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In ActiveReports, the Report Explorer gives you a visual overview of the elements that make up the report in the form of a tree view with nodes for:

• The Report
  • Each of its sections
    • Each section's controls
• Fields
  • Bound
  • Calculated
• Parameters
• Report Settings

In the Report Explorer, you can remove individual controls, add parameters and calculated fields, drag bound data fields onto the report as textbox controls, and change report settings. You can also select a section, control, or the report itself to display in the Properties window, where you can modify its properties.

If you do not see the Report Explorer in Visual Studio:

1. Right-click the Visual Studio toolbar and select ActiveReports 6 to display the designer toolbar.
2. On the designer toolbar, click the View Report Explorer button.

Or from the View menu, select Other Windows, then Report Explorer.

When you open the Report Explorer in Visual Studio, it appears every time you create a new Windows Application. You can close it any time.

The Report Explorer lays out all of the elements contained in your report in one place.

The following demonstrates how you can quickly modify a report using the Report Explorer.

To bind data fields to textbox controls

1. In the Report Explorer, select the data field you want to bind to a textbox control.
2. Drag the field onto the design surface of the report. A textbox control is created and bound to the field. The textbox is selected in the Properties window, and the DataField and Name properties reflect the name of the field. For example, if you dragged a field named EmployeeID, the DataField property of the textbox is set to EmployeeID and the textbox is named txtEmployeeID1.

To modify control or section properties

1. In the Report Explorer, select the control or section you want to modify. The Properties window displays all available properties for the item.
2. In the Properties window, set properties as you like.

To remove individual controls

1. In the Report Explorer, expand the node that contains the control you want to remove.
2. Right-click the control and select Delete.
3. Click Yes in the Report Explorer dialog to confirm your decision.

To add parameters

1. In the Report Explorer, right-click the Parameters node and select Add. The new parameter is displayed in the Report Explorer and in the Properties window.
2. In the Properties window, set the Prompt property to a string value to ask users for data.
3. Leave the PromptUser property set to True. When you run the report, a dialog displays the Prompt to the user.
4. Drag the parameter from the Report Explorer onto the design surface of your report to create a textbox that is bound to the parameter. When you run the report, the value that the user supplies in the prompt dialog displays in the bound textbox on the report.

To add calculated fields

1. In the Report Explorer, expand the Fields node.
2. Right-click the Calculated node and select Add. The new calculated field is displayed in the Report Explorer and in the Properties window.
3. In the Properties window, set the Formula property to a calculation, for example: = unitprice * 1.07
4. Drag the field from the Report Explorer onto the design surface of your report to create a textbox that is bound to the field.

To change report settings

1. In the Report Explorer, right-click the Settings node and select Show to open the Report Settings dialog.
2. Make changes to properties on the Page Setup, Printer Settings, Styles, and Global Settings tabs.
3. Click OK to save the changes.