Loading Documents from Files on the Server (Silverlight)

A common usage scenario for the C1ReportViewer control is to have a report server (such as C1Report or Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services) generate reports on a schedule, and deploy them to the file system on the server. Your Silverlight or WPF applications can then get these files from the server and display them to the user with very little overhead.

This scenario is illustrated in the C1ReportViewerQuickstart sample.

After adding the C1ReportViewer to your application, you should add a Silverlight-enabled WCF service to the server project. This service will provide the Silverlight client with the list of reports available and with the actual document streams for each report.

For example, the following is a typical implementation of a report provider Web service:

Visual Basic	Copy Code
<ServiceContract([Namespace] := "")> _ <AspNetCompatibilityRequirements(RequirementsMode := AspNetCompatibilityRequirementsMode.Allowed)> _ Public Class ReportingService <OperationContract> _ Public Function GetReportList() As String() Dim path__1 = Path.Combine(System.AppDomain.CurrentDomain.BaseDirectory, "Resources") Return Directory.GetFiles(path__1, "*.pdf") End Function <OperationContract> Public Function GetReportStream(reportName As String) As Byte() ' get file name Dim path__1 = Path.Combine(System.AppDomain.CurrentDomain.BaseDirectory, "Resources") reportName = Path.Combine(path__1, reportName) ' load file into stream Dim ms = New MemoryStream() Dim buff = New Byte(63999) {} Using sr = New FileStream(reportName, FileMode.Open) While True Dim read As Integer = sr.Read(buff, 0, buff.Length) ms.Write(buff, 0, read) If read = 0 Then Exit While End If End While End Using End Function ' return byte stream Return ms.ToArray() End Class

Visual Basic

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<ServiceContract([Namespace] := "")> _
<AspNetCompatibilityRequirements(RequirementsMode := AspNetCompatibilityRequirementsMode.Allowed)> _
Public Class ReportingService
      <OperationContract> _
      Public Function GetReportList() As String()
      Dim path__1 = Path.Combine(System.AppDomain.CurrentDomain.BaseDirectory, "Resources")
      Return Directory.GetFiles(path__1, "*.pdf")
      End Function
      <OperationContract>
Public Function GetReportStream(reportName As String) As Byte()
      ' get file name
      Dim path__1 = Path.Combine(System.AppDomain.CurrentDomain.BaseDirectory, "Resources")
      reportName = Path.Combine(path__1, reportName)

      ' load file into stream
      Dim ms = New MemoryStream()
      Dim buff = New Byte(63999) {}
      Using sr = New FileStream(reportName, FileMode.Open)
            While True
                  Dim read As Integer = sr.Read(buff, 0, buff.Length)
                  ms.Write(buff, 0, read)
                  If read = 0 Then
                        Exit While
                  End If
            End While
      End Using
End Function
' return byte stream
Return ms.ToArray()
End Class

C#	Copy Code
[ServiceContract(Namespace = "")] [AspNetCompatibilityRequirements(RequirementsMode = AspNetCompatibilityRequirementsMode.Allowed)] public class ReportingService { [OperationContract] public string[] GetReportList() { var path = Path.Combine(System.AppDomain.CurrentDomain.BaseDirectory, "Resources"); return Directory.GetFiles(path, "*.pdf"); } [OperationContract] public byte[] GetReportStream(string reportName) { // get file name var path = Path.Combine(System.AppDomain.CurrentDomain.BaseDirectory, "Resources"); reportName = Path.Combine(path, reportName); // load file into stream var ms = new MemoryStream(); var buff =new byte[64000]; using (var sr = new FileStream(reportName, FileMode.Open)) { for (; ; ) { int read = sr.Read(buff, 0, buff.Length); ms.Write(buff, 0, read); if (read == 0) break; } } } // return byte stream return ms.ToArray(); } }

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[ServiceContract(Namespace = "")]
[AspNetCompatibilityRequirements(RequirementsMode =
         AspNetCompatibilityRequirementsMode.Allowed)]
public class ReportingService
{
  [OperationContract]
  public string[] GetReportList()
  {
    var path = Path.Combine(System.AppDomain.CurrentDomain.BaseDirectory, "Resources");
    return Directory.GetFiles(path, "*.pdf");
  }

  [OperationContract]
  public byte[] GetReportStream(string reportName)
  {
    // get file name
      var path = Path.Combine(System.AppDomain.CurrentDomain.BaseDirectory, "Resources");
      reportName = Path.Combine(path, reportName);

      // load file into stream
      var ms = new MemoryStream();
      var buff =new byte[64000];
      using (var sr = new FileStream(reportName, FileMode.Open))
      {
        for (; ; )
        {
          int read = sr.Read(buff, 0, buff.Length);
          ms.Write(buff, 0, read);
          if (read == 0) break;
        }
      }
    }

    // return byte stream
    return ms.ToArray();
  }
}

As you can see, the code is very standard. The first method lists the reports available on the server so the Silverlight application can show a list of reports to the user, and the second method returns the byte stream that represents the selected report.

The client part of the application uses the service as follows:

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Public Sub New() InitializeComponent() ' go get the list of reports available Dim svc = New ReportingServiceReference.ReportingServiceClient() AddHandler svc.GetReportListCompleted, AddressOf svc_GetReportListCompleted svc.GetReportListAsync() End Sub ' populate ComboBox with list of reports available on the server Private Sub svc_GetReportListCompleted(sender As Object, e As ReportingServiceReference.GetReportListCompletedEventArgs) _cmbReport.Items.Clear() For Each file As String In e.Result _cmbReport.Items.Add(Path.GetFileNameWithoutExtension(file)) Next _cmbReport.IsEnabled = True _cmbReport.SelectedIndex = 0 End Sub ' show the report that was selected Private Sub ReportType_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) ' build report name Dim reportName As String = DirectCast(_cmbReport.SelectedItem, String) reportName += If(_btnPDF.IsChecked.Value, ".pdf", ".mhtml") ' go get the stream Dim svc = New ReportingServiceReference.ReportingServiceClient() AddHandler svc.GetReportStreamCompleted, AddressOf svc_GetReportStreamCompleted svc.GetReportStreamAsync(reportName) End Sub ' display the report Private Sub svc_GetReportStreamCompleted(sender As Object, e As ReportingServiceReference.GetReportStreamCompletedEventArgs) Dim ms = New MemoryStream(e.Result) _reportViewer.LoadDocument(ms) End Sub

Visual Basic

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Public Sub New()
      InitializeComponent()

      ' go get the list of reports available
      Dim svc = New ReportingServiceReference.ReportingServiceClient()
      AddHandler svc.GetReportListCompleted, AddressOf svc_GetReportListCompleted
      svc.GetReportListAsync()
End Sub

' populate ComboBox with list of reports available on the server
Private Sub svc_GetReportListCompleted(sender As Object, e As ReportingServiceReference.GetReportListCompletedEventArgs)
      _cmbReport.Items.Clear()
      For Each file As String In e.Result
            _cmbReport.Items.Add(Path.GetFileNameWithoutExtension(file))
      Next
      _cmbReport.IsEnabled = True
      _cmbReport.SelectedIndex = 0
End Sub

' show the report that was selected
Private Sub ReportType_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs)
      ' build report name
      Dim reportName As String = DirectCast(_cmbReport.SelectedItem, String)
      reportName += If(_btnPDF.IsChecked.Value, ".pdf", ".mhtml")

      ' go get the stream
      Dim svc = New ReportingServiceReference.ReportingServiceClient()
      AddHandler svc.GetReportStreamCompleted, AddressOf svc_GetReportStreamCompleted
      svc.GetReportStreamAsync(reportName)
End Sub

' display the report
Private Sub svc_GetReportStreamCompleted(sender As Object, e As ReportingServiceReference.GetReportStreamCompletedEventArgs)
      Dim ms = New MemoryStream(e.Result)
      _reportViewer.LoadDocument(ms)
End Sub

C#	Copy Code
public MainPage() { InitializeComponent(); // go get the list of reports available var svc = new ReportingServiceReference.ReportingServiceClient(); svc.GetReportListCompleted += svc_GetReportListCompleted; svc.GetReportListAsync(); } // populate ComboBox with list of reports available on the server void svc_GetReportListCompleted(object sender, ReportingServiceReference.GetReportListCompletedEventArgs e) { _cmbReport.Items.Clear(); foreach (string file in e.Result) { _cmbReport.Items.Add(Path.GetFileNameWithoutExtension(file)); } _cmbReport.IsEnabled = true; _cmbReport.SelectedIndex = 0; } // show the report that was selected void ReportType_Click(object sender, EventArgs e) { // build report name string reportName = (string)_cmbReport.SelectedItem; reportName += _btnPDF.IsChecked.Value ? ".pdf" : ".mhtml"; // go get the stream var svc = new ReportingServiceReference.ReportingServiceClient(); svc.GetReportStreamCompleted += svc_GetReportStreamCompleted; svc.GetReportStreamAsync(reportName); } // display the report void svc_GetReportStreamCompleted(object sender, ReportingServiceReference.GetReportStreamCompletedEventArgs e) { var ms = new MemoryStream(e.Result); _reportViewer.LoadDocument(ms); }

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public MainPage()
{
  InitializeComponent();

  // go get the list of reports available
  var svc = new ReportingServiceReference.ReportingServiceClient();
  svc.GetReportListCompleted += svc_GetReportListCompleted;
  svc.GetReportListAsync();
}

// populate ComboBox with list of reports available on the server
void svc_GetReportListCompleted(object sender,
  ReportingServiceReference.GetReportListCompletedEventArgs e)
{
  _cmbReport.Items.Clear();
  foreach (string file in e.Result)
  {
    _cmbReport.Items.Add(Path.GetFileNameWithoutExtension(file));
  }
  _cmbReport.IsEnabled = true;
  _cmbReport.SelectedIndex = 0;
}

// show the report that was selected
void ReportType_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
  // build report name
  string reportName = (string)_cmbReport.SelectedItem;
    reportName += _btnPDF.IsChecked.Value ? ".pdf" : ".mhtml";

    // go get the stream
    var svc = new ReportingServiceReference.ReportingServiceClient();
    svc.GetReportStreamCompleted += svc_GetReportStreamCompleted;
    svc.GetReportStreamAsync(reportName);
  }

  // display the report
  void svc_GetReportStreamCompleted(object sender,
    ReportingServiceReference.GetReportStreamCompletedEventArgs e)
  {
    var ms = new MemoryStream(e.Result);
    _reportViewer.LoadDocument(ms);
  }