VCL ExpressPrinting System (Print & Export UI Controls)
- 4 minutes to read
The VCL ExpressPrinting System allows you to print out or export content of a DevExpress control or TWinControl descendant.
Tip
The core print-related APIs are designed for simple document generation scenarios and print/content export operations available for the majority of DevExpress VCL Controls (shipped as part of ExpressQuantum Pack, VCL Subscription, and VCL Subscription+).
For most advanced report generation and BI/data analytics usage scenarios, we recommend that you use our ExpressReports and ExpressDashboards Suites (available as part of the VCL Subscription +). These advanced solutions include both the powerful report generator and customizable print preview, BI dashboard designer and viewer for data analytics (available both at design- and runtime), smart/AI functions, non-GUI/service-based document generation, and much more.
Print-Related Components
- TdxComponentPrinter
The main component required to print any control or export its content. Double-click the component to open the Print Links editor and add print links for every control you need to print.
The component printer with a print link allows you to open the Print Preview dialog to do the following in your application:
- Preview content before it is printed.
- Customize page and print-related settings.
- Add information to page headers and footers.
- Change document background color.
- Browse previously saved print layout.
- Customize printed content and appearance for VCL Grid, Vertical Grid, Tree List, and Pivot Grid controls.
- TdxPrintStyleManager
- Maintains a print style collection.
- TdxPrintDialog
Allows users to customize print-related settings.
- TdxPageSetupDialog
A page setup dialog.
- TdxPSEngineController
- Manages global print-related settings, such as the skin applied to all built-in dialogs.
- TdxPSFileBasedExplorer | TdxPSDBBasedExplorer
These non-visual components add the print explorer functionality to the Print Preview dialog. Link a print explorer component to the TdxComponentPrinter to allow users to load, browse, and print documents stored in a local file system or database.
- TdxPSPreviewWindow
Allows users to browse print documents generated using print links. For example, you can embed this control into the Ribbon Backstage View.
Print Links
A print link is a non-visual component that allows a control to interact with the TdxComponentPrinter component to build documents based on control content and print them.
Print Links for DevExpress Controls
Print Link | Product | Components |
|---|---|---|
| ||
TcxTreeListReportLink, TcxDBTreeListReportLink, and TcxVirtualTreeListReportLink | ||
TcxVerticalGridReportLink, TcxDBVerticalGridReportLink, TcxVirtualVerticalGridReportLink, and TcxRTTIInspectorReportLink | TcxVerticalGrid, TcxDBVerticalGrid, TcxVirtualVerticalGrid, and TcxRTTIInspector | |
TdxSpreadSheetDocumentBasedReportLink and TdxSpreadSheetReportLnk | ||
TcxMemoReportLink, TcxDBMemoReportLink, | ExpressEditors Library | TcxMemo, TcxDBMemo, TcxCheckListBox, TcxDBCheckListBox, TcxImage, TcxDBImage, TcxListBox, TcxDBListBox, TcxRichEdit, TcxDBRichEdit, TcxShellListView, and TcxShellTreeView |
Print Links for Standard & Third-Party Components
The ExpressPrinting System ships with a number of dedicated print links for frequently-used standard and third-party VCL controls.
| Print Link | Components |
|---|---|
| TdxCustomContainerReportLink | TPanel, TScrollBox, TTabControl, TTabSheet, TPageControl, TTabPage, TTabbedNotebook, TPage, TNotebook, TCustomForm, and TCustomFrame |
| TdxStringGridReportLink | TStringGrid |
| TdxDrawGridReportLink | TDrawGrid |
| TdxTeeChartReportLink and TdxDBTeeChartReportLink | TeeChart |
TdxListViewReportLink |
TListView |
| TdxTreeViewReportLink | TTreeView |
TdxShellListViewReportLink |
TShellListView |
TdxShellTreeViewReportLink |
TShellTreeView |
TdxRichEditReportLink and TdxDBRichEditReportLink |
TRichEdit and TDBRichEdit |
| TrxRichEditReportLink | TrxRichEdit |
TdxListBoxReportLink and TdxDBListBoxReportLink |
TListBox and TDBListBox |
| TdxCheckListBoxReportLink | TCheckListBox |
TdxMemoReportLink and TdxDBMemoReportLink |
TMemo and TDBMemo |
TdxImageReportLink and TdxDBImageReportLink |
TImage and TDBImage |
| TdxPictureReportLink | TPicture |
TeeChart Support Limitations and Considerations
The DevExpress component installer automatically compiles required packages for the standard TeeChart components installed with the RAD Studio IDE.
Important
If you need to print TeeChart Pro VCL components using the ExpressPrinting System, modify source files as described in the following Support Center ticket and use the Recompile option in the DevExpress VCL components installer:
Composite Print Links
A composite print link allows you to use multiple print links as a single content source for the component printer. For example, you can print the Data Grid‘s Chart View and the Pivot Grid with source data on the same page:
