Grid Pack and Report Builder Server

rbuser

Hello

I was advised to look at Grid Pack for Report Builder.

This is a brilliant component. However, it appears as though its yet
another thing that is not supported by Report Builder Server. I have a
simple report with a grid and I get an unable to read server response error

Any ideas anyone?

I am not going to be impressed if this is not supported by the server
especially as we have purchased it!

Cheers

Paul

rbuser

Just thinking, Have you register all GridPack class at report server?

William

rbuser

What do you mean William?

rbuser

Hi, Paul

Since I don't have server edition, so I can not commet it out, The first
thought came from my mind was that if the GridPack class has been registered
in the Report Server, so the Server knows the GridPack.

William

rbuser

It is a brillant component and it works very well for me in Server.

I had to put RBTableGrid in the "uses" clause of the report server data
module to get it to work.

ie

rbuser

Hi Ismail

Can you provide me with example report with a grid that works?

I have added the RBTableGrid to my report server data module and I still get
the error.

Do I have to change anything on the webtier?

Cheers

Paul

nardmoseley

Try adding the relevant units to the report server application and to the
webtier applicaiton and/or client application.

Report Server -----> (grid draw commands) ---> WebTier
(grid component)

rbuser

Grid Draw commands???

nardmoseley

See details below...



---------------------------------------
Article: Draw Command Architecture
---------------------------------------

Page Objects
-------------

When a report prints it generates Page objects. Each Page object contains an
array of DrawCommand objects (Page.DrawCommands[]) that describe what needs
to be rendered for the page.

Report --> Pages.DrawCommands[] ---> Device (Printer, Screen, ..) --> final
output


DrawCommands Objects
--------------------

Component --> DrawCommand

Each TppComponent generates a DrawCommand object each time
it prints on a page. For example if the component is a TppLabel and prints
at the top of the page - one draw command object will be created for each
page. If the Label is in the detail band, many draw commands will be created
for each page.

A DrawCommand contains a complete description of the location and content to
draw. See ppDrwCmd.pas for the existing DrawCommand class descendants
(DrawText, DrawImage, etc.)

Some of the basic DrawCommand classes such as DrawImage and DrawText, rely
on the ScreenDevice and PrinterDevice classes to render their content. Other
DrawCommand classes such as TppDrawBarCode and TppDrawRichText render
themselves to the appropriate device canvas directly.


Creating Custom Components
--------------------------

Each component has an associated DrawCommand class that is
is the value of its DrawCommandClass property. For a Label,
the DrawCommandClass is TppDrawText. This value is normally
set in the constructor. Examples of the common components
are located in ppCtrls.pas.



constructor TmyComponent.Create(AOwner: TComponent);
begin

inherited Create(AOwner);

DrawCommandClass := TppDrawText;

end;


Each time the component prints, a DrawCommand object of
the designated DrawCommand class will automatically be
created and the components PropertiesToDrawCommand method
will be called. You override this method to transfer the
appropriate property values from the component to
the drawcommand object.


{------------------------------------------------------------------------}
{ TmyComponent.PropertiesToDrawCommand }

procedure TmyComponent.PropertiesToDrawCommand(aDrawCommand:
TppDrawCommand);
var
lWrappedText: TStrings;
lTextBuf: PChar;
lPrinter: TObject;
lDrawText: TppDrawText;
llCharPos: Longint;
begin

inherited PropertiesToDrawCommand(aDrawCommand);

if not(aDrawCommand is TppDrawText) then Exit;

lDrawText := TppDrawText(aDrawCommand);

{set properties here}

lDrawText.Alignment := Alignment;
lDrawText.AutoSize := AutoSize;
lDrawText.Color := Color;
lDrawText.Left := PrintPosRect.Left;
lDrawText.Top := PrintPosRect.Top;
lDrawText.Height := PrintPosRect.Bottom - PrintPosRect.Top;
lDrawText.Width := PrintPosRect.Right - PrintPosRect.Left;
lDrawText.Text := Text;
lDrawText.Transparent := Transparent;
lDrawText.WordWrap := WordWrap;
lDrawText.Font := Font;


end;



Creating Custom DrawCommands
----------------------------

When you create a descendant component you can either
use an existing draw command class or create a new one.
For the TeeChart wrapper components, we chose to use
the existing DrawImage class to specify the TeeChart
as a metafile image. So it is not always necessary to
create a draw command class.

Examples of DrawCommand classes are located in ppDrwCmd.pas.
A drawcommand will contain published properties that
contain a complete description of the location and
content to be rendered.

DrawCommand classes must be registered - see the
initization and finalization sections at the bottom
of the ppDrwCmd.pas unit for an example.

DrawCommand classes should publish all properties
used to describe the object.

DrawCommand classes must implment the Assign
method to assign the values of all published
properties from one draw command to another.


--
Tech Support mailto:support@digital-metaphors.com
Digital Metaphors http://www.digital-metaphors.com

rbuser

Hmm this looks complicated Nard! Especially as I didnt write the component

Hopefully William can help

What makes this more interesting is that Ismail does not appear to have
needed to put initilization sections into his data module?

nardmoseley

You need to include a reference to the grid pack unit(s) in the 'uses'
clause of your server, webtier, and client applications. That's the bottom
line.

rbuser

Hi Nard

This is now working for the webtier and now I have another problem

I cant get the grid to export when saving to a PDF using TExtraDevices

Cheers

Paul

nardmoseley

Try contacting tech support for TExtraDevices and GridPack (this is not an
RB issue.)

rbuser

Hi, Paul

In order to make TExtraDevices exporting the grids, you have to turn on
the compile directive {$USEGRIDPACK} in one of unit of TExtraDevices.

William

rbuser

Hi William

I have done that and I now get a range check error

Cheers

Paul

rbuser

I am getting a stream read error from the report server