Report Designer for ASP.NET Web Forms Requirements and Limitations

• Jul 18, 2024
• 3 minutes to read

Report Designer Requirements

Required Libraries

Web Reporting components require DevExtreme and third-party libraries, which you can register automatically. To do this, add the resources section to the application’s Web.config file:

XML

<devExpress>
    <!-- ... -->
    <resources>
        <add type="ThirdParty" />
        <add type="DevExtreme" />
    </resources>
</devExpress>

For manual registration, review the following help topic: Client Script Libraries.

Register HTTP Handlers

Register the ASPxHttpHandlerModule in the web.config file as a module to process resources and as a handler to process data.

The ASPxHttpHandlerModule is automatically registered in this file in the following cases:

• When you use DevExpress project templates to create an application with reporting controls;
• When the Visual Studio Designer opens a page with the Report Designer in markup.

You should register ASPxHttpHandlerModule explicitly if you create the Report Designer in code. Insert the declarations in the system.web/httpModules and system.webServer/modules configuration sections, and add the handler registration to the system.web/httpHandlers and system.webServer/handlers sections.

XML

<system.web>
...
  <httpHandlers>
    ...
    <add type="DevExpress.Web.ASPxHttpHandlerModule, DevExpress.Web.v25.1, Version=25.1.3.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b88d1754d700e49a" 
         verb="GET,POST" path="DXXRD.axd" validate="false" />
    <add type="DevExpress.Web.ASPxHttpHandlerModule, DevExpress.Web.v25.1, Version=25.1.3.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b88d1754d700e49a" 
         verb="GET,POST" path="DXXRDV.axd" validate="false" />
    <add type="DevExpress.Web.ASPxHttpHandlerModule, DevExpress.Web.v25.1, Version=25.1.3.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b88d1754d700e49a" 
         verb="GET,POST" path="DXQB.axd" validate="false" />
  </httpHandlers>  
  <httpModules>
    <add type="DevExpress.Web.ASPxHttpHandlerModule, DevExpress.Web.v25.1, Version=25.1.3.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b88d1754d700e49a" name="ASPxHttpHandlerModule" />
  </httpModules>
</system.web>
<system.webServer>
  <handlers>
    ...
    <add type="DevExpress.Web.ASPxHttpHandlerModule, DevExpress.Web.v25.1, Version=25.1.3.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b88d1754d700e49a" 
         verb="GET,POST" path="DXXRD.axd" name="ASPxReportDesignerHandlerModule" preCondition="integratedMode" />
    <add type="DevExpress.Web.ASPxHttpHandlerModule, DevExpress.Web.v25.1, Version=25.1.3.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b88d1754d700e49a" 
         verb="GET,POST" path="DXXRDV.axd" name="ASPxWebDocumentViewerHandlerModule" preCondition="integratedMode" />
    <add type="DevExpress.Web.ASPxHttpHandlerModule, DevExpress.Web.v25.1, Version=25.1.3.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b88d1754d700e49a" 
         verb="GET,POST" path="DXQB.axd" name="ASPxQueryBuilderDesignerHandlerModule" preCondition="integratedMode" />
  </handlers>
  <modules runAllManagedModulesForAllRequests="true">
    <add type="DevExpress.Web.ASPxHttpHandlerModule, DevExpress.Web.v25.1, Version=25.1.3.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b88d1754d700e49a" name="ASPxHttpHandlerModule" />
  </modules>
</system.webServer>

The Report Designer validates the configuration and displays the following error message if the corresponding handlers are not registered.

“The DXXRD.axd handler is not registered in the web.config (section: system.webServer/handlers). To disable web.config validation, use the DevExpress.Web.Mvc.ReportDesignerSettings.DisableHttpHandlerValidation property.“

Do not use handlers and/or validate their registration in the following cases:

• You use custom HTTP handlers to process requests.
• If the application does not include SQL data sources and users do not need Query Builder functionality in the Report Designer, the DXQB.axd handler is unnecessary.
• Handlers are registered in the <location> section and automatic validation fails.

To disable automatic handler validation, set the DisableHttpHandlerValidation property to true.

C#

protected void Page_Load(object sender, EventArgs e) {
    ASPxReportDesigner1.DisableHttpHandlerValidation = true;
}

VB.NET

Protected Sub Page_Load(sender As Object, e As EventArgs)
    ASPxReportDesigner1.DisableHttpHandlerValidation = True
End Sub

Scripting Support

Report scripts are disabled in the Web Report Designer. For more information on security in report scripts, review the following help topic: Scripts - Security Considerations.

Limitations

• Graphical report controls (e.g., Sparklines, Gauges) are not fully rendered on the design surface.

• The XRRichText control does not include the rich text editor. You should explicitly enable the control’s Rich Text Editor to apply inline rich text formatting. For more information, review the following help topics:

  • Enable the Rich Text Editor (for ASP.NET Web Forms applications)
  • Enable the Rich Text Editor (for ASP.NET MVC applications)
  • Enable the Rich Text Editor (for ASP.NET Core applications).

• The Report Designer’s Print Preview prints a report by converting it to PDF and printing the PDF. This approach requires browser support for PDF.

• Touch events are not supported.

• The Web Report Designer is not fully compliant with web accessibility guidelines. For more information on web accessibility in DevExpress controls, refer to the following help topic: Accessibility Support.