DisplayFormat DBText component

rbuser

Hi,

Why isn't the displayformat picked up from the underlying
field/pipelinefield when a new DBText is dropped on a report. Both
DataSetFields displayformat and DBPipelineFields are set, but still if I
drop a DBText component on a report and set both its pipeline and fieldname
it stays empty. Am I missing something or does a DBTexts displayformat
always have to be set manually? You can't expect a typical user who sells
oranges by the kilo to know he has to set '#,0.00;(#,0.00)' in the
displayformat to get what he's expecting...

Greetings,
Filip Moons

nicocizik

Hi Filip,

The display format is determined based on the datatype of the field that is
being displayed. This is all done in the ppDisplayFormat.pas file. If you
would like to customize the way ReportBuilder handles individual datatypes,
you can easily descendend from the TppDisplayFormat class.



--

rbuser

Hi Nico,

Extending a list doesn't solve anything. with given isn't an option here. It
depends on the field as object not the datatype. fi. sometimes a FloatField
has to be represented as a percentage sometimes as a value both having a
different displayformat. I really don't understand when displayformat are
set both on Tfield and tppfield level why they aren't used as initial
displayformat. Even more why a tppfield even has a displayformat when it
isn't used at all?
We really want this to be done automatically, it would save our customers
alot of work/headaches, even if it involves changing the ReportBuilder
sources:
TField.Displayformat--->TppField.Displayformat--->TppDBText.DisplayFormat
Could you give us some pointers in what sources where should be changed to
get process done automatically

Greetings,
Filip Moons

rbuser

Hello,

Anybody arround? Some help would be nice...

Greetings,
Filip Moons

nicocizik

Hi Filip,

Sorry for the delay.

I am unaware of the TField.DisplayFormat property. Is this a property of a
descendent to the TField class?

The TppField.DisplayFormat property is used when manually creating the
AutoSearch fields and creating a criteria with a data type of dtDate or
dtDateTime only. This indicates the date format is required by the database
being used.

If you would like to take complete control over the output of the data on
your report, I would recommend using a non-data-aware component and setting
its text or value property manually. For instance, it would not be too
difficult to replace all the DBTexts in question with TppLabels and in the
OnGetText events manually retrieve the value from the database then run it
through a small formatting method you create before printing it to the
report.

--

rbuser

Hi,

a

TNumericField.DisplayFormat is basically what we need.

setting

No, please bare with me for a few moments. I just want this behavior for
reports who can be changed by the END-USER. In my earlier post I told you
that the concept of 'DisplayFormat' is unexistant for our end-users and now
you even go a bit further and expecting the end-user to write some code too
even...

If you just could give us some feedback on what RB sources should be changed
to get process done automatically. I changed the daIBExpress.pas already but
that was a waste of time since it is only used in RAP i think...

Greetings,
Filip Moons

nicocizik

Hi Filip,

The daIBExpress.pas file is used exclusively by DADE so if you are looking
to change the RB source... this could be the place to do it.

Sorry, I'm still a bit unclear about what exactly you would like to happen.
For instance when an end user adds a new field to a report in the designer,
would you like the display format to automatically be assigned based on
which field is added at that time, or when he/she previews the report? If
it is the latter, it should not be that difficult to access the TField
object, retrieve the display format, and apply it to each appropriate DBText
in the report before it is printed.

--
Regards,

Nico Cizik
Digital Metaphors
http://www.digital-metaphors.com

rbuser

Hi Nico,


We don't use DADE so no need to change those sources as i initially thought.

happen.

Ideal would be when the end user drops a DBText component on a band and
assigns the pipeline and fieldname or changes pipeline/fieldname for an
existing DBText component. A that moment i would like to assign the
displayformat from the ppfield (pipeline/fieldname) to the displayformat for
the DBText component. In this case he can still invoke the default
DisplayFormatList by the right click if he wants it changed to somewhat
else. So i think we need to change the sources where the ppfields for a
pipeline is build and when assigning/changing pipeline and/or fieldname for
a giving DBText component.

Greetings,
Filip Moons

nicocizik

Hi Filip,

Would it be possible to use the TppDesigner.OnCreateComponent and
OnAssignField events to retrieve the display format of the TField object and
assign it to the DisplayFormat property of the DBText? The
OnCreateComponent event was included to initialize report components as the
end-user creates them and the OnAssignField evnet was included to initialize
data-aware report components when their pipeline is assigned.

--
Regards,

Nico Cizik
Digital Metaphors
http://www.digital-metaphors.com