Operation Manual

OLE
Working with static OLE objects
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Crystal Reports User’s Guide 323
Note: Wide static OLE objects can span pages. This functionality may result
in two or more horizontal pages in your report. If this do not want this effect,
you should resize your static OLE object. As well, it is recommended that you
do not use the Repeat on Horizontal Pages option for any static OLE object
that will span several pages.
u
To insert a static OLE object
1. Open or create a report that you want to insert a static OLE object in.
2. On the Insert menu, click Picture.
Tip: Another way to do this is to click the picture button on the Insert
Tools toolbar.
The Open dialog box appears.
3. Select a picture (.bmp, .tiff, .jpg, .png, or . wmf) from a directory that you
have access to.
4. Click Open.
5. When the object frame appears, place the picture on the far left side of
the Report Header section.
6. Right-click the picture, and notice that the picture is identified as an OLE
object on the shortcut menu.
7. When you double-click the object, nothing happens. A static OLE object
cannot be edited.
A dynamic static OLE object is a picture or metafile that you access in Crystal
Reports by use of a file path or URL. Typically, you use this option when you
have the path to your pictures or metafiles stored as a string field in a
database (that is, you do not have the actual objects stored in the database).
You can also use this option when you have pictures or metafiles stored on a
network share, and you know these objects change occasionally.
The functionality of these dynamic static OLE objects (or dynamic graphics) is
created in Crystal Reports through the use of a conditional formatting formula
that allows you to link to static OLE objects by reference.
Note:
• This feature is activated when you refresh your report data; therefore,
you may not notice a change in the static OLE object until you click the
Refresh button in Crystal Reports.
• When you schedule a report that contains a dynamic static OLE object in
BusinessObjects Enterprise, the instances that are created contain the
version of the static OLE object as it existed in your Crystal report when
you scheduled it. BusinessObjects Enterprise does not update the object
dynamically for each instance.