Bidirectional reports (VB.Net / netframework)
Note
This demo is available in your FlexCel installation at <FlexCel Install Folder>\samples\vb\VS2022\netframework\20.Reports\42.Bidirectional Reports and also at https://github.com/tmssoftware/TMS-FlexCel.NET-demos/tree/master/vb/VS2022/netframework/Modules/20.Reports/42.Bidirectional Reports
Overview
In this example we will create a report that grows both horizontally and vertically.
Concepts
Normally ranges in FlexCel reports can't intercept. But there is an exception: If you define a range in the shape of a cross, FlexCel will do a bidirectional report.
In Bidirectional reports the row range acts as the master, and the column range as the detail. You can have more than one column range for the same row, but not more than one row range for the same column.
In this example we have two different column reports using the same row report. In the first column we show which employees have orders for a given customer, and in the second we show the orders for that customer.
Those two columns are conceptually different: In the first we use a column and row dataset which are not related. This will create a square with all the records of the column dataset for the column, and all the records of the row dataset for the rows. In the second column, the column dataset (orders) is related to the row dataset (customers). So the number of columns will be different for each row, depending in how many orders that customer has. FlexCel will insert as many columns as the maximum numbers of orders for any customer.
You can look at the User Defined Functions example for another demo on how bidirectional reports work.
Files
AssemblyInfo.vb
Imports System.Reflection
Imports System.Runtime.CompilerServices
'
' General Information about an assembly is controlled through the following
' set of attributes. Change these attribute values to modify the information
' associated with an assembly.
'
<Assembly: AssemblyTitle("")>
<Assembly: AssemblyDescription("")>
<Assembly: AssemblyConfiguration("")>
<Assembly: AssemblyCompany("")>
<Assembly: AssemblyProduct("")>
<Assembly: AssemblyCopyright("(c) 2002 - 2014 TMS Software")>
<Assembly: AssemblyTrademark("")>
<Assembly: AssemblyCulture("")>
'
' Version information for an assembly consists of the following four values:
'
' Major Version
' Minor Version
' Build Number
' Revision
'
' You can specify all the values or you can default the Revision and Build Numbers
' by using the '*' as shown below:
<Assembly: AssemblyVersion("6.2.1.0")>
'
' In order to sign your assembly you must specify a key to use. Refer to the
' Microsoft .NET Framework documentation for more information on assembly signing.
'
' Use the attributes below to control which key is used for signing.
'
' Notes:
' (*) If no key is specified, the assembly is not signed.
' (*) KeyName refers to a key that has been installed in the Crypto Service
' Provider (CSP) on your machine. KeyFile refers to a file which contains
' a key.
' (*) If the KeyFile and the KeyName values are both specified, the
' following processing occurs:
' (1) If the KeyName can be found in the CSP, that key is used.
' (2) If the KeyName does not exist and the KeyFile does exist, the key
' in the KeyFile is installed into the CSP and used.
' (*) In order to create a KeyFile, you can use the sn.exe (Strong Name) utility.
' When specifying the KeyFile, the location of the KeyFile should be
' relative to the project output directory which is
' %Project Directory%\obj\<configuration>. For example, if your KeyFile is
' located in the project directory, you would specify the AssemblyKeyFile
' attribute as [assembly: AssemblyKeyFile("..\\..\\mykey.snk")]
' (*) Delay Signing is an advanced option - see the Microsoft .NET Framework
' documentation for more information on this.
'
<Assembly: AssemblyDelaySign(False)>
<Assembly: AssemblyKeyFile("")>
<Assembly: AssemblyKeyName("")>
Form1.Designer.vb
Imports System.Collections
Imports System.ComponentModel
Imports System.IO
Imports System.Reflection
Imports FlexCel.Core
Imports FlexCel.XlsAdapter
Imports FlexCel.Report
Imports FlexCel.Demo.SharedData
Namespace BidirectionalReports
Partial Public Class mainForm
Inherits System.Windows.Forms.Form
''' <summary>
''' Required designer variable.
''' </summary>
Private components As System.ComponentModel.Container = Nothing
''' <summary>
''' Clean up any resources being used.
''' </summary>
Protected Overrides Sub Dispose(ByVal disposing As Boolean)
If disposing Then
If components IsNot Nothing Then
components.Dispose()
End If
End If
MyBase.Dispose(disposing)
End Sub
#Region "Windows Form Designer generated code"
''' <summary>
''' Required method for Designer support - do not modify
''' the contents of this method with the code editor.
''' </summary>
Private Sub InitializeComponent()
Me.button1 = New System.Windows.Forms.Button()
Me.saveFileDialog1 = New System.Windows.Forms.SaveFileDialog()
Me.label1 = New System.Windows.Forms.Label()
Me.btnCancel = New System.Windows.Forms.Button()
Me.SuspendLayout()
'
' button1
'
Me.button1.Anchor = (CType((System.Windows.Forms.AnchorStyles.Top Or System.Windows.Forms.AnchorStyles.Right), System.Windows.Forms.AnchorStyles))
Me.button1.BackColor = System.Drawing.Color.Green
Me.button1.ForeColor = System.Drawing.Color.White
Me.button1.Location = New System.Drawing.Point(279, 162)
Me.button1.Margin = New System.Windows.Forms.Padding(6, 6, 6, 6)
Me.button1.Name = "button1"
Me.button1.Size = New System.Drawing.Size(205, 42)
Me.button1.TabIndex = 0
Me.button1.Text = "GO!"
Me.button1.UseVisualStyleBackColor = False
' Me.button1.Click += New System.EventHandler(Me.button1_Click)
'
' saveFileDialog1
'
Me.saveFileDialog1.Filter = "Excel Files|*.xls;*.xlsx;*.xlsm|Excel 97/2003|*.xls|Excel 2007|*.xlsx;*.xlsm|All " & "files|*.*"
Me.saveFileDialog1.RestoreDirectory = True
'
' label1
'
Me.label1.Location = New System.Drawing.Point(44, 44)
Me.label1.Margin = New System.Windows.Forms.Padding(6, 0, 6, 0)
Me.label1.Name = "label1"
Me.label1.Size = New System.Drawing.Size(528, 44)
Me.label1.TabIndex = 2
Me.label1.Text = "A report that grows both horizontally and vertically."
'
' btnCancel
'
Me.btnCancel.Anchor = (CType((System.Windows.Forms.AnchorStyles.Top Or System.Windows.Forms.AnchorStyles.Right), System.Windows.Forms.AnchorStyles))
Me.btnCancel.BackColor = System.Drawing.Color.FromArgb((CInt((CByte(192)))), (CInt((CByte(0)))), (CInt((CByte(0)))))
Me.btnCancel.DialogResult = System.Windows.Forms.DialogResult.Cancel
Me.btnCancel.ForeColor = System.Drawing.Color.White
Me.btnCancel.Location = New System.Drawing.Point(499, 162)
Me.btnCancel.Margin = New System.Windows.Forms.Padding(6, 6, 6, 6)
Me.btnCancel.Name = "btnCancel"
Me.btnCancel.Size = New System.Drawing.Size(205, 42)
Me.btnCancel.TabIndex = 3
Me.btnCancel.Text = "Cancel"
Me.btnCancel.UseVisualStyleBackColor = False
' Me.btnCancel.Click += New System.EventHandler(Me.btnCancel_Click)
'
' mainForm
'
Me.AutoScaleDimensions = New System.Drawing.SizeF(11F, 24F)
Me.AutoScaleMode = System.Windows.Forms.AutoScaleMode.Font
Me.ClientSize = New System.Drawing.Size(763, 246)
Me.Controls.Add(Me.btnCancel)
Me.Controls.Add(Me.label1)
Me.Controls.Add(Me.button1)
Me.Margin = New System.Windows.Forms.Padding(6, 6, 6, 6)
Me.Name = "mainForm"
Me.Text = "Bidirectional Reports"
Me.ResumeLayout(False)
End Sub
#End Region
Private WithEvents button1 As System.Windows.Forms.Button
Private saveFileDialog1 As System.Windows.Forms.SaveFileDialog
Private label1 As System.Windows.Forms.Label
Private WithEvents btnCancel As System.Windows.Forms.Button
End Class
End Namespace
Form1.vb
Imports System.Collections
Imports System.ComponentModel
Imports System.IO
Imports System.Reflection
Imports FlexCel.Core
Imports FlexCel.XlsAdapter
Imports FlexCel.Report
Imports FlexCel.Demo.SharedData
Namespace BidirectionalReports
Partial Public Class mainForm
Inherits System.Windows.Forms.Form
Public Sub New()
InitializeComponent()
End Sub
Private Sub button1_Click(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles button1.Click
AutoRun()
End Sub
Public Sub AutoRun()
Using ordersReport As FlexCelReport = SharedData.CreateReport()
ordersReport.SetValue("Date", Date.Now)
Dim DataPath As String = Path.Combine(Path.Combine(Path.GetDirectoryName(System.Reflection.Assembly.GetExecutingAssembly().Location), ".."), "..") & Path.DirectorySeparatorChar
If saveFileDialog1.ShowDialog() = System.Windows.Forms.DialogResult.OK Then
ordersReport.Run(DataPath & "Bidirectional Reports.template.xlsx", saveFileDialog1.FileName)
If MessageBox.Show("Do you want to open the generated file?", "Confirm", MessageBoxButtons.YesNo) = System.Windows.Forms.DialogResult.Yes Then
Process.Start(saveFileDialog1.FileName)
End If
End If
End Using
End Sub
Private Sub btnCancel_Click(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles btnCancel.Click
Close()
End Sub
End Class
End Namespace
Program.vb
Namespace BidirectionalReports
Friend NotInheritable Class Program
Private Sub New()
End Sub
''' <summary>
''' The main entry point for the application.
''' </summary>
<STAThread> _
Shared Sub Main()
Application.EnableVisualStyles()
Application.SetCompatibleTextRenderingDefault(False)
Application.Run(New mainForm())
End Sub
End Class
End Namespace