Lesson 3 - Draw Formatted Text

• Dec 17, 2023
• 2 minutes to read

This lesson shows you how to create a link that generates a document containing formatted text surrounded by borders.

Tip

A complete sample project is available in the DevExpress Code Examples database at https://supportcenter.devexpress.com/ticket/details/e161/reporting-get-started-with-printing-library.

To add formatted text to a document via a printing link, do the following.

1. To create a new printing link, declare a new class (called Lesson3) derived from the Lesson2 class defined in the previous lesson. The extended functionality provided by the new class includes the color of the background, border, and font, as well as brick border specified in the Detail section.

   C#

   using System.Drawing;
   using DevExpress.XtraPrinting;
   // ... 
   
   public class Lesson3 : Lesson2 {
       public Lesson3(PrintingSystem ps) : base(ps) { }
   
       // Set the background color to Deep Sky Blue.
       protected override void CreateDetail(BrickGraphics graph) {
           graph.BackColor = Color.DeepSkyBlue;
   
           // Set the border color to Midnight Blue.
           graph.BorderColor = Color.MidnightBlue;
   
           // Add a text brick with all borders and the "Hello World!" text.
           graph.DrawString(caption, Color.DarkBlue, r, BorderSide.All);
       }
   }
   

   VB.NET

   Imports System.Drawing
   Imports DevExpress.XtraPrinting
   ' ...
   
   Public Class Lesson3
   Inherits Lesson2
   
       Public Sub New(ByVal ps As PrintingSystem)
           MyBase.New(ps)
       End Sub
   
       ' Set the background color to Deep Sky Blue.
       Protected Overrides Sub CreateDetail(ByVal graph As BrickGraphics)
           graph.BackColor = Color.DeepSkyBlue
   
           ' Set the border color to Midnight Blue.
           graph.BorderColor = Color.MidnightBlue
   
           ' Add a text brick with all borders and the "Hello World!" text.
           Dim r As RectangleF = New RectangleF(0, 0, 150, 50)
           Dim s As String = "Hello World!"
           graph.DrawString(s, Color.DarkBlue, r, BorderSide.All)
       End Sub
   End Class
   

2. Next, modify the main form’s Load event handler to pass the Printing System of the Document Viewer to the new link.

   C#

   using System;
   using System.Windows.Forms;
   using DevExpress.XtraPrinting;
   // ...
   
   private void Form1_Load(object sender, System.EventArgs e) {
       Lesson3 lesson = new Lesson3(printingSystem1);
   }
   

   VB.NET

   Imports System
   Imports System.Windows.Forms
   Imports DevExpress.XtraPrinting
   ' ... 
   
   Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs)
       Dim lesson As New Lesson3(printingSystem1)
   End Sub
   

Launch the application and view the result.