We have a split database application (frontend-backend). Both are access mdb files.

I would like to know what it would take to put the ability to generate reports on the web. The reports would be user generated. In other words, if the user wanted to see an "order report", they would be able to put in a starting and ending date, right on the web page. Then click a button and generate the report.

Would I have to use crystal reports for that?

There are several ways to do this; most involve more than just Access techiques. Access is just the data "store" and perhaps the report generator.

You'll need to first create an HTML page that has a "form" - this allows you to accept user input and generate an action when the user hits the "Submit" button.

Your web server (IIS, Apache) would then need to respond to the user request by executing an appropriate program. Perhaps a CGI program, an ASP script or ASP.NET program, Java servlet, etc. This could be as simple as redirecting the user to an Access generated HTML report. Access reports can be saved in HTML format though they aren't very web-friendly (at least in Access 2000).

Defining your requirements may narrow down the possible solutions. For example, a site that needs to do this often would perhaps avoid a CGI solution since it is not very efficient.

Crystal Reports is a more advanced report generator but is just another technology in the mix.

While the requirement of displaying reports on the web seems basic, generating these reports requires a mix of technologies and the ability to make them all work - certainly a challenge that keeps a lot of us employed.

Hopefully others can chime in with some approaches to this project.

There is a product that will help you accomplish this, RPT Software - Report Server ($99.95). You need to develop your own ASP pages to order the reports.

I've developed my own solution for this using IIS, ASP, VB6 and MsAccess. The solution consists of the following components.

1. MsAccess installed on a IIS web server
2. Tables with report and report parameter lists.
3. ASP pages that based on the report and report parameter lists dynamically generate HTML forms to order a report.
4. A CGI program developed in VB6 that is called from the HTML form. This program starts the MsAccess report and can return the result in a number of file formats.
5. A number of MsAccess databases storing the reports and also have table links to the datasources in MsAccess, SQL Server and Oracle.
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Bo Melin

Check out this example/tutorial

http://www.utteraccess.com/forums/showflat...p;Number=620122

This shows you how to web enable your DB. As others have stated you basically need to recreat your reports in an ASP page...

It might also be worth keeping an eye on this on going thread as we'll be getting round to setting up the reports soon

http://www.utteraccess.com/forums/showflat...p;Number=777293