Alternating Row Color?

rbuser

Is there a way to know the current record number as a detail record prints?
Do you just use the DataPipeline? I would like to alternate the row color.

Thanks

--
Reid Roman
Future Generation Software
http://www.fgsoft.com

rbuser

Hi Reid.

There are a number of ways to accomplish this. I use a simple method using a
boolean flag and a Shape object which is sent to the background. The detail
text prints over the top of the shape. Declare a boolean flag somewhere where
it is visible to the report and then toggle the flag value in the report's
detail band BeforePrint event. I can change which of the first two lines the
colour starts on by changing the value of the flag in the report's BeforePrint
event. The overall effect is to print each row with an alternating background
colour.

procedure TReportForm.ppDetailBand1BeforePrint(Sender: TObject);
begin
// change the Shape colour based on the value of flag
if ReportColourFlag then
ReportForm.ppShape1.Brush.Color := clWhite
else
ReportForm.ppShape1.Brush.Color := clCream;
// toggle the flag
ReportColourFlag := not ReportColourFlag;
// other processing here
end;

Good luck.

Ron Hamer

digitalmetaphors

Another thing to check is to reinitialize your boolean flag in the
Report.OnStartPage event in case you always want to have the first band on
each page start with the same color:)


Cheers,

Jim Bennett
Digital Metaphors

rbuser

Thank you everyone,

I ended up using the BeforeGenerate() event to apply the MOD function
against the RecNo property the underyling dataset to get the effect I
needed.

if (ppDBPipelineRuntime.Datasource.DataSet.Recno mod 2) = 0 then
ppShapeOrderItem.Brush.Color := clWhite
else
ppShapeOrderItem.Brush.Color := ORDER_GRID_OFFSET_COLOR;

Would be nice if the TppDetailBand had a Brush and Pen property.


--
Reid Roman
Future Generation Software
http://www.fgsoft.com

rbuser

Actually after doing this I would like to change it to print the offset rows
all the way down the page to the footer at the height of the detail band
regardless of the row number of the dataset.

Is this possible?


--
Reid Roman
Future Generation Software
http://www.fgsoft.com

rbuser

Reid Roman wrote:

DetailBeforePrint:

if Detail.Count mod 2 = 0 then DBEdit1.font.color/ or shape1.brush.color
:= clsilver else ..... := clwhite;

digitalmetaphors

Yes, this can be done. You'll need to create output draw commands, since the
report engine will stop generating them because it is base don the dataset
record count. Here is an example drawing lines down from the last detail to
the bottom of the page. It is bottom aligned, but you can modify it to be
aligned from the detail band position variable in the demo:

http://www.digital-metaphors.com/tips/FillPageWithLines.zip

An extended green bar demo would be cool. I'll try to put something together
for exactly what you would like. In the meantime, give this demo a shot and
try it out.


Cheers,

Jim Bennett
Digital Metaphors

---------------------------------------
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

digitalmetaphors

Check this out:

http://www.digital-metaphors.com/tips/GreenBar.zip


Cheers,

Jim Bennett
Digital Metaphors

rbuser

Thank You!


--
Reid Roman
Future Generation Software
http://www.fgsoft.com