Data retrieval in formula field...

[asimasm]

Hi
Is there any way in which i may retrieve data from within a formula. Wt i mean is that in a formula i want to write a SELECT statement and open a recorset kind of object and after manipulating data in the recordset i want to return the results by the formula.
i.e something like which we do in Visual Basic code but in formula.
like

rescordset.Open("Select * from TblSomeTable"
while not (rescordset.BOF AND rescordset.EOF)
DoSomething with recordset
RecordSet.MoveNext();
end while;

Actually my problem is something like getting a list of employees seperated by a commas that belong to a against a particular DepartMent.
i.e
My report would be like
DEPARTMENT NAME EMPLOYEES
------------------------------------
Dept1 Empl1; Empl2; Emply3; Emply4
Dept2 Empl11; Empl2; Emply33; Emply44
Dept3 Empl31; Empl32; Emply3; Emply4
Dept4 Empl1; Empl2; Emply3; Emply4
Dept5 Empl1; Empl2; Emply3; Emply4

So my query returns like Department id's and names then i want to get Employee names against that department using a formula. This is only an example for my problem nature not exactly my problem. So if any body has a solution so plz let me know.

Thanks in advance

 

[kenhamady]

To do this within Crystal you could use a subreport to query the database.

You can't do this with a formula, unless you want to write a pretty sophisticated UFL function in VB to do this and then compile it as a Crystal DLL to make the function available.
Ken Hamady, On-site Custom Crystal Reports Training & Consulting
Public classes and individual training.
Expert's Guide to Formulas / Guide to Crystal in VB

http://www.kenhamady.com/

- tek@kenhamady.com

 

[asimasm]

Hi
Thanks kenhamady for ur reply. That has cleared one thing that i cannot do it in formula. U mentioned that i should create a subreport for this purpose and then pass a paramenter like DepartID from my example that i gave in my first post. Now my question is that how am i to display that i a single line. i.e wt i mean is that i neen the result in a single line like

Empl1; Empl2; Emply3; Emply4

All employees against the passed department displayed as comma seperated values.

Can u get me out of this mess.
Thanks waiting for ur reply

 

[kenhamady]

You could set up multiple columns (like labels). Or you could use a formula to append them to a string variable. There is an example of this formula in faq149-243. Ken Hamady, On-site Custom Crystal Reports Training & Consulting
Public classes and individual training.
Expert's Guide to Formulas / Guide to Crystal in VB

http://www.kenhamady.com/

- tek@kenhamady.com