Dialog Builder like FastReport

rbuser

Hi,

Is there any plans in future versions to have a GUI builder for Report
Searche Criteria like FastReport has?

Thanks,

Rhett Price
IndySoft

rbuser

I haven't seen it--what does it do?

--
Ed Dressel
Team DM

rbuser

It does several things that our customers are currently demanding that
we cant' do with AutoSearch criteria in DM.

1) It lets end users create a professional looking "Search Criteria"
dialog - without having to contract us to do one for them in Delphi.
Just about every customer that uses autosearch in RB is bound to
complain to us that the dialog just looks bad and is not user friendly.

2) You can make smart ComboBoxes that populate with data that users can
choose from. (this is the biggest feature our users have been demanding
for years)

3) It provides an easy way to package an entire "complete" reporting
process in 1 file with our software (whereas now it is 1) Delphi
compiled EXE w/RTM file).

see: http://fast-report.com/screenshots/4_dialogs.gif

For a screenshot.

I'm not trying to push FastReport -- I haven't ever tried to use it in a
real life situation. I really like ReportBuilder a lot - It's just
something that I keep thinking DM are going to address, and wanted to
make sure they were at least thinking about it.

Thanks,

Rhett Price
IndySoft

rbuser

I would document carefully each feature you need and send it to support as
an individual e-mail.

I suppose most people realize this, but it is worth mentioning: that each
reporting tool is going to have some feature that another one doesn't have.
The product I develop has the same. Competitors have developed a 'feature'
that my users can't live without. They just can't believe I don't have it
and will stand in my booth taking up my time wondering where my brain is and
how stupid all 4,000 users I have must be for using my application.

Honestly, I'm very happy with RB. The other product you mention has requied
full rewrites of reports in a recent upgrade. I've been using RB since v 2
(or maybe it was 1) and have *never* had a problem like that. It's also got
a lot of excellent stuff and great support and some long term programmers
who really know there stuff.

If the features you want were in demand I'd think they'd put them in
quickly. But what you mention isn't on my list. Maybe on others.


Then don't--but by mentioning it and providing a link to their site, IMHO,
you are. Push the features you want, how they are implemented, but not
someone elses product--especially on their news server.
--
Ed Dressel
Team DM

rbuser

Was not my intention to upset anyone. I would hope that DM doesn't care
that I posted about a product that any half-serious Delphi VCL developer
wouldn't have already heard about. Since you asked about it, I thought
the screenshot was a great way to convey what I was referencing.

I have been using RB since version 4.0 and I *love* the product. It's
awesome - I have zero intention on jumping ship - I was merely asking a
question that a good % of our 10,000 users ask about on a regular basis.
Custom Reporting is heavily used in our product - and usually what I
hear is "Wow, this reportwriter is awesome - but what options beyond
this AutoSearch deal do we have for querying user criteria and being
able to pick from pre-defined lists" (Department, Custom Fields, etc.)
In our world, no one runs a pre-defined report - they almost always pick
criteria from a dialog. Those that are used to products like CR (note I
did not give a link :-)) give us a very hard time about the limitation
of it not being customizable.

- Rhett

nardmoseley

Thanks for the feeback. This is the first request that we have had for
something like that.

The current AutoSearch Dialog is comprised of 'autosearch panels' that are
instantiated on the fly - one for each search criteria. You can create
custom autosearch panels that are associated with specific fields in the
database or specific data types. The custom autosearch panels can contain a
pick list or a calendar, etc. (For an example, check out
RBuilder\Demos\AutoSearch\Custom AutoSearch Dialog)

Defining custom autosearch panels provides a simpler and more RAD solution
to what the end-user is requesting. And by using Delphi to create the custom
autosearch panels, you can use Delphi controls or the third-party interface
controls of your choice.

I might be totally wrong - we try to be responsive to what developers want
and need to build the best reporting solutions. I will add this request to
the list. Again, thanks for the feedback.


--
Nard Moseley
Digital Metaphors
www.digital-metaphors.com