from
> >
> > a
> >
> >>database on an SQL server. Crystal Reports has all of the
> >>functionality I need but the price tag is too high.
> >>
> >>Are there any free tools out there like crystal Reports?
> >
> >
> > how about a free database with said tools :- Ingres.
>
> How about you not spam every usenet group you can spell?
> --
> Daniel A. Morgan
> University of Washington
> damorgan@x.washington.edu
> (replace 'x' with 'u' to respond)


So what are you, the Usenet police?

Get a life.

not the police, but regular netizens who care about the groups we
participate in.

Given the question wass about reporting tools, your post seems off
target. So try to follow the discussion next time.

Have a good day.
Ed