Single Layout Reports

A Page Report, allows you to create a layout at design time on a single page tab and apply it to the entire report. Designing a layout in this format gives you the advantage of creating a layout that appears exactly the same at design time and runtime. This walkthrough illustrates how to create a report that contains a single layout and preview it.

This walkthrough is split into the following activities:

Adding an ActiveReport to a Visual Studio project
Connecting to a the data source
Adding a dataset
Creating a layout
Viewing the report

Note:

This walkthrough uses the DVDStock table from the Reels database. By default, in ActiveReports, the Reels.mdb file is located at [User Documents folder]\GrapeCity Samples\ActiveReports 9\Samples\Data\Reels.mdb.
Although this walkthrough uses Page reports, but this can be implemented using RDL reports also.

When you complete this walkthrough you get a layout that looks similar to the following at design time and at runtime.

Design Time Layout

Notice that the runtime report layout below is similar to the one you see at design time except for the data which you see at runtime or when you preview the report.

Runtime Layout

To add an ActiveReport to the Visual Studio project

To connect the report to a data source

To add a dataset

SQL Query	Copy Code
Select * from dvdstock

To create a layout for the report

In the Visual Studio toolbox, go to the ActiveReports 9 Page Report tab and drag a TextBox control onto the design surface.

Select the TextBox control and go to the Properties window to set the following properties.

Property Name	Property Value
Location	0.25in, 0.5in
BackgroundColor	Khaki
Color	Maroon
Font	Normal, Arial, 16pt, Bold
Size	6in, 0.5in
TextAlign	Center
Value	DVD STOCK

From the Visual Studio toolbox, drag a Table data region and place it on the design surface.

Select the Table and go to the Properties window to set the following properties.

Property Name	Property Value
Location	0.25in, 1in
BackgroundColor	Khaki
FixedSize	6in, 7.5in
RepeatHeaderOnNewPage	True
Size	6in, 0.75in

In the Table data region, place your mouse over the cells of the table details row to display the field selection adorner.

Click the adorner to show a list of available fields from the DataSet and add the following fields to the cells of the table details row.

Cell	Field
Left Cell	Title
Middle Cell	InStock
Right Cell	StorePrice

This automatically places an expression in the details row and simultaneously places a static label in the header row of the same column.

Tip: You can also directly drag fields from the Report Explorer onto the textbox cells of the Table data region.

Select the columns of the Table and set their Width property as follows:

Cell	Field
Left Cell	2.5in
Middle Cell	1.75in
Right Cell	1.75in

Select the following table rows and go to the Properties window to set their following properties.

Row	Properties
Table Header	BorderStyle: Solid Color: Maroon Font: Normal, Arial, 12pt, Bold TextAlign: Left
Table Details	BorderStyle: Solid Font: Normal, Arial, 10pt, Bold TextAlign: Left

To view the report