ActiveReports allows you to use a textbox's DataField property to perform calculations based on the value of specific data fields.

This walkthrough illustrates how to create a simple report using calculated fields.

The walkthrough is split up into the following activities:

• Adding an ActiveReport to a Visual Studio project
• Connecting the report to a data source
• Adding controls to the report to contain data
• Viewing the report 

To complete the walkthrough, you must have access to the NorthWind database (Nwind.mdb).

When you have finished this walkthrough, you will have a report that looks similar to the following.

Adding an ActiveReport to a Visual Studio project

To add an ActiveReport to your project

1. Open a new project in Visual Studio.
2. Click on Project > Add New Item.
3. Select ActiveReports file and rename the file rptCalFields.
4. Click Open.

Connecting the data source to a database

To connect the data source to a database

1. Click on the yellow report DataSource icon in the Detail section. This brings up the report DataSource dialog box.
2. Click on Build...
3. Select "Microsoft Jet 4.0 OLE DB Provider" and click Next >>.
4. Click on the ellipsis to browse for the access path to Nwind.mdb. Click Open once you have selected the appropriate access path.
5. Click OK to continue.
6. In the Query field, type "Select Customers.CompanyName, Products.ProductName, [Order Details].UnitPrice, [Order Details].Quantity FROM Products INNER JOIN ((Customers INNER JOIN Orders ON Customers.CustomerID = Orders.CustomerID) INNER JOIN [Order Details] ON Orders.OrderID = [Order Details].OrderID) ON Products.ProductID = [Order Details].ProductID WHERE (((DatePart("yyyy", [OrderDate])) = 1995)) ORDER BY Customers.CompanyName, Products.ProductName".
7. Click OK to return to the report design surface.

Adding controls to contain data

To add controls to the report

1. Add a GroupHeader/Footer section to rptCalFields.
2. Make the following changes to the group header:
   • Change the name to ghProducts
   • Change the DataField to CompanyName
3. Add the following controls to the GroupHeader section:

   Control	DataField	Name	Text/Caption	Location
   TextBox	CompanyName	txtCompanyName	Company Name	0, 0
   Label	(Empty string)	lblProductName	Product Name	0, 0.3125
   Label	(Empty string)	lblUnitPrice	Unit Price	3.437, 0.3125
   Label	(Empty string)	lblQuantity	Quantity	2.0625, 0.3125
   Label	(Empty string)	lblExtended	Extended	5,  0.3125

4. Add the following controls to the Detail section:

   Control	DataField	Name	Text/Caption	Location	OutputFormat
   TextBox	ProductName	txtProductName	Product Name	0, 0	(Empty string)
   TextBox	Quantity	txtQuantity	Quantity	2.0625, 0	(Empty string)
   TextBox	UnitPrice	txtUnitPrice	Unit Price	3.437, 0	Currency
   TextBox	= Quantity * UnitPrice	txtExtended	Extended	5, 0	Currency

Viewing the report

To view the report

1. Add the ActiveReports viewer control to a Windows Form.
2. Add the code needed to set the viewer document equal to the report document. See Using the ActiveReports WinForm Viewer for help.

Samples | Walkthroughs

 

 

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