StrataFrame Forum

Businness Binding Source with Crystal and Active Reports

http://forum.strataframe.net/Topic20835.aspx

By Michael Reese - 11/21/2008

Think I am missing something basic???? I can use the Custom BBS with MS reports just fine. However, when I create a report using the S-Flix sample, I cannot get to the datasources already created in the sample?

What am I missing?

Michael

By Trent L. Taylor - 11/21/2008

What do you mean, "I cannot get to the data sources?"  You can't open the source files?  You can't see them within the report designer?  If you can, elobarate a little bit more.  Thanks.
By Michael Reese - 11/21/2008

I can not see them in the report designer. I see them in the datasources window in my project but cannot connect to them from my reports. In the designer or in the datasources setup. I tried it with

Active Reports Pro ver 3

Crystal Reports 11.5 and 2008

Thank Trent.

By Michael Reese - 12/9/2008

Ok,

Tried it again. In the Strafix application I am able to create custom BBS and drag and drop in the MS report rdlc file. Mine, yours no problem. However, I cannot do the same in Active or Crystal reports?  

Is this what we are suppose to be able to do?

THanks

By Edhy Rijo - 12/9/2008

Hi Michael

By default, BBS and BO created by the SF Custom Business Binding Source will not be shown in the ToolBox, since you may need a lot of those per reports, so what you can do is add the <ToolboxItem(True)> attribute to the BBS so they will be able to be drag and dropped in the form to design your report and then remove it when the report is done, to keep the VS IDE running smoothly.

Here some code in VB for one of my BBS

Imports System.ComponentModel
Namespace Reports.CustomerProfile
     <ToolboxItem(True)> _
     Public Class BuildingsBBS
          Inherits MicroFour.StrataFrame.Business.BusinessBindingSource(Of FixTrack.Business.bizBuildings)
     End Class
End Namespace
By Dustin Taylor - 12/10/2008

If you are wanting to see your custom BBS in design time as a data source, you'll have to add it as an object data source:

1) Select the reporting project

2) Select "Add new data source..." from the Data menu.

3) Select "Object" from the "Where will the application get data from?" selection.

4) Select your custom BBS from the "Select the Object You Wish to Bind to"  selection. Make sure and choose your reporting BBS rather than your base BBS.

5) Select Finish

That will make it accessible as a data source at design time. It's not technically required to get everything plumbed, but if you are wanting to see them visually at design time, that should do it for you.

By Michael Reese - 12/11/2008

Tried it over and over. I have a crystal report in my project. Should I be able attach to the BBS using the crystal database expert (.Net Objects?)? I can see them there but that's it?
By Trent L. Taylor - 12/11/2008

The best example of this would be StrataFlix.  This is how we matched up the BBS to the report within the designer.  This is really for design-time purposes only.  When the report is actually run, that object will not actually be used.  In our medical software, we take a totally differnet approach.  All reports are built through the run-time portaion o the applicaiton where we dynamically attach the data source when the end-user (or developer through run-time) clicks the "Design Report" button.