Work with Subreports

This tutorial illustrates creating a subreport using scripts.
ActiveReports allows you to use scripting to permit reports saved to an XML file to contain code. By including scripting when reports are saved into XML, the reports later can be loaded, run, and displayed directly to the viewer control without needing to use the designer.

type=note

Note: We are using Visual Studio 2019 and will be connecting to Microsoft Jet 4.0 OLE DB Provider. Since Visual Studio 2022 runs in 64 bit, it does not show Microsoft Jet 4.0 OLE DB provider; you should use one of the compatible providers (e.g. Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0).

This walkthrough uses the Northwind database. The NWIND.mdb file can be downloaded from GitHub: ..\Samples19\Data\NWIND.mdb.

When you have finished this walkthrough, you will have main report that looks similar to the following.

Create Project and the Main Report

2. Create a new or open an existing Windows Forms App (.NET Framework or .NET) in Visual Studio project.
3. Go to the Project Explorer, right-click the project and select Add > New Item.
4. Select ActiveReports 19 Standalone Report > Add and choose Section report type, and then click Finish.
   The xml-based Section report (report.rpx) is added.
5. Rename the default report as 'rptMain'.
6. Double-click the rpx file to open the Section Report in the designer.
   

Connect the Main Report to Data

1. In the Report Data Source dialog, on the OLE DB tab, next to Connection String, click the Build button.

2. In the Data Link Properties window that appears, select Microsoft Jet 4.0 OLE DB Provider and click the Next button to move to the Connection tab.
   Note:

3. Click the ellipsis (...) button to browse to your database, for example the NWind.mdb sample database. Click Open once you have selected the appropriate database path.

4. Click the Test Connection button to see if you have successfully connected to the database.

5. Click OK to close the Data Link Properties window and return to the Report Data Source dialog. Notice that the Connection String field gets filled automatically.

6. In the Query field on the OLE DB tab, enter the following SQL query.

   SELECT * FROM Orders INNER JOIN Customers ON Orders.CustomerID = Customers.CustomerID ORDER BY CompanyName, OrderDate
   

7. Click OK to save the data source and return to the report design surface.

Add a Subreport

1. Go to the Project Explorer, right-click the project and select Add > New Item.
2. Select ActiveReports 19 Standalone Report > Add and choose Section report type, and then click Finish.
   The xml-based Section report (report.rpx) is added.
3. In the Name field, rename the file as rptSub.
4. Click the Add button to open a new Section Report in the designer.
5. Right-click the PageHeader or PageFooter section and select Delete. Subreports do not render these sections, so deleting them saves processing time.
6. Click in the grey area below the report to select it, and in the Properties window, change the report's ShowParameterUI property to False. This prevents the subreport from requesting a parameter from the user.

Connect the Subreport to Data

1. In the Report Data Source dialog, on the OLE DB tab, next to Connection String, click the Build button.

2. In the Data Link Properties window that appears, select Microsoft Jet 4.0 OLE DB Provider and click the Next button to move to the Connection tab.

3. Click the ellipsis (...) button to browse to your database, for example the NWind.mdb sample database. Click Open once you have selected the appropriate database path.

4. Click the Test Connection button to see if you have successfully connected to the database.

5. Click OK to close the Data Link Properties window and return to the Report Data Source dialog. Notice that the Connection String field gets filled automatically.

6. In the Query field on the OLE DB tab, enter the following SQL query.

   SELECT * FROM [order details] inner join products on [order details].productid = products.productid
   

7. Click OK to save the data source and return to the report design surface.

Create Layout for Main Report

1. Right-click the design surface of rptMain and select Insert then Group Header/Footer to add group header and footer sections to the report.

2. In the Properties Panel, make the following changes to the group header.

   Property Name	Property Value
   Name	ghCompanies
   BackColor	LemonChiffon
   CanShrink	True
   DataField	CompanyName
   GroupKeepTogether	All
   KeepTogether	True

3. In the Report Explorer, expand the Fields node, then the Bound node. Drag the CompanyName field onto ghCompanies and in the Properties window, set the properties as follows.

   Property Name	Property Value
   Size	4, 0.2 in
   Location	0, 0 in
   Font Bold	True
   Font Size	12

4. Right-click the design surface of rptMain and select Insert then Group Header/Footer to add the second group header and footer sections to the report.

5. In the Properties Panel, make the following changes to the second group header.

   Property Name	Property Value
   Name	ghOrders
   BackColor	LightYellow
   CanShrink	True
   DataField	OrderDate
   GroupKeepTogether	All
   KeepTogether	True

6. From the toolbox, drag three TextBox controls onto ghOrders and set the properties for each control as follows.

   TextBox1

   Property Name	Property Value
   DataField	OrderDate
   OutputFormat	MM/dd/yy

   TextBox2

   Property Name	Property Value
   DataField	RequiredDate
   OutputFormat	MM/dd/yy

   TextBox3

   Property Name	Property Value
   DataField	ShippedDate
   OutputFormat	MM/dd/yy
   Alignment	Right

7. From the toolbox, drag three Label controls onto ghOrders and set the properties for each control as follows.

   Label1

   Property Name	Property Value
   Text	Ordered:
   Font	Bold:True

   Label2

   Property Name	Property Value
   Text	Required:
   Font	Bold:True

   Label3

   Property Name	Property Value
   Text	Shipped:
   Font	Bold:True

8. Select the Detail section and in the Properties window, set the CanShrink property to True.

9. From the toolbox, drag the Subreport control onto the Detail section and in the Properties window, set the properties as follows.

   Property Name	Property Value
   ReportName	full project path\rptSub.rpx
   Name	SubReport1

Create a Layout for the SubReport

1. Right-click the design surface of rptSub and select Insert then Group Header/Footer to add group header and footer sections to the report.

2. In the Properties window, make the following changes to the group header.

   Property Name	Property Value
   Name	ghOrderDetails
   BackColor	LightSteelBlue
   CanShrink	True
   DataField	OrderID

3. From the toolbox, drag four label controls to ghOrderDetails and set the properties for each label as follows.

   Label1

   Property Name	Property Value
   Text	Product Name
   Font	Bold:True
   Alignment	Left

   Label2

   Property Name	Property Value
   Text	Quantity
   Font	Bold:True
   Alignment	Right

   Label3

   Property Name	Property Value
   Text	Unit Price
   Font	Bold:True
   Alignment	Right

   Label4

   Property Name	Property Value
   Text	Discount
   Font	Bold:True
   Alignment	Right

4. Click the Detail section and in the Properties window, set the following properties.

   Property Name	Property Value
   BackColor	Gainsboro
   CanShrink	True

5. From the toolbox, drag four TextBox controls onto the Detail section and set the properties as follows.

   TextBox1

   Property Name	Property Value
   DataField	ProductName
   Alignment	Left

   TextBox2

   Property Name	Property Value
   DataField	Quantity
   Alignment	Right

   TextBox3

   Property Name	Property Value
   DataField	Products.UnitPrice
   Alignment	Right
   OutputFormat	Currency

   TextBox4

   Property Name	Property Value
   DataField	Discount
   Alignment	Right
   OutputFormat	Percentage

Embed script in the main report (rptMain)

1. Change the ScriptLanguage property for the report to the appropriate scripting language. The default setting is C#.
2. Click the Script tab located below the report designer to access the scripting editor.
3. Embed script to set the data source for the main report and pass data into the subreport.

Dim rptSub As GrapeCity.ActiveReports.SectionReport
Sub ActiveReport_ReportStart
  'Create a new instance of the generic report
  rptSub = new GrapeCity.ActiveReports.SectionReport()
  'Load the rpx file into the generic report
  rptSub.LoadLayout(me.SubReport1.ReportName)
  'Connect data to the main report
  Dim connString As String = "Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;Data Source=[User Folder]\Samples19\Data\NWIND.mdb;Persist Security Info=False"
  Dim sqlString As String = "Select * from orders inner join customers on orders.customerid = customers.customerid order by CompanyName,OrderDate"
  Dim ds As new GrapeCity.ActiveReports.Data.OleDBDataSource()
  ds.ConnectionString = connString
  ds.SQL = sqlString
  rpt.DataSource = ds
End Sub
Sub Detail_Format
  Dim rptSubCtl As GrapeCity.ActiveReports.SubReport = me.SubReport1
  Dim childDataSource As New GrapeCity.ActiveReports.Data.OleDBDataSource()
  childDataSource.ConnectionString = CType(rpt.DataSource, GrapeCity.ActiveReports.Data.OleDBDataSource).ConnectionString
  'Set a parameter in the SQL query
  childDataSource.SQL = "Select * from [order details] inner join products on [order details].productid = products.productid where [order details].orderid = <%OrderID%>"
  'Pass the data to the subreport
  rptSub.DataSource = childDataSource
  'Display rptSub in the subreport control
  rptSubCtl.Report = rptSub
End Sub

GrapeCity.ActiveReports.SectionReport rptSub;
public void Detail_Format()
{
  GrapeCity.ActiveReports.SectionReportModel.SubReport rptSubCtl = this.SubReport1;
  GrapeCity.ActiveReports.Data.OleDBDataSource childDataSource = new GrapeCity.ActiveReports.Data.OleDBDataSource();
  childDataSource.ConnectionString = ((GrapeCity.ActiveReports.Data.OleDBDataSource) rpt.DataSource).ConnectionString;
  //Set a parameter in the SQL query
  childDataSource.SQL = "Select * from [order details] inner join products on [order details].productid = products.productid where [order details].orderid = <%OrderID%>";
  //Pass the data to the subreport
  rptSub.DataSource = childDataSource;
  //Display rptSub in the subreport control
  rptSubCtl.Report = rptSub;
}
public void ActiveReport_ReportStart()
{
  //Create a new instance of the generic report
  rptSub = new GrapeCity.ActiveReports.SectionReport();
  //Load the rpx file into the generic report
  rptSub.LoadLayout(this.SubReport1.ReportName);
  //Connect data to the main report
  string connString = @"Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;Data Source=[User Folder]\Samples19\Data\NWIND.mdb;Persist Security Info=False";
  string sqlString = "Select * from orders inner join customers on orders.customerid = customers.customerid order by CompanyName,OrderDate";
  GrapeCity.ActiveReports.Data.OleDBDataSource ds = new GrapeCity.ActiveReports.Data.OleDBDataSource();
  ds.ConnectionString = connString;
  ds.SQL = sqlString;
  rpt.DataSource = ds;
}

Preview report

Click the preview tab to view the report at design time.

OR
Open the report in the Viewer. See Save Section Reports for further information on how to load the xml-based Section Report onto the viewer.