active reports in C /CLI

Question

Can we use Active Reports 7.0 in C++/CLI? I have just started using active reports. I tried building a report in C# without any problem. I tried doing the same in C++/CLI, but I am unable to use the Active reports toolbox. And also when running the application, it is giving licensing errors.

If you get licensing errors, asking ComponentOne might be the better option than asking some random guy on the internet. — nvoigt
@nvoigt Yes, I have asked them and they are yet to respond. In the meanwhile, in the first place, is it possible to create an active report using C++/CLI? Because, I have seen that the Active Report specific toolbar items are greyed out in C++/CLI whereas in C# they are present. — Charan

Scott Willeke Scott Willeke · Accepted Answer · 2013-05-16T16:53:50

The designer that generates code-based won't work with C++/CLI. You also won't be able to write "script" inside the reports with C++. However, you can design reports as the XML-based reports (rpx) instead and then you shouldn't have any problem instantiating and calling on those from C++ via the SectionReport class (for example). Something like the following:

GrapeCity::ActiveReports::SectionReport ^sectionReport = gcnew GrapeCity::ActiveReports::SectionReport();
System::Xml::XmlTextReader ^xtr = new System::Xml::XmlTextReader("..\\..\\rptScript.rpx");
sectionReport->LoadLayout(xtr);
xtr->Close();
viewer1->LoadDocument(sectionReport);
...

Keep in mind ActiveReports users are almost exclusively C# & VB.NET users so you won't find any C++ code samples, but it should be pretty trivial to translate the code from C# to C++/CLI.

The example is based on SectionReport not PageReport, but PageReport is entirely xml-based so it should work easily too.

So to clarify, if you want a C++ only solution, you need to do the following:

Create your reports as XML-based reports (*.rpx files) using the "Standalone" designer application that is installed in the start menu when you install ActiveReports. Since you can save your reports as a standalone, independent .rpx file, you will not need to use any C#/VB.NET DLL. As shown in the code example above, you can just load the .rpx files from a file directly from C++ (for example).

Although this technique does not require any C# or VB.NET DLL/EXE, if you use the scripting feature inside the standalone .rpx report file, the script will have to be either C# or VB script. However, you won't have to compile that yourself, ActiveReports deals with the script internally.

active reports in C /CLI

1 Answers