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How To Save Data In Offset Area of RTM in the IDE

edited September 2002 in General
Hello All:

We just started using the offset to store report information in our rtm
files per the tech tip in your newsgroups. We use RB 6.02 and Delphi 5.

This works great at run-time with the perscribed events

LoadReportStreamEvent(Sender: TObject;Stream: TStream);
SaveReportStreamEvent(Sender: TObject;Stream: TStream);

PROBLEM: We do all of our report modification in the Delphi IDE and dont
know how to incorporate the offset in the IDE.

A) We need to preserve this offset area when working with an
existing report

B) When working with a new report, we need to create the data in the
offset area.


Will setting the correct offset size solve problem A ???

To solve problem B, we would like to subclass the ppReport component,
add properties which correspond to our stored data, and add some kind of
event to trigger
LoadReportStreamEvent(Sender: TObject;Stream: TStream);
SaveReportStreamEvent(Sender: TObject;Stream: TStream);

But only when saving the report within the IDE.

1) Is this the correct approach ???
2) If so, where/how would we attach the LoadReportStreamEvent and
SaveReportStreamEvent procedures ???
3) How can we differentiate when the report is saved in the IDE ??? (
These events should only occur when clicking save in the ReportBuilder
report interface - not when running an exe even if the exe is run from the
IDE ).


Sorry for the complexity of the question. Our business model revolves
around a high volume of modifying and distributing rtm reports. Thank you.


Neil Huhta
Profit Monster Data Systems LLC

Comments

  • edited September 2002
    We use templates extensively. Well, you can specify the
    "ppReport.Template.Offset" property in the IDE so that when it saves the
    report it will save it past the offset area. You can then at runtime
    insert your data into the offset region.
    However, if you try to open an existing report with an offset area,
    apparently the IDE designer messes the offset area. I feel this is a bug
    and have reported it on this newsgroup(See Thread : "Template Problem").
    The workaround that I got from support is that I not open report in the
    IDE designer and instead use the ppDesigner component to open and design
    a report. This saves the report with the proper offset.

    HTH,
    Vikram


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