How To…Programmatically Load Reports Saved Using the Report Explorer

Question

“How do I programmatically load reports that were saved using the Report Explorer ?”

Solution

The ReportExplorer has a run-time interface you can use to load reports using the ReportExplorer.LoadReport method. You can use this method without actually ‘showing’ the report explorer form. (See the online help topic for TppReportExplorer.)
If you want use Report.Template.LoadFromDatabase, RB will locate the report stored in the database table based upon the NameField value only. However, for the rb_item table you need Folder_Id, Name to locate a record uniquely.

To override this default behavior, assign an event-handler to the Report.Template.OnLocateRecord event.

Sample Delphi code:

  TmyForm = class(TForm)
    private
      function  ReportLocateRecordEvent(Sender: TObject; const aReportName: String): Boolean;
      function  myLocateReportFunction(aFolderID: Integer; aReportName: String): Boolean;
    end;

uses
  ppTypes, ppRptExpCommon;

procedure TmyForm.FormCreate(Sender, TObject);
begin
  {assign the event handler}
   FReport.Template.OnLocateRecord := ReportLocateRecordEvent;

end;

function TmyForm.ReportLocateRecordEvent(Sender: TObject; const aReportName: String): Boolean;
begin
  
  Result := myLocateReportFunction(FFolderid, aReportname);

end;

function TmyForm.myLocateReportFunction(aFolderID: Integer; aReportName: String): Boolean;
var
  lsFieldNames: String;
begin

  lsFieldNames := ReportExplorer.ItemFieldNames.FolderId + ';' +
                  ReportExplorer.ItemFieldNames.ItemType + ';' +
                  ReportExplorer.ItemFieldNames.Name;

  Result := ReportExplorer.ItemPipeline.Locate(lsFieldNames, 
                                               VarArrayOf([aFolderID, itReport, aReportName]), 
                                               [pploCaseInsensitive]);


end;

TmyForm = class(TForm)

private

function ReportLocateRecordEvent(Sender: TObject; const aReportName: String): Boolean;

function myLocateReportFunction(aFolderID: Integer; aReportName: String): Boolean;

end;

uses

ppTypes, ppRptExpCommon;

procedure TmyForm.FormCreate(Sender, TObject);

begin

{assign the event handler}

FReport.Template.OnLocateRecord := ReportLocateRecordEvent;

end;

function TmyForm.ReportLocateRecordEvent(Sender: TObject; const aReportName: String): Boolean;

begin

Result := myLocateReportFunction(FFolderid, aReportname);

end;

function TmyForm.myLocateReportFunction(aFolderID: Integer; aReportName: String): Boolean;

var

lsFieldNames: String;

begin

lsFieldNames := ReportExplorer.ItemFieldNames.FolderId + ';' +

ReportExplorer.ItemFieldNames.ItemType + ';' +

ReportExplorer.ItemFieldNames.Name;

Result := ReportExplorer.ItemPipeline.Locate(lsFieldNames,

VarArrayOf([aFolderID, itReport, aReportName]),

[pploCaseInsensitive]);

end;