Table of Contents

Images (VB.Net / netframework)

Note

This demo is available in your FlexCel installation at <FlexCel Install Folder>\samples\vb\VS2022\netframework\20.Reports\65.Images and also at https:​//​github.​com/​tmssoftware/​TMS-​FlexCel.​NET-​demos/​tree/​master/​vb/​VS2022/​netframework/​Modules/​20.​Reports/​65.​Images

Overview

Inserting images from a database on a FlexCel report is simple, just insert a blank image and name it as <#table.field>. All the complexity is handled by FlexCel. But when you need more options, there are always things you can do.

Concepts

  • Using the Image Size (<#IMGSIZE(Zoom, AspectRatio)>) tag. This tag only works when written on an image name, and allows you to define which size the inserted image will have. Use this tag only if the image dimension changes on the database. If all images are the same size (most common scenario) just set the size of the image at design time, as it is faster.

  • Using an Alias on the config sheet. As the image name has a small length, we defined the report variables <#Photo>, <Photo100>, etc. on the config sheet.

  • Using the ImgPos, ImgFit and ImgDelete tags. On the second sheet of this report you can see those tags in action.

  • Using the FlexCelReport.GetImageData event. This is a last resort option. If you need to do some further processing on the image, you can do it on this event. The preferred order of option then is:

    1. If all images are the same size and on a standard format, just name the image as <#table.field> and do nothing more.

    2. If you need to adjust dynamically the image dimensions, use Image Size tag. It can be a little slower than 1, as the image has to be processed to calculate its dimensions.

    3. If you need to define a custom image size, or the image is on a proprietary format you need to convert, use FlexCelReport.GetImageData event.

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 Images
	Partial Public Class mainForm
		Inherits System.Windows.Forms.Form

		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
		''' <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(152, 88)
			Me.button1.Name = "button1"
			Me.button1.Size = New System.Drawing.Size(112, 23)
			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(24, 24)
			Me.label1.Name = "label1"
			Me.label1.Size = New System.Drawing.Size(288, 24)
			Me.label1.TabIndex = 2
			Me.label1.Text = "Different ways to include images on a report."
			' 
			' 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(272, 88)
			Me.btnCancel.Name = "btnCancel"
			Me.btnCancel.Size = New System.Drawing.Size(112, 23)
			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(6F, 13F)
			Me.AutoScaleMode = System.Windows.Forms.AutoScaleMode.Font
			Me.ClientSize = New System.Drawing.Size(416, 133)
			Me.Controls.Add(Me.btnCancel)
			Me.Controls.Add(Me.label1)
			Me.Controls.Add(Me.button1)
			Me.Name = "mainForm"
			Me.Text = "Images"
			Me.ResumeLayout(False)

		End Sub
		#End Region
	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 Images
	''' <summary>
	''' A report with lots of images.
	''' </summary>
	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()
				AddHandler ordersReport.GetImageData, AddressOf ordersReport_GetImageData
				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 & "Images.template.xls", 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

		Private Sub ordersReport_GetImageData(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As FlexCel.Report.GetImageDataEventArgs)
			If String.Compare(e.ImageName, "<#PhotoCode>", True) = 0 Then
				Dim RealImageData() As Byte = ImageUtils.StripOLEHeader(e.ImageData) 'On access databases, images are stored with an OLE
				'header that we have to strip to get the real image.
				'This is done automatically by flexcel in most cases,
				'but here we have the original image format.
				Using MemStream As New MemoryStream(RealImageData) 'Keep stream open until bitmap has been used
					Using bmp As New Bitmap(MemStream)
						bmp.RotateFlip(RotateFlipType.Rotate90FlipNone)
						Using OutStream As New MemoryStream()
							bmp.Save(OutStream, System.Drawing.Imaging.ImageFormat.Png)
							e.Width = bmp.Width
							e.Height = bmp.Height
							e.ImageData = OutStream.ToArray()
						End Using
					End Using
				End Using
			End If

		End Sub
	End Class

End Namespace

Program.vb

Namespace Images
	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