Can I import a Crystal Reports report definition from a text definition?

Question

this stream The reverse descriptions of Crystal Reports report files explain that you can export a report definition to machine-readable text. Well, great, so after that is there any way to import it back, presumably after making some changes using tools more convenient for this purpose than the wonderful Crystal Reports designer?

If you look at the more general picture suggested in this question, can a third-party design tool for Crystal Reports be created, the result of which is either an exported report definition or the desired view, which we could use to actually run the report later, as if it came from the Crystal Reports designer itself.

Answer 1

Crystal Reports Developer Edition v8 included the "Report Designer Component" component, which gave you access through the API to everything you could access from the program. For this api ... license reservations were issued:

These runtime reporting functions can be used and distributed if appropriate licensing is paid by the necessary fees. Please contact Seagate Software or visit www.seagatesoftware.com/products/crystalreports for more information on creating a royalty report. The following is a specific list of files and API calls that are covered by this restriction.

You should also refer to a license agreement on other restrictions regarding this file redistribution including competitive products, server software, and a distribution system report.

Runtime Files:

CRAXDRT.DLL CRYSTALWIZARD.DLL

I'm not sure if this is available for new Crystal versions.

Answer 2

Perhaps yes, if you can decrypt the file format, perhaps using the code of one of these export utilities as a starting point.

Legal? Probably not, the file format is proprietary and private, probably should be licensed by SAP.