Suggested User Interface

rbuser

I have a Delphi application with a standard windows menu. I've added
reports. When the user selects a report from my menu the default
behavior displays my form, the RB Preview window including the
Explorer-style outline of the report and a miniture image of a page. It
all works and, if the user knows what to do can enlarge or print the
report. But it seems a little confusing for the user.

What is the suggested user interface? Is my form necessary? Is the
preview window necessary? Does it have to include the Explorer? Am I
supposed to code my own preview window?

Thanks,
Patrick

rbuser

Hi Patrick Moloney,

ask your users first.
You need to have a preview window if you want to preview your reports, it isn't necessary for printing.
You must not display the outline.

regards,
Chris Ueberall;

digitalmetaphors

Use the Report.PreviewFormSettings property to control the initial
appearance (window size, zoom %) of the report viewer.

If your form pops up, the you can set it to not be visible, simply use it as
a container to hold the report object and the event handlers. You could
also create the report in code so that you don't need another form in your
app just for the report (unless you have delphi event handlers for hte
report and its components). If you want to make the reports fully portable,
then if you have the Enterprise edition, you can use RAP and DADE to store
the data access definition (use DADE) in the report along with the event
handler calculations (use RAP) for the report in the template. Then use the
Report.Template object to save/load the report definition at runtime. See
the RBuilder help file on the Report.Template property.

You can turn off the outline with the Report.OutlineSettings property. This
is available in the report designer in the Report | Outline Settings dialog,
which lets you preview what the outline will look like given the options you
select.

You can also create your own viewer on your main form. Use a TppViewer
object on the form and make calls on it. Here is a simple example. See the
help file on TppViewer for more info.
http://www.digital-metaphors.com/tips/ViewerPanel.zip

Cheers,

Jim Bennett
Digital Metaphors

rbuser

Thanks, that should get me going.
Patrick