CODEWITHSUNDEEP
delphidelphi-2010
JustMe
JustMe

Reputation: 2373

Delphi report component with visual controls for end-user

I'm looking for the best solution to printing invoices and declaration when user can write and make choses (like date) on a print form. I have tested all the printing components for Delphi but none allow for end-user to (for example) check a checkbox on print, without editing anything from his side - just simple click. Maybe I missed something, what do You propose?

Upvotes: 2

Views: 1432

Answers (2)

vcldeveloper
vcldeveloper

Reputation: 7489

Using Fast Report, you have several options to do so...

First of all, Fast Report allows you to have interactive forms inside the reports using a form designer, and coding them using its script engine.

It also allows you to assign event-handlers to some events defined for each control; for example, it has OnPreviewClick event for frxCheckBox control which will be fired whenever the end-user clicks on the checkbox in the preview pane.

Another option is allowing end user to modify the report him/herself; Fast Report provides two type of report editing for the end-user, one way is letting the end user to modify the generated report. Using this, end-user will see the generated report and all pages in Fast Report editor, and can change some values or rearrange the controls. The other way is letting end user to design the report from ground up, for this you have to use designer component in Fast Report; this will provide the standard editor you use for designing the report in the IDE to the end user, and end user can design the report as you can do so.

Upvotes: 8

Cosmin Prund
Cosmin Prund

Reputation: 25678

For a Delphi solution I used Fast Report's scripting support to do some fancy stuff in reports (popping windows when the user clicks something in the report preview). I've also used it to create drill-down reports so there's some support to changing the report after it was rendered to the preview. But I'm pretty sure it doesn't support real Windows controls, because it is, after all, a REPORT generating solution. I didn't really look into this, so there's a chance I might be wrong.

For a non-Delphi solution you might want to look into some Adobe Acrobat (PDF) solution, they allow you to do amazing stuff.

And my opinion: Unless the interaction is very simple (one checkbox and some input fields), I would not do it in a report generator. While it might appear more intuitive to do it that way, it has too many limitations. Nothing beats a real text editor for editing text, but a real text editor would look out of place on a report.

Upvotes: 3

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