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Now you complete the basic procedure for web reporting by ActiveReport Designer Studio. Before next step, please review the previous steps. First, build the xml meta data web application file using ASP/JSP/PHP. Second, make a new xml report file. Third, setting the page setup. Forth, binding xml data source to XML data control.

Today there are three types of report writing tools: 1) the now classic interactive report writers like Crystal Reports 2) source code-only alternatives like VSView and Preview, both from ComponentOne, Inc. and 3) tools which are a cross between an interactive report writer and source code such as ActiveReports from DataDynamics, Inc. and VSView Reporting Edition from ComponentOne, Inc..

ReportExpress Designer Studio is the standalone design tool of ActiveReports Pro 2.0. Also support ActiveX viewer that enable the webreporting using xml technology. If you are familiar to ActiveReports/CrystalReport, then learning curve is very short.

In this lesson, you will learn about Design envirnonment such as menu and tool bar. If you are familiar with ActiveReport/CrystalReport or Visual Studio, then skip this section and go to Sections with reporting design section.

menu :

File menu:

New Report :
Blank Report : Create empty Canvas without data control.
ADO Report : Create Canvas with ADO data control.
XML Report : Create Canvas with XML data control.

Load : loading the rpx file which saved as ActiveReport file format(XML file).
Save : Save the current activated report as ActiveReport file format.
Save As : Save the report as new name.
Page Setup : Setup the Printer and Paper property/Grid/Styles property.
Preview : rendering the design layout to report with data binding. You can transit the Design mode and Preview mode using F2 shorcut.
Exit : Terminate the Designer Studio program.

View menu:

File Explorer : Designer Studio support File Explorer. In the File Explorer, you can change the trial version of rpx file to registered version after registration.
Tool Box : Enable/Disable the Tool Box on the left side.
Object Property : Enable/Disable the Property Tool box on the right side.
Database Field : Enable/Disable the object Explorer and Field Explorer.
Table of contents : Enable/Disable the TOC Explorer at Preview mode.
Ruler : Enable/Disable the Ruler at Preview mode.

Database menu:
ReportExpress Designer Studio support the local database(access db) for save the rpx files. You can save the rpx files on the hard disk. But this method is difficult to maintnance.
Using the local database, you can save and load the rpx files. And more backup or recovery.


Manage Local Database menu:
New Database : make a new local database
Select Repositery Server : You can create several local database. Each database maintain seperatly. You can change the activate local database with this menu.
Compact Database : Compress the local database
Backup Database : Backup local database


Load menu :
From Local Database : load the rpx files from local database
From Server : load the rpx files from Cabsoftware' repositery. You can get various sample report layout. Cabsoftware maintain the repositery and support examples.

Save : Save the report to local database.
Save As : Save the report as another name to local database.

Window menu :

You can arrange the windows/Icons or change the windows among the window list. ActiveReport Designer Studio is MDI application.

Help menu:

ActiveReport Designer Studio Info : Information of this program.
Q&A : go to online Q&A
PDS : go to online download
Help : Designer Studio Help
VB Script Help : VBScript Help
Registration : You can registration using this menu. After registration, this menu will be destroy. ActiveReport Designer Studio' product key activate as your pc' mac address. Therefore, a license will be limited one pc.
Configuration : You can set the behavior of ActiveReport Designer Studio that enable auto update.
ActiveReport Designer Studio Update : Update up-to-date version.

Plugins menu :
ActiveReport Designer Studio support additional feature as dll. You can download new additional module from Cabsoftware online download and restart Designer. New Plugins will be added.

Currently, ActiveReport Designer Studio support ASP Editor which help you to create ADO-XML style very easy and fast! Alos FTP Client will be helpful when upload rpx files to your FTP server.

Tool Box

New :Create empty report layout
Report wizard : Create ADO/XML report layout
Local Repositery manager : Manage your local database which saved rpx files
Load : Load rpx files from file system/local database or server repositery
Save : Save the rpx files to file system or local database
Save As : Save the rpx files as new name to file system or local database
Page Setup : Paper/Printer/Grid/Style setup
Tool Box : Visible/Hidden the left side tool box pannel
Property List : Visible/Hidden the right side Property ToolBox
Field List : Visible/Hidden the right side Objects/Field Explorer
Preview : rendering report layout with binding data
Undo : Cancle last action
Cut : Cut the selected object(s)
Copy : Copy the selected object(s)
Paste : Paste the object(s) which cutted or copied
Delete : delete the selected object(s)
Grid : Visible/Hidden the Grid on the Canvas
SQL builder : Modify SQL sentence using SQL builder style toolkit. This is only for ADO reports. Before click this icon, you must define Connection string and SQL of ADO DataControl
Refresh : refresh resultSet. This is only for ADO reports
Full Screen : Change the MID window style to Full Screen
File Explorer : Visible/Hidden the left side File Explorer

Style Select : list are defined in the Style property dialog
Font Select
Font Size
Bold
Italic
Under line
Font Dialog : Show the Font selection Dialog
Align Left
Align Center
Align Right
Align Top
Align middle
Align bottom
Background Color
Font Color
Line Color
Line Style
Line weight

Select object(s) : with select object(s), you can select a object or several object (with Ctrl key or Shift)
Label : Without binding data field text
Textbox : Binding data field
Checkbox : Binding data field. Boolean type
Image : Insert Image(wmf,bmp,jpg,gif etc) to Canvas. Inserted image will be convert CDATA format
Line : draw line on Canvas. you can comvine Ctrl key or Shift key for horizontal/vertical line
Shape : draw rectangle, ellipse or rounded rectangle. you can change the shape' property in the property toolbox
RichEdit Control : Insert the richedit control into Canvas. richedit control will be usefull when make a mail merge report.
Frame : Insert the Frame control into Canvas.
SubReport : Insert the subreport into Canvas.
OLE Object
Barcode Control
Insert Chart : Insert teeChart component into Canvas
Insert Date & Time
Insert Page Number
Edit Text : modify the text of Label or Textbox

Bring to Front : bring to front layer (z position) selected object(s)
Send to Back : send to back layer (z position) selected object(s)
Lefts : Align left-side selected objects to last selected object horizontally (using Shift+mouse to multi-select )
Centers : Align center position selected objects to last selected object horizontally (using Shift+mouse to multi-select )
Rights : Align right-side selected objects to last selected object horizontally (using Shift+mouse to multi-select )
Tops : Align top-side selected objects to last selected object vertically (using Shift+mouse to multi-select)
Middles : Align middle position selected objects to last selected object vertically (using Shift+mouse to multi-select)
Bottoms : Align bottom-side selected objects to last selected object vertically (using Shift+mouse to multi-select)
To Grid : move the selected object to closest grid
Make Same Size : make same height and width for selected objects by last selected object
Make Same Height : make same height for selected objects by last selected object
Make Same Width : make same width for selected objects by last selected object
Lock Controls : Lock the selected control(s) for avoid edit