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Using the DataSource Icon
See Also
User Guide > How-To Section > Binding Reports to a Data Source > Using the DataSource Icon

Glossary Item Box

ActiveReports makes it easy to bind your report to a data source by using the gray DataSource icon located in the Detail section of the report design surface or by accessing the DataSource dialog from the Report Settings menu.

To use the DataSource icon

  1. Open a Visual Studio project.
  2. Add an ActiveReport to your project.
  3. Once the report is added, you will see the report design surface.
  4. Click on the gray DataSource icon in the Detail section of the report to open the Datasource dialog.
  5. You will then be prompted to select your data source, connection string, and query.

 

To connect to Microsoft Access using Jet 4.0

  1. Click on the gray report DataSource icon in the Detail section to open the Datasource dialog.
  2. Select the OLE DB tab.
  3. Click on Build.
  4. Select "Microsoft Jet 4.0 OLE DB Provider" and click Next.
  5. Enter a database name or Click the ellipsis button to browse for the access path to a database.
  6. Click Open once you have entered a database name or selected the appropriate access path.
  7. Click OK to continue.
  8. Enter a SQL statement in the Query box (e.g. "Select * from products").
  9. Click OK to return to the report design surface.

To connect to SQL Server

  1. Click on the gray report DataSource icon in the Detail section to open the Datasource dialog.
  2. Select the SQL tab.
  3. Click on Build.
  4. Select "Microsoft OLE DB Provider for SQL Server" and click Next.
  5. Select a server.
  6. Chose Windows integrated security or a specific username and password.
  7. Choose the database for connection and click OK.
  8. Enter a SQL statement in the Query box (e.g. "Select * from products").
  9. Click OK to return to the report design surface.

To connect to an XML database

  1. Click on the gray report DataSource icon in the Detail section to open the Datasource dialog.
  2. Select the XML tab. 
  3. Click the ellipsis button beside File URL to browse for the access path to Customer.xml.
  4. Click Open once you have selected the appropriate access path.
  5. In the Recordset Pattern field, enter a pattern (e.g. "//ITEM").
  6. Click OK to return to the report design surface.

 

The Datasource dialog contains an Unbound tab. This tab does not provide the mechanism by which you can set unbound data, but provides an overview on how to start working with unbound data sources.

See Also

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