Includes (Delphi)

Note

This demo is available in your FlexCel installation at <FlexCel Install Folder>\Demo\Delphi\Modules\20.Reports\40.Includes and also at https://github.com/tmssoftware/TMS-FlexCel.VCL-demos/tree/master/Delphi/Modules/20.Reports/40.Includes

Overview

The <#Include> tag is very useful to keep your reports modular.

Concepts

Included files can contain nested included files inside.
There are two main ways to use the includes: As a common reusable part of your reports (like a header), or together with <#if> tag to create different layouts of subreports depending on the data. Use the "different layouts" only if data on the detail changes in fact very much depending on the data on the parent. If not, using <#If> and <#format cell> will probably be better.
An included report "inherits" all the variables and datasets of the parent. The included report is a subreport that is precompiled separated from the parent and run on its own sandbox. It is *not* pasted on the main report until it is run, and it can't modify things on the parent.
When creating an included report it can happen that column widths are different on the including and the included report. You might have a template header.xls that you include on every report, but the including reports can have different column widths, changing the header. One solution to this is to use only textboxes and images on header.xls, group them all together, and finally right click on the group and select "Move but not size with cells". This way, the included header will look the same everywhere.

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, DemoOrders;

{$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('Order Details', DemoTables.OrderDetails);
    Report.SetValue('ReportCaption', 'ORDERS');
    Report.SetValue('Date', Now);
    Report.Run(
      TPath.Combine(GetDataPath, 'Includes.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.

Table of Contents

Includes (Delphi)

Note

Overview

Concepts

Files

UMainForm.pas