Bind a Report to an Object Data Source

• Mar 11, 2024
• 8 minutes to read

This topic describes how to create a report bound to a sample object data source.

Design Time

Open a Windows Forms App (.NET Framework) project in Visual Studio and follow the steps below.

Create a Data Object

1. Add the Employees.cs file with the following content:

   Employees.cs

   using DevExpress.DataAccess.ObjectBinding;
   using System.Collections.Generic;
   using System.ComponentModel;
   // ...
   public class Employee
   {
       public string Name { get; set; }
       public string Position { get; set; }
   }
   
   [DisplayName("Employees")]
   [HighlightedClass]
   public class EmployeeDataSource
   {
       private string department;
       private List<Employee> management = new List<Employee>() {
           new Employee() {
               Name = "Ana Trujillo",
               Position = "CEO"
           },
           new Employee() {
               Name = "Andrew Fuller",
               Position = "Vice President, Sales"
           }
       };
       private List<Employee> financial = new List<Employee>() {
           new Employee() {
               Name = "Nancy Davolio",
               Position = "Accountant"
           },
           new Employee() {
               Name = "Maria Anders",
               Position = "Accountant"
           }
       };
       private List<Employee> sales = new List<Employee>() {
           new Employee() {
               Name = "Antonio Moreno",
               Position = "Sales Representative"
           },
           new Employee() {
               Name = "Thomas Hardy",
               Position = "Sales Representative"
           },
           new Employee() {
               Name = "Christina Berglund",
               Position = "Order Administrator"
           },
           new Employee() {
               Name = "Frédérique Citeaux",
               Position = "Marketing Manager"
           },
           new Employee() {
               Name = "Hanna Moos",
               Position = "Sales Representative"
           }
       };
       public EmployeeDataSource()
       {
           this.department = "Management";
       }
   
       [HighlightedMember]
       public EmployeeDataSource(string department)
       {
           this.department = department;
       }
   
       [HighlightedMember]
       public IEnumerable<Employee> GetEmployeeList(int recordCount)
       {
           List<Employee> employees = new List<Employee>();
           if (this.department == "Management")
               employees = this.management;
           if (this.department == "Financial")
               employees = this.financial;
           if (this.department == "Sales")
               employees = this.sales;
           foreach (var employee in employees)
               if (recordCount-- > 0)
                   yield return employee;
       }
   }
   

   Employees.vb

   Imports DevExpress.DataAccess.ObjectBinding
   Imports System.Collections.Generic
   Imports System.ComponentModel
   ' ...
   Public Class Employee
       Public Property EmployeeName() As String
       Public Property EmployeePosition() As String
   End Class
   
   <DisplayName("Employees"), HighlightedClass>
   Public Class EmployeeDataSource
       Private department As String
       Private management As New List(Of Employee)() From {
           New Employee() With {
               .EmployeeName = "Ana Trujillo",
               .EmployeePosition = "CEO"
           },
           New Employee() With {
               .EmployeeName = "Andrew Fuller",
               .EmployeePosition = "Vice President, Sales"
           }
       }
       Private financial As New List(Of Employee)() From {
           New Employee() With {
               .EmployeeName = "Nancy Davolio",
               .EmployeePosition = "Accountant"
           },
           New Employee() With {
               .EmployeeName = "Maria Anders",
               .EmployeePosition = "Accountant"
           }
       }
       Private sales As New List(Of Employee)() From {
           New Employee() With {
               .EmployeeName = "Antonio Moreno",
               .EmployeePosition = "Sales Representative"
           },
           New Employee() With {
               .EmployeeName = "Thomas Hardy",
               .EmployeePosition = "Sales Representative"
           },
           New Employee() With {
               .EmployeeName = "Christina Berglund",
               .EmployeePosition = "Order Administrator"
           },
           New Employee() With {
               .EmployeeName = "Frédérique Citeaux",
               .EmployeePosition = "Marketing Manager"
           },
           New Employee() With {
               .EmployeeName = "Hanna Moos",
               .EmployeePosition = "Sales Representative"
           }
       }
       Public Sub New()
           Me.department = "Management"
       End Sub
   
       <HighlightedMember>
       Public Sub New(ByVal department As String)
           Me.department = department
       End Sub
   
       <HighlightedMember>
       Public Iterator Function GetEmployeeList(ByVal recordCount As Integer) As IEnumerable(Of Employee)
           Dim employees As New List(Of Employee)()
           If Me.department = "Management" Then
               employees = Me.management
           End If
           If Me.department = "Financial" Then
               employees = Me.financial
           End If
           If Me.department = "Sales" Then
               employees = Me.sales
           End If
           For Each employee In employees
               Dim tempVar As Boolean = recordCount > 0
               recordCount -= 1
               If tempVar Then
                   Yield employee
               End If
           Next employee
       End Function
   End Class
   

2. Add the reference to the DevExpress.DataAccess.v23.2 assembly and rebuild the solution.

Run the Report Wizard

Do the following to run the Report Wizard and bind a report to an object data source:

1. Press Ctrl+Shift+A or click Project | Add New Item in the Visual Studio menu to invoke the Add New Item dialog:

   

2. Select DevExpress v23.2 Report and click Add.

   

3. In the invoked Report Wizard, select Table Report and click Next.

   

4. Choose Object and click Next.

   

5. Specify the assembly that contains the data source class definition. To filter the assemblies in the list, you can select the Show only highlighted assemblies check box. For information on how to highlight assemblies, classes, and members, review the following help topic: Highlight Objects, Constructors, and Members.

   

6. Select a data source type. Enable the Show only highlighted types checkbox to filter classes in the list.

   

7. Select a data source member. Enable the Show only highlighted members checkbox to filter members.

   

8. Specify method parameters.

   

9. Choose whether to obtain the data source schema or retrieve the actual data from the data source. The schema allows you to edit the report layout without data retrieval.

   

   Select the Retrieve the actual data option and click Next.

10. You can enable the Show only highlighted constructors check box to filter constructors in the list. Select the data source constructor and click Next.

    

11. Specify the constructor parameters.

    Enable the Expression check box to specify an expression. You can include existing report parameters in an expression or create a new report parameter and include it directly in an expression.

    

12. Select the data fields that the report should display and click Next.

    

13. Group report data against one or more fields. You can click Next to skip this step.

    

14. Specify the report title and click Finish.

    

View the Result

The Visual Studio Report Designer displays the report layout:

Switch to the Preview tab to view the report document with data:

Change the Data Source Settings

You can select the data source in the Report Explorer and switch to the Properties panel to change the data source settings.

Runtime

Follow the steps below to create a report and bind it to an object data source in code:

1. Create the object data source as described in the Create a Data Object section.

2. Add the ReportHelper.cs file with the following content:

   ReportHelper.cs

   using DevExpress.ReportServer.ServiceModel.DataContracts;
   using System;
   using System.Collections.Generic;
   using System.Linq;
   using System.Text;
   using System.Threading.Tasks;
   using DevExpress.XtraReports.Parameters;
   using DevExpress.XtraReports.UI;
   using System.Drawing;
   using DevExpress.DataAccess.ObjectBinding;
   
   namespace WindowsFormsApp1 {
       public static class ReportHelper {
           public static XtraReport CreateReport() {
               var departments = new StaticListLookUpSettings();
               departments.LookUpValues.AddRange(new[]{
                   new LookUpValue("Management", "Management"),
                   new LookUpValue("Financial", "Financial"),
                   new LookUpValue("Sales", "Sales")});
   
               XtraReport report = new XtraReport() {
                   Parameters = {
                       new DevExpress.XtraReports.Parameters.Parameter() {
                           Name = "pDepartment",
                           Type = typeof(System.String),
                           ValueSourceSettings = departments,
                           Description = "Department",
                           Value = "Management"
                       },
                       new DevExpress.XtraReports.Parameters.Parameter() {
                           Name = "NumberOfRecords",
                           Type = typeof(System.Int32),
                           Value = 2
                       }
                   },
                   Bands = {
                       new DetailBand(){
                           HeightF = 25,
                           Controls = {
                               new XRLabel() {
                                   Name = "EmployeeName",
                                   BoundsF = new RectangleF(0, 0, 200, 25),
                                   ExpressionBindings =
                                   {
                                       new ExpressionBinding("Text", "[Name]")
                                   }
                               },
                               new XRLabel() {
                                   Name = "EmployeePosition",
                                   BoundsF = new RectangleF(200, 0, 150, 25),
                                   ExpressionBindings = {
                                       new ExpressionBinding("Text", "[Position]")
                                   }
                               }
                           }
                       }
                   }
               };
               ObjectDataSource objectDataSource = new ObjectDataSource();
               objectDataSource.Name = "Employees";
               objectDataSource.DataSource = typeof(EmployeeDataSource);
               objectDataSource.BeginUpdate();
               objectDataSource.DataMember = "GetEmployeeList";
               var parameterNumberOfRecords = new DevExpress.DataAccess.ObjectBinding.Parameter() {
                   Name = "recordCount",
                   Type = typeof(DevExpress.DataAccess.Expression),
                   Value = new DevExpress.DataAccess.Expression("?NumberOfRecords", typeof(int))
               };
               objectDataSource.Parameters.Add(parameterNumberOfRecords);
               var parameterDepartment = new DevExpress.DataAccess.ObjectBinding.Parameter() {
                   Name = "department",
                   Type = typeof(DevExpress.DataAccess.Expression),
                   Value = new DevExpress.DataAccess.Expression("?pDepartment", typeof(string))
               };
               objectDataSource.Constructor = new ObjectConstructorInfo(parameterDepartment);
               objectDataSource.EndUpdate();
               objectDataSource.Fill();
               report.DataSource = objectDataSource;
   
               return report;
           }
       }
   }
   

   VB.NET

   Imports DevExpress.ReportServer.ServiceModel.DataContracts
   Imports System
   Imports System.Collections.Generic
   Imports System.Linq
   Imports System.Text
   Imports System.Threading.Tasks
   Imports DevExpress.XtraReports.Parameters
   Imports DevExpress.XtraReports.UI
   Imports System.Drawing
   Imports DevExpress.DataAccess.ObjectBinding
   
   Namespace WindowsFormsApp1
       Public Module ReportHelper
           Public Function CreateReport() As XtraReport
   
               Dim departments = New StaticListLookUpSettings()
               departments.LookUpValues.AddRange({
                                                 New LookUpValue("Management", "Management"),
                                                 New LookUpValue("Financial", "Financial"),
                                                 New LookUpValue("Sales", "Sales")
                                                 })
               Dim report = New XtraReport()
               Dim band = New DetailBand() With {.HeightF = 25}
               Dim label1 = New XRLabel() With {
                   .Name = "EmployeeName",
                   .BoundsF = New RectangleF(0, 0, 200, 25)}
               Dim label2 = New XRLabel() With {
                   .Name = "EmployeePosition",
                   .BoundsF = New RectangleF(200, 0, 150, 25)}
               label1.ExpressionBindings.Add(New ExpressionBinding("Text", "[EmployeeName]"))
               label2.ExpressionBindings.Add(New ExpressionBinding("Text", "[EmployeePosition]"))
               band.Controls.AddRange(New XRControl() {label1, label2})
               report.Bands.Add(band)
               Dim param1 = New DevExpress.XtraReports.Parameters.Parameter() With {
                   .Name = "pDepartment",
                   .Type = GetType(System.String),
                   .ValueSourceSettings = departments,
                   .Description = "Department",
                   .Value = "Management"}
               Dim param2 = New DevExpress.XtraReports.Parameters.Parameter() With {
                   .Name = "NumberOfRecords",
                   .Type = GetType(System.Int32),
                   .Value = 2}
               report.Parameters.AddRange(New DevExpress.XtraReports.Parameters.Parameter() {param1, param2})
   
               Dim objectDataSource1 As New ObjectDataSource()
               objectDataSource1.Name = "Employees"
               objectDataSource1.DataSource = GetType(EmployeeDataSource)
               objectDataSource1.BeginUpdate()
               objectDataSource1.DataMember = "GetEmployeeList"
               Dim parameterNumberOfRecords = New DevExpress.DataAccess.ObjectBinding.Parameter() With {
                   .Name = "recordCount",
                   .Type = GetType(DevExpress.DataAccess.Expression),
                   .Value = New DevExpress.DataAccess.Expression("?NumberOfRecords", GetType(Integer))}
               objectDataSource1.Parameters.Add(parameterNumberOfRecords)
               Dim parameterDepartment = New DevExpress.DataAccess.ObjectBinding.Parameter() With {
                   .Name = "department",
                   .Type = GetType(DevExpress.DataAccess.Expression),
                   .Value = New DevExpress.DataAccess.Expression("?pDepartment", GetType(String))}
               objectDataSource1.Constructor = New ObjectConstructorInfo(parameterDepartment)
               objectDataSource1.EndUpdate()
               objectDataSource1.Fill()
               report.DataSource = objectDataSource1
   
               Return report
           End Function
       End Module
   End Namespace
   

3. Use the following code to preview a report:

   C#

   DevExpress.XtraReports.UI.XtraReport rep = ReportHelper.CreateReport();
   rep.ShowPreview();
   

   VB.NET

   Dim rep As DevExpress.XtraReports.UI.XtraReport = ReportHelper.CreateReport()
   rep.ShowPreview()
   

   The code invokes the report preview as shown in the following image:

   

View Example: How to Bind a Report to an Object Data Source at Runtime

Web Application Specifics

Review the following help topics for more information on the object data source in a web application:

Create an Object Data Source	Data Source Wizard - Register Types
ASP.NET Web Forms	ASP.NET Web Forms
ASP.NET MVC	ASP.NET MVC
ASP.NET Core	ASP.NET Core
Blazor	Blazor

View Example: How to Use the Object Data Source in Web Reporting Applications