How To…Create a Report Template Wizard

Question

“How can I can create a simple report wizard that implements a standard template?”

Solution

The following example shows how to create a custom report wizard and register it with RB. The TmyReportWizard class descends from TppCustomReportWizard and overrides a few simple methods. The ClassDescription and ClassBitmpa are used by the report designer’s ‘New…’ dialog. The Execute method loads a report template, called base.rtm. The initialization/finalization is used to register/unregister the wizard.

Download: ReportTemplateWizard.zip

Sample Delphi code:

  TmyReportWizard = class(TppCustomReportWizard)
  private
    FReport: TppCustomReport;
    FReportName: String;

   protected
    function GetReport: TObject;  override;
    function GetReportName: String; override;


  public
    constructor Create(aOwner: TComponent); override;
    destructor Destroy; override;

    class function ClassDescription: String; override;
    class function ClassBitmap: THandle; override;

    function Execute: Boolean; override;

  end; {class, TmyReportWizard}


implementation

{$R myRptWiz.RES}

{******************************************************************************
 *
 ** R E P O R T   W I Z A R D
 *
{******************************************************************************}

{------------------------------------------------------------------------------}
{ TmyReportWizard.Create }

constructor TmyReportWizard.Create(aOwner: TComponent);
begin

  inherited Create(aOwner);

  FReport := nil;
  FReportName := '';

end;

{------------------------------------------------------------------------------}
{ TmyReportWizard.Destroy }

destructor TmyReportWizard.Destroy;
begin

  inherited Destroy;

end;

{------------------------------------------------------------------------------}
{ TmyReportWizard.ClassDescription }

class function TmyReportWizard.ClassDescription: String;
begin
  Result := 'My Default Template';
end;

{------------------------------------------------------------------------------}
{ TmyReportWizard.ClassBitmap }

class function TmyReportWizard.ClassBitmap: THandle;
begin
  Result := ppBitmapFromResource('PPREPORTWIZARD');
end;

{------------------------------------------------------------------------------}
{ TmyReportWizard.Execute }

function TmyReportWizard.Execute: Boolean;
begin

  Result := True;

  // get a reference to the report
  DoOnCreateReport(DataName, TObject(FReport));

  if (FReport = nil) then Exit;

  // load the default report template
  FReport.Template.FileName := ExtractFilePath(ParamStr(0)) + 'base.rtm';
  FReport.Template.LoadFromFile;

end;

{------------------------------------------------------------------------------}
{ TmyReportWizard.GetReport }

function TmyReportWizard.GetReport: TObject;
begin
  Result := FReport;
end;

{------------------------------------------------------------------------------}
{ TmyReportWizard.GetReportName }

function TmyReportWizard.GetReportName: String;
begin
  Result := FReportName;
end;


{******************************************************************************
 *
 ** I N I T I A L I Z A T I O N   /   F I N A L I Z A T I O N
 *
{******************************************************************************}

initialization

  // replace default wizard used to create empty reports
  ppRegisterDefaultBlankReportWizard(TmyReportWizard);

  // replace the default dialog based wizard
  // ppRegisterDefaultReportWizard(TmyReportWizard);

  // add a new wizard
  //  ppRegisterWizard(TmyReportWizard);

finalization

  ppUnRegisterWizard(TmyReportWizard);

end.

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TmyReportWizard = class(TppCustomReportWizard)

private

FReport: TppCustomReport;

FReportName: String;

protected

function GetReport: TObject; override;

function GetReportName: String; override;

public

constructor Create(aOwner: TComponent); override;

destructor Destroy; override;

class function ClassDescription: String; override;

class function ClassBitmap: THandle; override;

function Execute: Boolean; override;

end; {class, TmyReportWizard}

implementation

{$R myRptWiz.RES}

{******************************************************************************

** R E P O R T W I Z A R D

{******************************************************************************}

{------------------------------------------------------------------------------}

{ TmyReportWizard.Create }

constructor TmyReportWizard.Create(aOwner: TComponent);

begin

inherited Create(aOwner);

FReport := nil;

FReportName := '';

end;

{------------------------------------------------------------------------------}

{ TmyReportWizard.Destroy }

destructor TmyReportWizard.Destroy;

begin

inherited Destroy;

end;

{------------------------------------------------------------------------------}

{ TmyReportWizard.ClassDescription }

class function TmyReportWizard.ClassDescription: String;

begin

Result := 'My Default Template';

end;

{------------------------------------------------------------------------------}

{ TmyReportWizard.ClassBitmap }

class function TmyReportWizard.ClassBitmap: THandle;

begin

Result := ppBitmapFromResource('PPREPORTWIZARD');

end;

{------------------------------------------------------------------------------}

{ TmyReportWizard.Execute }

function TmyReportWizard.Execute: Boolean;

begin

Result := True;

// get a reference to the report

DoOnCreateReport(DataName, TObject(FReport));

if (FReport = nil) then Exit;

// load the default report template

FReport.Template.FileName := ExtractFilePath(ParamStr(0)) + 'base.rtm';

FReport.Template.LoadFromFile;

end;

{------------------------------------------------------------------------------}

{ TmyReportWizard.GetReport }

function TmyReportWizard.GetReport: TObject;

begin

Result := FReport;

end;

{------------------------------------------------------------------------------}

{ TmyReportWizard.GetReportName }

function TmyReportWizard.GetReportName: String;

begin

Result := FReportName;

end;

{******************************************************************************

** I N I T I A L I Z A T I O N / F I N A L I Z A T I O N

{******************************************************************************}

initialization

// replace default wizard used to create empty reports

ppRegisterDefaultBlankReportWizard(TmyReportWizard);

// replace the default dialog based wizard

// ppRegisterDefaultReportWizard(TmyReportWizard);

// add a new wizard

// ppRegisterWizard(TmyReportWizard);

finalization

ppUnRegisterWizard(TmyReportWizard);

end.