ActiveReports allows you to set up grouping in unbound reports. When setting up grouping, the group header's DataField property is used in the same manner as a textbox's DataField property to retrieve the grouping data from the database.

This walkthrough illustrates how to set up grouping in an unbound report.

This walkthrough is split into the following activities:

• Adding an ActiveReport to a Visual Studio project
• Adding code to connect the report to a data source
• Adding controls to contain the data
• Using the DataInitialize event to add fields to the report's fields collection
• Using the FetchData event to populate the report fields
• Viewing the report 

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

When you have completed 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 rptUnboundGrp.
4. Click Open.

Adding code to connect the report to a data source

To write the code in Visual Basic

• Right-click in any section of the design window of rptUnboundGrp, and click on View Code to display the code view for the report. At the top left of the code view for rptUnboundGrp, click the drop-down arrow and select (Base Class Events). At the top right of the code window, click the drop-down arrow and select ReportStart. This creates an event-handling method for rptUnboundGrp's ReportStart event. Add code to the handler to:
  • Set the data source connection string
  • Set the data source SQL query
  • Open the connection to create the data reader

To write the code in C#

• Click in the gray area below rptUnboundGrp to select the report. Click on the events icon in the Properties window to display available events for the report. Double-click ReportStart. This creates an event-handling method for rptUnboundGrp's ReportStart event. Add code to the handler to:
  • Set the data source connection string
  • Set the data source SQL query
  • Open the connection to create the DataReader

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

  'Visual Basic
  Dim m_cnnString As String
  Dim sqlString As String
  Dim m_reader As OleDbDataReader
  Dim m_cnn As OleDbConnection
  Private Sub rptUnboundGrp_ReportStart(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal _
  	e As System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.ReportStart
  	m_cnnString = "Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;Data Source=C:\Program _
  	Files\Data Dynamics\ActiveReports.NET\Data\NWIND.MDB;Persist Security Info _
  		=False"
  	sqlString = "SELECT * FROM categories INNER JOIN products ON categories.categoryid _
  		= products.categoryid ORDER BY products.categoryid, products.productid"
  	m_cnn = New OleDb.OleDbConnection(m_cnnString)
  	Dim m_Cmd As New OleDb.OleDbCommand(sqlString, m_cnn)
  	If m_cnn.State = ConnectionState.Closed Then
  		m_cnn.Open()
  	End If
  	m_reader = m_Cmd.ExecuteReader()
  End Sub

   

  //C#
  private OleDbConnection m_cnn;
  private OleDbDataReader m_reader;
  private void rptUnboundGrp_ReportStart(object sender, System.EventArgs eArgs)
  {
  	string m_dbPath = getDatabasePath();
  	string m_cnnString = "Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;Data Source=C:\Program 
  		Files\Data Dynamics\ActiveReports.NET\Data\NWIND.MDB;Persist Security 
  		Info=False";
  	string sqlString = "SELECT * FROM categories INNER JOIN products ON categories
  		.categoryid = products.
  	categoryid ORDER BY products.categoryid, products.productid";
  	m_cnn = new OleDbConnection(m_cnnString);
  	OleDbCommand m_Cmd = new OleDbCommand(sqlString,m_cnn);
  	if(m_cnn.State == ConnectionState.Closed)
  	{
  		m_cnn.Open();
  	}
  	m_reader = m_Cmd.ExecuteReader();
  }

Adding code to close the connection to the DataReader

To write the code in Visual Basic

• At the top left of the code view for rptUnboundGrp, click the drop-down arrow and select (Base Class Events). At the top right of the code window, click the drop-down arrow and select ReportEnd. This creates an event-handling method for rptUnboundGrp's ReportEnd event. Add code to the handler to:
• Close the connection to the data reader

To write the code in C#

• In design view, click in the gray area below rptUnboundGrp to select the report. Click on the events icon in the Properties window to display available events for the report. Double-click ReportEnd. This creates an event-handling method for rptUnboundGrp's ReportEnd event. Add code to the handler to:
  • Close the connection to the DataReader

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

  'Visual Basic
  Private Sub rptGrp_ReportEnd(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal eArgs As System.EventArgs) 
      m_reader.Close 
      m_cnn.Close 
  End Sub

   

  //C#
  private void rptGrp_ReportEnd(object sender, System.EventArgs eArgs)
  {
  	m_reader.Close();
  	m_cnn.Close();
  }

Adding controls to the report to contain data

To add controls to the report

1. Add a GroupHeader/Footer section to your report (see Grouping Data for help).
2. Make the following changes to the group header:
   • Change the name to ghCategories
   • Change the DataField property to CategoryID
   • Set the GroupKeepTogether property to All
   • Set the KeepTogether property to True
3. Make the following change to the group footer:
   • Change the name to gfCategories
4. Add the following controls to the GroupHeader section:

   Control	DataField	Name	Text/Caption	Location
   TextBox	CategoryName	txtCategoryName	Category Name	0.0625, 0.0625
   TextBox	Description	txtDescription	Description	0.0625, 0.375
   Label	(Empty string)	lblProductName	Product Name	0.0625, 0.6875
   Label	(Empty string)	lblUnitsInStock	Units In Stock	4.75, 0.6875

5. Add the following controls to the Detail section:

   Control	DataField	Name	Text/Caption	Location
   TextBox	ProductName	txtProductName	Product Name	0.0625, 0.0625
   TextBox	UnitsInStock	txtUnitsInStock	Units In Stock	4.75, 0.0625

6. Add the following controls to the GroupFooter section:

   Control	DataField	Name	Text/Caption	Misc Details	Location
   Label	TotalLabel	lblTotalLabel	Total Label	(Empty string)	1.875, 0
   TextBox	ProductName	txtTotalItems	Total Items	SummaryType = SubTotal SummaryFunc = Count SummaryRunning = Group SummaryGroup = ghCategories	5, 0
   Line	(Empty string)	Line1	(Empty string)	LineWeight = 3	X1 = 1.875 Y1 = 0 X2 = 6.4375 Y2 = 0

Using the DataInitialize event to add fields

Note: The Fields collection should never be accessed outside the DataInitialize and FetchData events.

To write the code in Visual Basic

• Right-click in any section of the design window of rptUnboundGrp, and click on View Code to display the code view for the report. At the top left of the code view for rptUnboundGrp, click the drop-down arrow and select (Base Class Events). At the top right of the code window, click the drop-down arrow and select DataInitialize. This creates an event-handling method for rptUnboundGrp's DataInitialize event. Add code to the handler to:
  • Add fields to the report's Fields collection.

To write the code in C#

• Click in the gray area below rptUnboundGrp to select the report. Click on the events icon in the Properties window to display available events for the report. Double-click DataInitialize. This creates an event-handling method for rptUnboundGrp's DataInitialize event. Add code to the handler to:
  • Add fields to the report's Fields collection.

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

  'Visual Basic
  Private Sub rptUnboundGrp_DataInitialize(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As _
  	System.EventArgs) Handles MyBase.DataInitialize
  	Fields.Add("CategoryID")
  	Fields.Add("CategoryName")
  	Fields.Add("ProductName")
  	Fields.Add("UnitsInStock")
  	Fields.Add("Description")
  	Fields.Add("TotalLabel")
  End Sub

   

  //C#
  private void UnboundGrp_DataInitialize(object sender, System.EventArgs eArgs)
  {
  	Fields.Add("CategoryID");
  	Fields.Add("CategoryName");
  	Fields.Add("ProductName");
  	Fields.Add("UnitsInStock");
  	Fields.Add("Description");
  	Fields.Add("TotalLabel");
  }

Using the FetchData event to populate the report fields

To write the code in Visual Basic

• Right-click in any section of the design window of rptUnboundGrp, and click on View Code to display the code view for the report. At the top left of the code view for rptUnboundGrp, click the drop-down arrow and select (Base Class Events). At the top right of the code window, click the drop-down arrow and select FetchData. This creates an event-handling method for rptUnboundGrp's FetchData event. Add code to the handler to:
  • Retrieve information to populate the report fields.

To write the code in C#

• Click in the gray area below rptUnboundGrp to select the report. Click on the events icon in the Properties window to display available events for the report. Double-click FetchData. This creates an event-handling method for rptUnboundGrp's FetchData event. Add code to the handler to:
  • Retrieve information to populate the report fields.

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

  'Visual Basic
  Private Sub rptUnboundGrp_FetchData(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal eArgs As DataDynamics _
  	.ActiveReports.ActiveReport.FetchEventArgs) Handles MyBase.FetchData
  	Try
  		m_reader.Read()
  		Me.Fields("CategoryID").Value = m_reader("categories.CategoryID")
  		Me.Fields("CategoryName").Value = m_reader("CategoryName")
  		Me.Fields("ProductName").Value = m_reader("ProductName")
  		Me.Fields("UnitsInStock").Value = m_reader("UnitsInStock")
  		Me.Fields("Description").Value = m_reader("Description")
  		Me.Fields("TotalLabel").Value = "Total Number of " + m_reader("CategoryName") + ":"
  		eArgs.EOF = False
  	Catch ex As Exception
  		System.Windows.Forms.MessageBox.Show(ex.ToString())
  		eArgs.EOF = True
  	End Try
  End Sub

   

  //C#
  private void UnboundGrp_FetchData(object sender, DataDynamics.ActiveReports.ActiveReport
  	.FetchEventArgs eArgs)
  {
  	try
  	{
  		m_reader.Read();
  		Fields["CategoryID"].Value = m_reader["categories.CategoryID"].ToString();
  		Fields["CategoryName"].Value = m_reader["CategoryName"].ToString();
  		Fields["ProductName"].Value = m_reader["ProductName"].ToString();
  		Fields["UnitsInStock"].Value = m_reader["UnitsInStock"].ToString();
  		Fields["Description"].Value = m_reader["Description"].ToString();
  		Fields["TotalLabel"].Value = "Total Number of " + m_reader
  			["CategoryName"].ToString() + ":";
  		eArgs.EOF = false;
  	}
  	catch
  	{
  		eArgs.EOF = true;
  	}
  }

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 | Grouping Data | SummaryFunc enumeration | GroupKeepTogether enumeration

 

 

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