Embedded Designer

rbuser

Hello

I want to launch the Designer from the Report Explorer (i.e standard End
User setup), but then have it embedded in a custom form using
Tpp.Designer.ShowInPanel. But all the Open, New etc methods of
TppReportExplorer call FDesigner.ShowModal, which somewhat goes against the
grain

Can anyone thing of a way around this?

Paul Toms - Navigator Systems Ltd

nicocizik

Hi Paul,

The easiest option would be to create and register a custom
ReportExplorer form that overrides the Open, New commands. An example
of creating a custom explorer can be found in the Tutorials as well as
the following article.

http://www.digital-metaphors.com/rbWiki/End-User/Report_Explorer/How_To...Add_a_PDF_button

rbuser

OK, the only way I can think of to get around it is to :

i) Double subclass TppReportExplorer in my EndUser form:

TnavReportExplorer = class(TppReportExplorer)
public
procedure Open(const aReportName: String; aFolderId: Integer); override;
end;

TppReportExplorer = class(TnavReportExplorer);

ii) Comment out FDesigner.ShowModal in the procedure
TppReportExplorer.Open

-- I'd really rather not touch any of the RB code at all

iii) Implement TnavReportExplorer.Open() thus:

procedure TnavReportExplorer.Open(const aReportName: String; aFolderId:
Integer);
var lHostForm : TForm;
lIntf : InxDesignerHost;
begin
inherited;

lHostForm := FormsManager.findForm('TnxRBDesignerForm');

if assigned(lHostForm) then
if lHostForm.GetInterface(InxDesignerHost, lIntf) then
begin
lIntf.Designer := Designer;
Designer.ShowInPanel(lIntf.HostPanel);
Designer.Form.MainMenu.CurrentDock.Parent := lHostForm;
end;
end;

I works, but needs this tweak to the RB source. So if anyone has any better
ideas......TIA

rbuser

Hello Nick

I already do that for other purposes, but the Report Explorer custom FORM is
not the issue: its the TppReportExplorer class that the form refers to. When
I check out all the code in TppReportExplorer for all sorts of other stuff
I'm loath to take the Explorer Form off at a tangent because there is loads
of Private code in the TppReportExplorer that is called in the Public
methods it exposes for the Explorer Form, if you see what I mean. I've just
posted a workaround in reply to myself. I'd appreciate your comments on
that. Thanks.

nicocizik

Hi Paul,

The TppReportExplorer is more or less a helper class. The idea behind a
custom Report Explorer form is that it gives you complete control over
what occurs when the user interacts with the explorer.

For instance, when overriding the Design routine of the Explorer Form,
instead of making calls to the TppReportExplorer, you could simply load
the selected report yourself and instantiate your embedded designer. To
make things easier, TppReportExplorer.LoadReport can be used.

rbuser

Thanks Nico

I've followed your advise and made it work by:

i) overriding the ehFileDesignClick() event in my decendent class and doing
my own Design routine in that
ii) reassigning the ListView.OnDoubleClick along the lines of...
TnavReportExplorerForm(ReportExplorer.Form).ListView.OnDoubleClick :=
TnavReportExplorerForm(ReportExplorer.Form).ehFileDesignClick;

However, I'm not sure about doing the same with the
TppReportExplorerForm.ehFileNewReportClick() method because this calls
FReportExplorer.New() and when I look at that there is a lot of Private code
that runs which looks quite important, particularly,

FReport.Template.DatabaseSettings.Name := (aFolderId);

ConfigureReportTemplate;

Any advice of how to proceed "safely". TIA,

Paul

nicocizik

Hi Paul,

To access the Report object, you could use the Explorer.Designer.Report
property.

As for the ConfigureReportTemplate routine, you would need to move this
code to your custom report explorer along with all the event code
assigned inside the routine.

Which version of ReportBuilder are you using? If it will help, I can
make the ConfigureReportTemplate routine public for the next release.

rbuser

Hello Nico


Oh that's a bit OOT. I like your you second suggestion below better If
you can get that into 14.2 (or an interim release) I'll hack the source code
temporarily to promote ConfigureReportTemplate to public so that I can move
on.


I'm on 14.1. That would be great.

Can I just say, I've been a RB user since v6, upgrading to v7, v10 and now
v14, and a big congratulations to the team on all the improvements that come
with the new version: I love it . But the issue of the Report Explorer and
how to customize it has always been a problem for me. In previous versions
I've just hacked the code mercilessly, but with v14 I'm determined not too.
But its an uphill struggle. I can see that the RB team certainly have made
lots of effort in the design to help PITA people like me, but its taken me
days and days to devise solutions, with many hours trawling your code ,
checking out the WIKI and searching the NGs for tips. For future development
I would suggest that a complete API be devised and published for the Report
Explorer: because although it doesn't offer all the hard core features that
you get in the Designer itself, its a critical route to how our users will
access the Designer or interfaces for configuring reports. Don't wish to so
sound like I'm moaning, because I really am a huge RB fan: just wish this
bit was easier

Paul

nicocizik

Hi Paul,

Thanks for the feedback and kind words. I will make the
ConfigureReportTemplate property public for the next release. Moving
forward we will continually try to make the customization of the
ReportExplorer easier.