How to: Print a Document that Contains Pivot and Chart Controls

• Sep 10, 2021
• 4 minutes to read

The following example shows how to print a document that contains a Pivot Grid control with an integrated Chart:

View Example: WinForms - How to: Print a Document that Contains Pivot and Chart Controls

1. Create the CreateCompositeLink method that returns a CompositeLink object. CompositeLink combines different printing links into one document, shows its print preview, and prints or exports the resulting document. Create two PrintableComponentLink objects for the Pivot and Chart controls, and add these objects to the link collection to combine them in CompositeLink.

   C#

   using DevExpress.XtraCharts;
   using DevExpress.XtraPivotGrid;
   using DevExpress.XtraPrinting;
   using DevExpress.XtraPrintingLinks;
   using System;
   using System.Windows.Forms;
   
   namespace WinFormsExport {
       public partial class Form1 : DevExpress.XtraEditors.XtraForm {
           public Form1() {
           // ...
           }
           // ...
           private CompositeLink CreateCompositeLink(PivotGridControl pivotGridControl1, ChartControl chartControl1) {
               PrintableComponentLink pivotLink = new PrintableComponentLink();
               pivotLink.Component = pivotGridControl1;
               PrintableComponentLink chartLink = new PrintableComponentLink();
               chartLink.Component = chartControl1;
               CompositeLink compositeLink = new CompositeLink(new PrintingSystem());
               compositeLink.Links.AddRange(new object[] { pivotLink, chartLink });
               return compositeLink;
               // ...
       }
   }
   

   VB.NET

   Imports DevExpress.XtraCharts
   Imports DevExpress.XtraPivotGrid
   Imports DevExpress.XtraPrinting
   Imports DevExpress.XtraPrintingLinks
   Imports System
   Imports System.Windows.Forms
   
   Namespace WinFormsExport
    Partial Public Class Form1
        Inherits DevExpress.XtraEditors.XtraForm
   
        Public Sub New()
            InitializeComponent()
   ' ...
        End Sub
   ' ...
        Private Function CreateCompositeLink(ByVal pivotGridControl1 As PivotGridControl, ByVal chartControl1 As ChartControl) As CompositeLink
            Dim pivotLink As New PrintableComponentLink()
            pivotLink.Component = pivotGridControl1
            Dim chartLink As New PrintableComponentLink()
            chartLink.Component = chartControl1
            Dim compositeLink As New CompositeLink(New PrintingSystem())
            compositeLink.Links.AddRange(New Object() { pivotLink, chartLink })
            Return compositeLink
        End Function
   ' ...
   End Namespace
   

2. Add the MenuStrip control to the form. Create two toolStripMenuItem objects and handle their Click events. Call the ShowPreview and ExportToXlsx methods of the composite link in the Click event handlers.

   C#

   using DevExpress.XtraCharts;
   using DevExpress.XtraPivotGrid;
   using DevExpress.XtraPrinting;
   using DevExpress.XtraPrintingLinks;
   using System;
   using System.Windows.Forms;
   
   namespace WinFormsExport {
       public partial class Form1 : DevExpress.XtraEditors.XtraForm {
           public Form1() {
               InitializeComponent();
               ToolStripMenuItem toolStripMenuItem1 = new ToolStripMenuItem();
               ToolStripMenuItem toolStripMenuItem2 = new ToolStripMenuItem();
               menuStrip1.Items.AddRange(new ToolStripItem[] {
                   toolStripMenuItem1,
                   toolStripMenuItem2 });
               toolStripMenuItem1.Name = "Print Preview";
               toolStripMenuItem1.Text = "Print Preview";
               toolStripMenuItem2.Name = "Export to XLSX";
               toolStripMenuItem2.Text = "Export to XLSX";
   
               toolStripMenuItem1.Click += toolsToolStripMenuItem2_Click;
               toolStripMenuItem2.Click += toolsToolStripMenuItem_Click;
   
               // This line of code is generated by Data Source Configuration Wizard
               // Fill the ExcelDataSource asynchronously
               excelDataSource1.FillAsync();
           }
           // ...
           private void toolsToolStripMenuItem_Click(object sender, EventArgs e) {
               SaveFileDialog saveFileDialog1 = new SaveFileDialog();
               saveFileDialog1.Filter = "Excel Workbook|*.xlsx";
               saveFileDialog1.ShowDialog();
               if (saveFileDialog1.FileName != "") {
                   CompositeLink compositeLink = CreateCompositeLink(pivotGridControl1, chartControl1);
                   compositeLink.ExportToXlsx(saveFileDialog1.FileName);
               }
           }
           private void toolsToolStripMenuItem2_Click(object sender, EventArgs e) {
               CompositeLink compositeLink = CreateCompositeLink(pivotGridControl1, chartControl1);
               compositeLink.ShowPreview();
           }
       }
   }
   

   VB.NET

   Imports DevExpress.XtraCharts
   Imports DevExpress.XtraPivotGrid
   Imports DevExpress.XtraPrinting
   Imports DevExpress.XtraPrintingLinks
   Imports System
   Imports System.Windows.Forms
   
   Namespace WinFormsExport
    Partial Public Class Form1
        Inherits DevExpress.XtraEditors.XtraForm
   
        Public Sub New()
            InitializeComponent()
            Dim toolStripMenuItem1 As New ToolStripMenuItem()
            Dim toolStripMenuItem2 As New ToolStripMenuItem()
            menuStrip1.Items.AddRange(New ToolStripItem() { toolStripMenuItem1, toolStripMenuItem2 })
            toolStripMenuItem1.Name = "Print Preview"
            toolStripMenuItem1.Text = "Print Preview"
            toolStripMenuItem2.Name = "Export to XLSX"
            toolStripMenuItem2.Text = "Export to XLSX"
   
            AddHandler toolStripMenuItem1.Click, AddressOf toolsToolStripMenuItem2_Click
            AddHandler toolStripMenuItem2.Click, AddressOf toolsToolStripMenuItem_Click
   
            ' This line of code is generated by Data Source Configuration Wizard
            ' Fill the ExcelDataSource asynchronously
            excelDataSource1.FillAsync()
        End Sub
   ' ...
        Private Sub toolsToolStripMenuItem_Click(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As EventArgs)
            Dim saveFileDialog1 As New SaveFileDialog()
            saveFileDialog1.Filter = "Excel Workbook|*.xlsx"
            saveFileDialog1.ShowDialog()
            If saveFileDialog1.FileName <> "" Then
                Dim compositeLink As CompositeLink = CreateCompositeLink(pivotGridControl1, chartControl1)
                compositeLink.ExportToXlsx(saveFileDialog1.FileName)
            End If
        End Sub
        Private Sub toolsToolStripMenuItem2_Click(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As EventArgs)
            Dim compositeLink As CompositeLink = CreateCompositeLink(pivotGridControl1, chartControl1)
            compositeLink.ShowPreview()
        End Sub
    End Class
   End Namespace
   

Run the application and use the Print Preview and Export to XLSX commands to print a document that contains both controls: