Fixed forms with datasets (Delphi)

Note

This demo is available in your FlexCel installation at <FlexCel Install Folder>\Demo\Delphi\Modules\20.Reports\55.Fixed Forms With Datasets and also at https:​//​github.​com/​tmssoftware/​TMS-​FlexCel.​VCL-​demos/​tree/​master/​Delphi/​Modules/​20.​Reports/​55.​Fixed Forms With Datasets

Overview

Sometimes you need to have a normal entry form, but a part of that form is a table from a dataset. Under normal FlexCel mode, the rows will be inserted, and the bottom of the form moved down, and this is what you normally would like. But using __dataset__FIXED ranges, you can create a band that will not insert any row, keeping the format of the form unchanged. Look at Fixed Bands in the Reports designer guide for more information.

Concepts

• How to create bands that do not insert rows.

• How to use the "TOP" tag to filter the top 10 items in the list. (look at Retrieving TOP N Records from a table in the Reports designer guide) Note: The top tag is not recommended as a general way to filter datasets. If for example you need 10 records from a dataset, with this tag you will still retrieve the full table from the database. Whenever possible, you must filter at the data layer level, avoiding retrieving those records at all.

Files

UMainForm.pas

unit UMainForm;

interface

uses
  Windows, Messages, SysUtils, Variants, Classes, Graphics,
  FlexCel.VCLSupport, FlexCel.Core, FlexCel.XlsAdapter, FlexCel.Report, FlexCel.Render,
  {$if CompilerVersion >= 23.0} System.UITypes, {$IFEND}
  ShellApi,
  Controls, Forms, Dialogs, StdCtrls, ExtCtrls;

type
  TMainForm = class(TForm)
    btnCancel: TButton;
    btnGo: TButton;
    SaveDialog: TSaveDialog;
    Label1: TLabel;
    procedure btnCancelClick(Sender: TObject);
    procedure btnGoClick(Sender: TObject);
  private
    procedure RunReport;
    function GetDataPath: string;
    { Private declarations }
  public
    { Public declarations }
  end;

var
  MainForm: TMainForm;

implementation
uses IOUtils, DemoData;

{$R *.dfm}

procedure TMainForm.btnCancelClick(Sender: TObject);
begin
  Close;
end;

procedure TMainForm.btnGoClick(Sender: TObject);
begin
  RunReport;

end;

function TMainForm.GetDataPath: string;
begin
  Result := TPath.Combine(TPath.GetDirectoryName(ParamStr(0)), '..\..');
end;


procedure TMainForm.RunReport;
var
  Report: TFlexCelReport;
begin
  if not SaveDialog.Execute then exit;

  Report := TFlexCelReport.Create(true);
  try
    Report.AddTable(DemoTables);
    Report.SetValue('Date', Now);
    Report.Run(
      TPath.Combine(GetDataPath, 'Fixed Forms With Datasets.template.xls'),
      SaveDialog.FileName);
  finally
    Report.Free;
  end;

  if MessageDlg('Do you want to open the generated file?', mtConfirmation, [mbYes, mbNo], 0) = mrYes then
  begin
    ShellExecute(0, 'open', PCHAR(SaveDialog.FileName), nil, nil, SW_SHOWNORMAL);
  end;


end;

end.