To import a Microsoft Access file, select a Microsoft Access file (MDB or ADP) and the Designer scans the file and shows a dialog box where you can select which reports you would like to import:

The dialog box also allows you to specify if the Designer should clear all currently defined reports before starting the import process.

The import process handles most elements of the source reports, with a few exceptions:

• Event handler code

  Access reports can use VBA, macros and forms to format the report dynamically. C1FlexReport can do the same things, but it only uses VBScript. Because of this, all report code needs to be translated manually.

• Form-oriented field types

  Access reports may include certain fields that are not handled by the Designer's import procedure. The following field types are not supported: Chart, CommandButton, ToggleButton, OptionButton, OptionGroup, ComboBox, ListBox, TabCtl, and CustomControl.

• Reports that use VBScript reserved words

  Because Access does not use VBScript, you may have designed reports that use VBScript reserved words as identifiers for report objects or dataset field names. This causes problems when the VBScript engine tries to evaluate the expression, and prevents the report from rendering correctly.

  Reserved words you shouldn't use as identifiers include Date, Day, Hour, Length, Minute, Month, Second, Time, TimeValue, Value, Weekday, and Year. For a complete list, please refer to a VBScript reference.

These limitations affect a relatively small number of reports, but you should preview all reports after importing them, to make sure they still work correctly.

Importing the C1NWind.mdb File

To illustrate how the Designer fares in a real-life example, try importing the C1NWind.mdb file. It contains the following 13 reports. (The NWind.xml file that ships with C1FlexReport already contains all the following modifications.)

1. Alphabetical List of Products

   No action required.

2. Catalog

   No action required.

3. Customer Labels

   No action required.

4. Employee Sales by Country

   This report contains code which needs to be translated manually. The following code should be assigned to the Group 1 Header OnPrint property:

   To write code in Visual Basic

   Visual Basic	Copy Code
   If SalespersonTotal > 5000 Then ExceededGoalLabel.Visible = True SalespersonLine.Visible = True Else ExceededGoalLabel.Visible = False SalespersonLine.Visible = False End If

   To write code in C#

   C#	Copy Code
   if (SalespersonTotal > 5000) { ExceededGoalLabel.Visible = true; SalespersonLine.Visible = true; } else { ExceededGoalLabel.Visible = false; SalespersonLine.Visible = false; }

5. Invoice

   No action required.

6. Products by Category

   No action required.

7. Sales by Category

   This report contains a Chart control that is not imported. To add a chart to your report, you can use the Chart field.

8. Sales by Category Subreport

   No action required.

9. Sales by Year

   This report contains code and references to a Form object which need to be translated manually. To replace the Form object in the Data panel, add a "ShowDetails" parameter. Set its DataType property to Boolean and Value property to False:

   Use the new parameter in the report's OnOpen event:

   To write code in Visual Basic

   Visual Basic

   Copy Code

   Dim script As String = _ "bDetails = [Show Details]" & vbCrLf & _ "Detail.Visible = bDetails" & vbCrLf & _ "[Group 0 Footer].Visible = bDetails" & vbCrLf & _ "DetailsLabel.Visible = bDetails" & vbCrLf & _ "LineNumberLabel2.Visible = bDetails" & vbCrLf & _ "Line15.Visible = bDetails" & vbCrLf & _ "SalesLabel2.Visible = bDetails" & vbCrLf & _ "OrdersShippedLabel2.Visible = bDetails" & vbCrLf & _ "ShippedDateLabel2.Visible = bDetails" & vbCrLf & _ "Line10.Visible = bDetails" C1FlexReport1.Sections.Detail.OnPrint = script

   To write code in C#

   C#

   Copy Code

   string script = "bDetails = [Show Details]" + "Detail.Visible = bDetails\r\n" + "[Group 0 Footer].Visible = bDetails\r\n" + "DetailsLabel.Visible = bDetails\r\n" + "LineNumberLabel2.Visible = bDetails\r\n" + "Line15.Visible = bDetails\r\n" + "SalesLabel2.Visible = bDetails\r\n" + "OrdersShippedLabel2.Visible = bDetails\r\n" + "ShippedDateLabel2.Visible = bDetails\r\n" + "Line10.Visible = bDetails"; c1FlexReport1.Sections.Detail.OnPrint = script;

   Finally, two more lines of code need to be translated:

   To write code in Visual Basic

   Visual Basic	Copy Code
   Sections ("Detail").OnPrint = _ "PageHeader.Visible = True" Sections("Group 0 Footer).OnPrint = _ "PageHeader.Visible = False"

   To write code in C#

   C#	Copy Code
   Sections ("Detail").OnPrint = "PageHeader.Visible = true"; Sections("Group 0 Footer).OnPrint = "PageHeader.Visible = false";

10. Sales by Year Subreport

    No action required.

11. Sales Totals by Amount

    This report contains code that needs to be translated manually. The following code should be assigned to the Page Header OnPrint property:

    To write code in Visual Basic

    Visual Basic	Copy Code
    PageTotal = 0

    To write code in C#

    C#	Copy Code
    PageTotal = 0;

    The following code should be assigned to the Detail OnPrint property:

    To write code in Visual Basic

    Visual Basic	Copy Code
    PageTotal = PageTotal + SaleAmount HiddenPageBreak.Visible = (Counter = 10)

    To write code in C#

    C#	Copy Code
    PageTotal = PageTotal + SaleAmount; HiddenPageBreak.Visible = (Counter = 10);

12. Summary of Sales by Quarter

    No action required.

13. Summary of Sales by Year

    No action required.

Summing up the information on the table, out of the 13 reports imported from the NorthWind database: nine did not require any editing, three required some code translation, and one had a chart control that required adding a Chart field.