When setting up embedded subreports in ActiveReports, the principles are the same as when setting up simple subreports but are applied to the child-grandchild reports.

Note: Subreports will not render PageHeader/Footer sections, so you can delete them to save on processing time.

This walkthrough illustrates how to set up embedded subreports.

This walkthrough is split up into the following activities:

• Adding three ActiveReports to a Visual Studio project
• Connecting each report to a data source
• Adding controls to each report to display the data
• Adding the code needed to set the subreport controls equal to their corresponding reports
• Setting the subreports' ShowParametersUI property to False
• 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 three ActiveReports to a Visual Studio project

To add three ActiveReports to a Visual Studio project

1. Open a new project in Visual Studio.
2. Click on Project > Add New Item.
3. Select ActiveReports file and rename the file rptEmployees.
4. Click Open.
5. Click on Project > Add New Item.
6. Select ActiveReports file and rename the file rptOrders.
7. Click Open.
8. Click on Project > Add New Item.
9. Select ActiveReports file and rename the file rptCustomers.
10. Click Open.

Connecting rptEmployees to a data source

To connect the report to a data source

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 * from employees".
7. Click OK to return to the report design surface.

Connecting rptOrders to a data source

To connect the report to a data source

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 * from orders inner join [order details] on orders.orderID = [order details].orderID where orders.employeeID = <%employeeID%>".
7. Click OK to return to the report design surface.

Connecting rptCustomers to a data source

To connect the report to a data source

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 * from customers where customerID = '<%CustomerID%>' ".
7. Click OK to return to the report design surface.

Adding controls to display the data

To add controls to the reports

1. Add a GroupHeader/Footer section to rptEmployees
2. Make the following changes to the group header:
   • Change the name to ghEmployees
   • Change the DataField property to EmployeeID
3. Add the following controls to rptEmployees, naming them as indicated:

   Control	DataField	Name	Text/Caption	Section	Location
   TextBox	EmployeeID	txtEmployeeID	Employee ID	GroupHeader	0, 0
   TextBox	Extension	txtExtension	Extension	GroupHeader	3.375, 0
   TextBox	LastName	txtLastName	Last Name	GroupHeader	1.125, 0
   TextBox	FirstName	txtFirstName	First Name	GroupHeader	2.25, 0
   Label	(Empty string)	lblEmployeeID	Employee ID	GroupHeader	0, 0
   Label	(Empty string)	lblExtension	Extension	GroupHeader	3.375, 0
   Label	(Empty string)	lblLastName	Last Name	GroupHeader	1.125,  0
   Label	(Empty string)	lblFirstName	First Name	GroupHeader	2.25, 0
   Subreport	(Empty string)	subOrders	(Empty string)	Detail	0, 0

4. Add the following controls to the Detail section of rptOrders, naming them as indicated:

   Control	DataField	Name	Text/Caption	Location
   TextBox	OrderDate	txtOrderDate	Order Date	1.9375, 0.25
   TextBox	Quantity	txtQuantity	Quantity	4.4375, 0.25
   TextBox	orders.OrderID	txtOrderID	Order ID	0, 0.25
   TextBox	ProductID	txtProductID	Product ID	3, 0.25
   Label	(Empty string)	lblOrderDate	Order Date:	1.9375, 0
   Label	(Empty string)	lblQuantity	Quantity:	4.4375, 0
   Label	(Empty string)	lblOrderID	Order ID:	0, 0
   Label	(Empty string)	lblProductID	Product ID:	3, 0
   Subreport	(Empty string)	subCustomers	(Empty string)	0, 0.5

5. Add the following controls to the Detail section of rptCustomers, naming them as indicated:

   Control	DataField	Name	Text/Caption	Location
   TextBox	CompanyName	txtCompanyName	Company Name	0, 0.25
   TextBox	ContactName	txtContactName	Contact Name	1.25, 0.25
   TextBox	Phone	txtPhone	Phone	2.3125, 0.25
   Label	(Empty string)	lblCompanyName	Company Name	0, 0
   Label	(Empty string)	lblContactName	Contact Name	1.25, 0
   Label	(Empty string)	lblPhone	Phone	2.3125, 0

Adding the code needed to set subOrders equal to rptOrders in rptEmployees

To write the code in Visual Basic

• Right-click in any section of the design window of rptEmployees, and click on View Code to display the code view for the report. At the top left of the code view for rptEmployees, click the drop-down arrow and select Detail. At the top right of the code window, click the drop-down arrow and select Format. This creates an event-handling method for rptEmployees' Detail_Format event. Add code to the handler to:
  • Set subOrders equal to rptOrders

To write the code in C#

• Click in the Detail section of rptEmployees to select the section. Click on the events icon in the Properties window to display available events for the section. Double-click Format. This creates an event-handling method for rptEmployees' Detail_Format event. Add code to the handler to:
  • Set subOrders equal to rptOrders

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

  ' Visual Basic
  Private Sub Detail_Format(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles _
  	Detail.Format
          Dim rpt As New rptOrders()
          Me.subOrders.Report = rpt
  End Sub

  //C#
  private void Detail_Format(object sender, System.EventArgs eArgs)
  {
  	rptOrders rpt = new rptOrders();
  	subOrders.Report = rpt;
  }

Adding the code needed to set subCustomers equal to rptCustomers in rptOrders

To write the code in Visual Basic

• Right-click in any section of the design window of rptOrders, and click on View Code to display the code view for the report. At the top left of the code view for rptOrders, click the drop-down arrow and select Detail. At the top right of the code window, click the drop-down arrow and select Format. This creates an event-handling method for rptOrders' Detail_Format event. Add code to the handler to:
  • Set subCustomers equal to rptCustomers

To write the code in C#

• Click in the Detail section of rptOrders to select the section. Click on the events icon in the Properties window to display available events for the section. Double-click Format. This creates an event-handling method for rptOrders' Detail_Format event. Add code to the handler to:
  • Set subCustomers equal to rptCustomers

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

  ' Visual Basic
  Private Sub ghOrders_Format(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles _
  	ghOrders.Format
          Dim rpt As New rptCustomers()
          Me.subCustomers.Report = rpt
  End Sub

  //C#
  private void Detail_Format(object sender, System.EventArgs eArgs)
  {
  	rptCustomers rpt = new rptCustomers();
  	subCustomers.Report = rpt;
  }

Setting the ShowParametersUI property to false

To set the ShowParametersUI property to false

1. Click in the dark gray area underneath rptCustomers to select the ActiveReport.
2. In the properties window, change the ShowParametersUI property to False.
3. In the same way, set the ShowParametersUI property to False for rptOrders. 

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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