This walkthrough builds on the steps completed in the previous walkthrough, Creating the Basic Layout for an End-User Report Designer, and is split up into the following activities:

• Adding a Reference to the ToolBoxClassLib DLL 
• Adding Imports/using statements
• Adding code to the formDesigner_Load event to set the designer's toolbox, set the designer's CommandBarManager, add an Exit command to the CommandBarManager, and set up the status bar. 
• Adding code to create a data toolbox group
• Adding code to enable shortcut keys to work with the CommandBarManager 
• Adding code to create the arDesigner_SelectionChanged event to display the current object selection in the status bar
• Adding code to close the End-User Report Designer when the Exit command is clicked on the File menu

When you have finished this walkthrough, you will have a working end-user report designer that looks like the following.

Adding a Reference to the ToolBoxClassLib DLL 

To add the reference

1. In the Solution Explorer, right-click on the References folder.
2. In the Add Reference dialog, click the Browse button. For Visual Studio 2005, select the "Browse" tab.
3. Navigate to the directory that contains the samples and select \Samples\CSharp\Professional\EndUserDesigner. If you are developing with VB.NET, select \Samples\VB\Professional\EndUserDesigner.
4. Select DataDynamics.ActiveReports.ToolBoxClassLib.dll and click OK.

Adding Imports/using statements

To add the statements

To write the code in Visual Basic or C#

• Right-click in any section of formDesigner, and click on View Code to display the code view for the Windows Form. Add the following Imports/using statements.

The following example shows what the code looks like.

'Visual Basic
'Add the following Imports statements
Imports DataDynamics.ActiveReports
Imports DataDynamics.ActiveReports.Design
Imports DataDynamics.ActiveReports.Design.Toolbox

//C#
//Add the following using statements 
using DataDynamics.ActiveReports;
using DataDynamics.ActiveReports.Design;
using DataDynamics.ActiveReports.Design.Toolbox;

Adding code to the formDesigner_Load event

To write the code in Visual Basic or C#

• Double-click the title bar of the formDesigner. This creates an event-handling method for the formDesigner_Load event. Add code to the handler to: 
  • Set up the toolbox
  • Set the designer's CommandBarManager
  • Add an Exit command to the CommandBarManager
  • Set up the designer's status bar for Visual Studio for .NET 2003 and the

The following example shows what the code for the method looks like.

'Visual Basic
Private arToolbox As Toolbox 
Private commandBarManager As CommandBarManager
Private Sub formDesigner_Load(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs)
   'Set up the toolbox 
   Me.arToolbox = New DataDynamics.ActiveReports.Design.Toolbox.Toolbox
   Me.arToolbox.Dock = System.Windows.Forms.DockStyle.Fill
   'Add the toolbox to pnlToolbox
   Me.pnlToolbox.Controls.Add(Me.arToolbox)
   'Assign the toolbox to the designer to give functionality and add default controls
   Me.arDesigner.Toolbox = Me.arToolbox
   'Fill Toolbox with a data group
   LoadTools(Me.arToolbox)
     
   'Set the CommandBarManager of arDesigner to commandBarManager
   commandBarManager = Me.arDesigner.CommandBarManager
   Me.Controls.Add(commandBarManager) 

   'Add an Exit command to the File menu of the first command bar of the CommandBarManager
   Dim menu As CommandBarMenu = CType(Me.commandBarManager.CommandBars(0).Items(0), CommandBarMenu)
   menu.Items.AddSeparator()
   menu.Items.AddButton("Exit", AddressOf OnExit, 0)

   'Set up the status bar
   Me.arStatus.Panels.Add(New StatusBarPanel)
   Me.arStatus.Panels.Add(New StatusBarPanel)
   Me.arStatus.Panels(0).AutoSize = StatusBarPanelAutoSize.Spring
   Me.arStatus.Panels(1).AutoSize = StatusBarPanelAutoSize.Spring
   Me.arStatus.ShowPanels = True
End Sub 

//C#
private Toolbox arToolbox;
private CommandBarManager commandBarManager;
private void formDesigner_Load(object sender, System.EventArgs e)
{
   //Set up the toolbox
   this.arToolbox = new DataDynamics.ActiveReports.Design.Toolbox.Toolbox();
   this.arToolbox.Dock = System.Windows.Forms.DockStyle.Fill;
   //Add the toolbox to pnlToolbox to give functionality and add default controls
   this.pnlToolbox.Controls.Add(this.arToolbox);
   //Assign the toolbox to the designer
   this.arDesigner.Toolbox = this.arToolbox;
   //Fill Toolbox with a data group
   LoadTools(this.arToolbox);
			
  //Add the CommandBarManager 
  commandBarManager = this.arDesigner.CommandBarManager;
  this.Controls.Add(commandBarManager);
			
  // Add an exit command to the File menu of the first command bar of the CommandBarManager
  CommandBarMenu menu = this.commandBarManager.CommandBars[0].Items[0] as CommandBarMenu;
  menu.Items.AddSeparator();
  menu.Items.AddButton("Exit", new CommandEventHandler(OnExit), 0);
			
  //Set up the Status Bar for Visual Studio for .NET 2003
  this.arStatus.Panels.Add(new StatusBarPanel());
  this.arStatus.Panels.Add(new StatusBarPanel());
  this.arStatus.Panels[0].AutoSize = StatusBarPanelAutoSize.Spring;
  this.arStatus.Panels[1].AutoSize = StatusBarPanelAutoSize.Spring;
  this.arStatus.ShowPanels = true;
}

Adding code to create a data toolbox group

To write the code in Visual Basic or C#

• Add the following code right after the Form_Load event to create a data group on the toolbox.

The following example shows what the code looks like.

'Visual Basic
Private Sub LoadTools(ByVal arToolbox As DataDynamics.ActiveReports.Design.Toolbox.Toolbox)
   'Add Data Providers
   Me.arToolbox.AddToolboxItem(New System.Drawing.Design.ToolboxItem(GetType(System.Data.DataSet)), "Data")
   Me.arToolbox.AddToolboxItem(New System.Drawing.Design.ToolboxItem(GetType(System.Data.DataView)), "Data")
   Me.arToolbox.AddToolboxItem(New System.Drawing.Design.ToolboxItem(GetType(System.Data.OleDb.OleDbConnection)), "Data")
   Me.arToolbox.AddToolboxItem(New System.Drawing.Design.ToolboxItem(GetType(System.Data.OleDb.OleDbDataAdapter)), "Data")
   Me.arToolbox.AddToolboxItem(New System.Drawing.Design.ToolboxItem(GetType(System.Data.Odbc.OdbcConnection)), "Data")
   Me.arToolbox.AddToolboxItem(New System.Drawing.Design.ToolboxItem(GetType(System.Data.Odbc.OdbcDataAdapter)), "Data")
   Me.arToolbox.AddToolboxItem(New System.Drawing.Design.ToolboxItem(GetType(System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection)), "Data")
   Me.arToolbox.AddToolboxItem(New System.Drawing.Design.ToolboxItem(GetType(System.Data.SqlClient.SqlDataAdapter)), "Data")
End Sub

//C#
private void LoadTools(DataDynamics.ActiveReports.Design.Toolbox.Toolbox arToolbox)
{
   //Add Data Providers
   this.arToolbox.AddToolboxItem(new System.Drawing.Design.ToolboxItem(typeof(System.Data.DataSet)), "Data");
   this.arToolbox.AddToolboxItem(new System.Drawing.Design.ToolboxItem(typeof(System.Data.DataView)), "Data");
   this.arToolbox.AddToolboxItem(new System.Drawing.Design.ToolboxItem(typeof(System.Data.OleDb.OleDbConnection)), "Data");
   this.arToolbox.AddToolboxItem(new System.Drawing.Design.ToolboxItem(typeof(System.Data.OleDb.OleDbDataAdapter)), "Data");
   this.arToolbox.AddToolboxItem(new System.Drawing.Design.ToolboxItem(typeof(System.Data.Odbc.OdbcConnection)), "Data");
   this.arToolbox.AddToolboxItem(new System.Drawing.Design.ToolboxItem(typeof(System.Data.Odbc.OdbcDataAdapter)), "Data");
   this.arToolbox.AddToolboxItem(new System.Drawing.Design.ToolboxItem(typeof(System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection)), "Data");
   this.arToolbox.AddToolboxItem(new System.Drawing.Design.ToolboxItem(typeof(System.Data.SqlClient.SqlDataAdapter)), "Data");
}

Adding code to enable shortcut keys to work with the CommandBarManager

To write the code in Visual Basic or C#

• Right-click in any section of formDesigner, and click on View Code to display the code view for formDesigner. Add the following code.

The following example shows what the code looks like.

'Visual Basic
Protected Overrides Function ProcessCmdKey(ByRef msg As Message, ByVal keyData As Keys) As Boolean
    If Me.arDesigner.Focused Then 
        If Me.arDesigner.CommandBarManager.PreProcessMessage(msg) Then
           Return True
        End If
    End If
    Return MyBase.ProcessCmdKey(msg, keyData)
End Function

//C#
protected override bool ProcessCmdKey(ref Message msg, Keys keyData)
{
    if(this.arDesigner.CommandBarManager.PreProcessMessage(ref msg))
       return true;
    return base.ProcessCmdKey(ref msg, keyData);
}

Adding code to the arDesigner_SelectionChanged event

To write the code in Visual Basic

• Right-click in any section of formDesigner, and click on View Code to display the code view for the Windows Form. At the top left of the code view for formDesigner, click the drop-down arrow and select arDesigner. At the top right of the code window, click the drop-down arrow and select SelectionChanged. This creates an event-handling method for the arDesigner_SelectionChanged event.

To write the code in C#

• Click in the designer window of formDesigner to select arDesigner. Click on the events icon in the Properties window to display available events for the section. Double-click SelectionChanged. This creates an event-handling method for the arDesigner_SelectionChanged event.

  The following example shows what the code for the method looks like.

  'Visual Basic
  'This will display the current selection in the designer's status bar
  Private Sub arDesigner_SelectionChanged() Handles arDesigner.SelectionChanged
     Dim curSelection As String = ""
     Dim selectionEnum As IEnumerator = Nothing
     If Not (arDesigner.Selection Is Nothing) Then
        selectionEnum = arDesigner.Selection.GetEnumerator()
     End If
     While Not (selectionEnum Is Nothing) AndAlso selectionEnum.MoveNext()
         If TypeOf selectionEnum.Current Is Section Then
             curSelection = curSelection + (CType(selectionEnum.Current, Section)).Name + ", "
         End If
         If TypeOf selectionEnum.Current Is ARControl Then
             curSelection = curSelection + (CType(selectionEnum.Current, ARControl)).Name + ", "
         End If
         If TypeOf selectionEnum.Current Is Field Then
             curSelection = curSelection + (CType(selectionEnum.Current, Field)).Name + ", "
         End If
         If TypeOf selectionEnum.Current Is Parameter Then
             curSelection = curSelection + (CType(selectionEnum.Current, Parameter)).Key + ", "
         End If
         If TypeOf selectionEnum.Current Is ActiveReport3 Then
             curSelection = curSelection + (CType(selectionEnum.Current, ActiveReport3)).Document.Name + ", "
         End If
     End While
     If Me.arStatus.Created AndAlso Not (Me.arStatus.Panels(1) Is Nothing) Then
         If Not (curSelection = "") Then
             Me.arStatus.Panels(1).Text = "Current Selection: " + curSelection.Substring(0, curSelection.Length - 2)
         Else
             Me.arStatus.Panels(1).Text = "No Selection"
         End If
     End If
  End Sub
      
  //C#
  //This will display the current selection in the designer's status bar
  private void arDesigner_SelectionChanged()
  {
     string curSelection = "";
     IEnumerator selectionEnum = null;
     if(arDesigner.Selection != null)
         selectionEnum = arDesigner.Selection.GetEnumerator();
     while(selectionEnum != null && selectionEnum.MoveNext())
     {
         if(selectionEnum.Current is Section)
  	  curSelection = curSelection + (selectionEnum.Current as Section).Name + ", ";
         if(selectionEnum.Current is ARControl)
  	  curSelection = curSelection + (selectionEnum.Current as ARControl).Name + ", ";
         if(selectionEnum.Current is Field)
  	  curSelection = curSelection + (selectionEnum.Current as Field).Name + ", ";
         if(selectionEnum.Current is Parameter)
  	  curSelection = curSelection + (selectionEnum.Current as Parameter).Key + ", ";
         if(selectionEnum.Current is ActiveReport3)
  	  curSelection = curSelection + (selectionEnum.Current as ActiveReport3).Document.Name + ", ";
     }
     if(this.arStatus.Created && this.arStatus.Panels[1] != null)
     {
         if(curSelection != "")
  	  this.arStatus.Panels[1].Text = "Current Selection: " + curSelection.Substring(0, curSelection.Length - 2);
         else
  	  this.arStatus.Panels[1].Text = "No Selection";
     }
  }

Adding code to close the End-User Report Designer when the Exit command is clicked on the File menu  

To write the code in Visual Basic

• Right-click in any section of formDesigner, and click on View Code to display the code view for the Windows Form. Add the following code.

To write the code in C#

• Right-click in any section of formDesigner, and click on View Code to display the code view for the Windows Form. Add the following code.

  The following example shows what the code looks like.

  'Visual Basic
  Private Sub OnExit(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As CommandEventArgs)
     Me.Close()
  End Sub
  
  //C#
  private void OnExit(object sender, CommandEventArgs e)
  {
      this.Close();
  }

See Also

 

 

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