Who Should Use This Guide?

To help direct you quickly to the information you will find most relevant and useful, we have identified four main user categories below, with particular areas of interest highlighted.

Web Developers
The Web Reporting guide provides Web Developers with a good overview of Crystal Web Report Server technology and important installation and troubleshooting information. More in-depth information is available through the Seagate Crystal Reports Developers help (DEVELOPERS.HLP). You may also wish to read about the Crystal Active Server Component, which allows you to integrate the Crystal Report Engine directly into Active Server Pages (ASPs), and the Visual InterDev Design-time ActiveX Control wizard. Examples of using the Seagate Crystal Reports Automation Server in Active Server Pages can be found in your "Seagate Crystal Reports Directory" under \reports\ASPDemos\Code. See Developer Hands On Samples in this guide for further information.

Application Developers
In addition to an overview of Web Reporting, this guide provides Application Developers with an explanation of the basic inner workings of the Crystal Web Report Server components. After you have completed the hands on exercises, you should read about the new Automation Server interface for advanced applications. More information about this powerful tool is included in the Seagate Crystal Reports Developers help (DEVELOPERS.HLP) under the key word "Automation Server". A JavaBean development option is also available for more customized integration of reporting functionality into Java applets. Application integration with the Java Bean is outlined in the Seagate Crystal Reports Developers help (DEVELOPERS.HLP) under the key word "JavaBean".

IT Professionals
This guide provides IT Professionals with a good understanding of Web Reporting as well as important installation and configuration information for Windows 95, 98 and NT-based web servers. You should read the appendices carefully for important information specific to your database and web server configuration. If you, or your users, are interested in deploying Web Reporting, and are interested in important limitations and compatibility issues, you should also consult the Seagate Crystal Reports Developers help (DEVELOPERS.HLP).

Business Users
Although most of this guide is oriented to the installation and architecture of the Crystal Web Report Server, it does provide an excellent overview of almost every aspect of deploying reports to the Web. If you are only interested in an overall understanding of how Web Reporting works and what it means to you as a business user, browse the Introduction to Web Reporting, for a good overview.

Note This document assumes a working knowledge of Windows 95/98 & NT operation and administration. If you do not feel comfortable installing and configuring applications on your server, please consult your IT Professional prior to proceeding.

For the latest information about this product, please visit the web site at www.seagatesoftware.com/crystalreports.

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