Export to XLSReport and Changing Font Colors

rbuser

Hi,

When exporting text which has a font color of white and opening it in
Excel the text is hidden as it blends into the background of the cells
which are also white in Excel (I can change the font color by
highlighting the cells and changing the color).

However I want to automate this when a report is exported and have the
text color changed to black when the color of the text being exported
is white.

What is the best way of achieving this?

David.

nicocizik

Hi David,

If the user is exporting to XLS, I would suggest performing a report
object loop before printing (BeforePrint event perhaps) and altering the
text color of each text component in the report if needed. You will
then need to run another loop after to return the color back.

http://www.digital-metaphors.com/rbWiki/Delphi_Code/Layouts/Report_Object_Loop

rbuser

Hi Nico,

I have added some code to the BeforePrint and AfterPrint functions
for the report. The BeforePrint code I use works and the labels change
to black in the ppViewer, however the AfterPrint code is not resetting
the color back to white.

Just to give you some background information. The user first
previews the report to a ppViewer and there is a button on the form
which allows the user to print the report to file.

When they do this I can see the headings change to black in the ppViewer
but the labels are not changing back to white after printing.

Any help would be appreciated.

David.

nicocizik

Hi David,

If you trace into the AfterPrint event's code, is it actually executing?

Perhaps try creating two Report Object Loop routines, one to turn all
text black and one to return it to white. Then just inside the
BeforePrint event, if the DeviceType is XLS, call the black text
routine, if the DeviceType is something else, call the white text routine.

rbuser

Hi Nico,

Yes the AfterPrint event is calling the code I have to change the
color back, however the color is not changing in the ppViewer.

David.

nicocizik

Hi David,

This likely means the AfterPrint will not work for this requirement.
Did you try my second suggestion of only using the BeforePrint?

rbuser

Hi Nico,

You reply below will not work for my situation. My issue is more to
do with a single report just being exported to XLS from the ppViewer.

Currently the report is print previewed to screen in a ppViewer. The
user can hit a button at the top of the ppViewer to export the report
using a number of different formats ie. XLS, PDF etc.

The labels in the header are displayed in white. When exporting to
XLS I have code in the BeforePrint to change the labels from white to
black. However I need to somehow change them back to white again in the
ppViewer after the report has been exported to XLS.

So as you can see I am only exporting a single report once to XLS in
this situation.

David.


David.

nicocizik

Hi David,

I now see what is happening. You are using a custom viewer rather than
the built-in previewer. The screen device is still connected when you
export so when you generate to XLS, the viewer is also updating.

In this case, you are going to want to disconnect the screen device from
the viewer before exporting the report to XLS. This is similar to the
code inside the TppViewer.Print routine (which is called from the
previewer).

Viewer.ScreenDevice.Publisher := nil;

rbuser

Hi Nico,

I set the publisher to nil in the OnBeforePrint event and then change
the color of the labels.

On the OnAfterPrint I re-attach the publisher.

However after the report has printed and I go to the next page in the
ppViewer by click the next page button the text is black.

David.

nicocizik

Hi David,

At what point are you changing the text color back to white? Are you
certain this code is firing?