ActiveX Automation

Parallel Crystal v1.0 was released in March 1998 and included a Java client framework with an extended right to copy license. This client software enabled customers to interface Java applets in browsers and Java applications on Web (Portal) Servers to Parallel Crystal using the Inprise implementation of CORBA. By following the pattern of internet-based software products, the extended right to copy license for Dynalivery clients means that there is no extra charge for any number of Java clients.

Parallel Crystal features an ActiveX Automation Server, which acts as a COM wrapper around a C++ client. This wrapper is closely modeled after Seagate's ActiveX Automation Server for Crystal Reports. However, Dynalivery wrote its own multi-threaded code for this one component. Therefore tools such as Microsoft Active Server Pages written with Crystal Reports as the target may be easily modified to work with Parallel Crystal v2.x. The methods currently that require replacement are those used by the Seagate Smart Viewer - which is not supported by Parallel Crystal (PageEngine, PageGenerator, Pages, Page, PageSetup, PrintWindowOptions, TrackCursorInfo, View, Window, FieldValue, Views). The Parallel Crystal ActiveX Automation client for Parallel Crystal will be a good choice for users of Microsoft Visual Basic, VBScript, Visual C++, Visual J++, JScript, and Excel. They will also be a good choice for users of third party products such as Inprise Delphi and Microsoft WindowsNT, Terminal Server Edition.

Three key attributes of the Parallel Crystal ActiveX Automation Server are its thread-safety, location independence, and extended right to copy license.

Thread-safe Architecture
A thread-safe architecture means that several multi-threaded programs may invoke a single copy of our ActiveX component without interference between them. Active Server Pages are one important environment where this feature is crucial since multiple users may be represented as independent "sessions" within a single ASP process for high concurrency.

Location Independence
Location independence in this context means that the ActiveX client does not have to co-exist with the Parallel Crystal Report Engine in the same address space or even the same machine. The two components simply communicate using the standard CORBA IIOP protocols.

Extended Right to Copy License
As with our Java client, the extended right to copy client license means that our customers have no extra or hidden fees as they deploy any number of ActiveX clients.