Set the Input Focus of Dock Panels in the End-User Report Designer

• Aug 18, 2023
• 2 minutes to read

This example illustrates how to switch the input focus to a specific dock panel of a Report Designer. This code switches the input focus to the Field List (instead of the Report Explorer that has the input focus set to it by default).

Note

All the Report Designer’s dock panels inherit their settings from the DesignDockPanel class which is a DockPanel class descendant.

For this reason, you need to reference the DevExpress.XtraBars.v23.2 library in your application to be able to access the Report Designer’s dock panel settings.

C#

using DevExpress.XtraReports.UI;
using DevExpress.XtraReports.UserDesigner;
// ...

private void button1_Click(object sender, System.EventArgs e) {
    // Create a Design Tool with an assigned report instance.
    ReportDesignTool designTool = new ReportDesignTool(new XtraReport1());

    // Access the standard or ribbon-based Designer form and its MDI Controller.
    // IDesignForm designForm = designTool.DesignForm;
    IDesignForm designForm = designTool.DesignRibbonForm;

    // Access the Field List and bring it to front.
    designForm.DesignDockManager[DesignDockPanelType.FieldList].Show();

    // Load a Report Designer in a dialog window.
    // designTool.ShowDesignerDialog();
    designTool.ShowRibbonDesignerDialog();
}

VB.NET

Imports DevExpress.XtraReports.UI
Imports DevExpress.XtraReports.UserDesigner
' ...

Private Sub button1_Click(sender As Object, e As System.EventArgs)
    ' Create a Design Tool with an assigned report instance.
    Dim designTool As New ReportDesignTool(New XtraReport1())

    ' Access the standard or ribbon-based Designer form and its MDI Controller.
    ' Dim designForm As IDesignForm = designTool.DesignForm;
    Dim designForm As IDesignForm = designTool.DesignRibbonForm

    ' Access the Field List and bring it to front.
    designForm.DesignDockManager(DesignDockPanelType.FieldList).Show()

    ' Load a Report Designer in a dialog window.
    ' designTool.ShowDesignerDialog()
    designTool.ShowRibbonDesignerDialog()
End Sub