Use the Query Builder Light Mode

• Aug 18, 2023
• 3 minutes to read

The Query Builder Light mode allows you to specify custom names for tables and columns. The Query Builder does not display the resulting SQL query and disables column expressions in this mode because these options use actual data member names.

This document describes how to enable the Query Builder Light mode and customize table and column names in it.

Enable the Query Builder Light Mode

Set the QueryBuilderLight property to true to enable the Query Builder Light mode (for instance, in the Window’s Loaded event handler).

C#

using DevExpress.Xpf.DataAccess.DataSourceWizard;
//... 

private void Window_Loaded(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e) {
    //...
    reportDesigner.DataSourceWizardSettings.SqlWizardSettings.QueryBuilderLight = true;
    //...
}

VB.NET

Imports DevExpress.Xpf.DataAccess.DataSourceWizard
'... 

Private Sub Window_Loaded(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As RoutedEventArgs)
    '...
    reportDesigner.DataSourceWizardSettings.SqlWizardSettings.QueryBuilderLight = True
    '...
End Sub

Alternatively, you can use the following XAML code to enable this mode.

XAML

<Window ...
        xmlns:dxrud="http://schemas.devexpress.com/winfx/2008/xaml/reports/userdesigner"
        xmlns:dxda="http://schemas.devexpress.com/winfx/2008/xaml/dataaccess">

    <dxrud:ReportDesigner x:Name="reportDesigner">
        <dxrud:ReportDesigner.DataSourceWizardSettings>
            <dxda:DataSourceWizardSettings SqlWizardSettings="{dxda:SqlWizardSettings QueryBuilderLight=True}" />
        </dxrud:ReportDesigner.DataSourceWizardSettings>
    </dxrud:ReportDesigner>
</Window>

This image illustrates the result.

Customize Table and Column Names

The Query Builder Light mode allows you to implement the IDisplayNameProvider interface to customize table and column names.

This example demonstrates how to add a space to table or column names in the IDisplayNameProvider.GetFieldDisplayName method.

C#

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Text;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
using DevExpress.Data;
//...

public partial class MainWindow : Window
{
//...
    private void Window_Loaded(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e) {
        // Enable the Query Builder Light mode.
        reportDesigner.DataSourceWizardSettings.SqlWizardSettings.QueryBuilderLight = true;

        // Register the customization service type.
        reportDesigner.ServicesRegistry.Add(new TypeEntry() { ServiceType = typeof(IDisplayNameProvider), ConcreteType = typeof(DisplayNameProvider) });
    }
}

class DisplayNameProvider : IDisplayNameProvider {
    // Substitute the default data source name
    // with a custom one.
    public string GetDataSourceDisplayName() {
        return "Northwind Traders";
    }

    public string GetFieldDisplayName(string[] fieldAccessors) {
        // Get a field or table name from the data source.
        string fieldName = fieldAccessors[fieldAccessors.Length - 1];

        // Insert spaces between words in a field name.
        return ChangeNames(fieldName);
    }

    public string ChangeNames(string name) {
        string result = string.Empty;
        bool isPrevLow = false;

        foreach (char symb in name) {
            // Check if a character is uppercase.
            // Check if the previous character is uppercase 
            // to avoid spaces inside abbreviations.
            if (Char.IsUpper(symb) && isPrevLow) {
                result += " " + symb;
            }
            else {
                result += symb;
            }
            isPrevLow = Char.IsLower(symb);
        }
        return result;
    }
//...
}

VB.NET

Imports System
Imports System.Collections.Generic
Imports System.Linq
Imports System.Text
Imports System.Threading.Tasks
Imports DevExpress.Data
'...

Partial Public Class MainWindow
    Inherits Window

'...
    Private Sub Window_Loaded(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As RoutedEventArgs)
        ' Enable the Query Builder Light mode.
        reportDesigner.DataSourceWizardSettings.SqlWizardSettings.QueryBuilderLight = True

        ' Register the customization service type.
        reportDesigner.ServicesRegistry.Add(New TypeEntry() With {.ServiceType = GetType(IDisplayNameProvider), .ConcreteType = GetType(DisplayNameProvider)})
    End Sub
End Class

Friend Class DisplayNameProvider
    Implements IDisplayNameProvider

    ' Substitute the default data source name
    ' with a custom one.
    Public Function GetDataSourceDisplayName() As String
        Return "Northwind Traders"
    End Function

    Public Function GetFieldDisplayName(ByVal fieldAccessors() As String) As String
        ' Get a field or table name from the data source.
        Dim fieldName As String = fieldAccessors(fieldAccessors.Length - 1)

        ' Insert spaces between words in a field name.
        Return ChangeNames(fieldName)
    End Function

    Public Function ChangeNames(ByVal name As String) As String
        Dim result As String = String.Empty
        Dim isPrevLow As Boolean = False

        For Each symb As Char In name
            ' Check if a character is uppercase.
            ' Check if the previous character is uppercase 
            ' to avoid spaces inside abbreviations.
            If Char.IsUpper(symb) AndAlso isPrevLow Then
                result &= " " & symb
            Else
                result &= symb
            End If
            isPrevLow = Char.IsLower(symb)
        Next symb
        Return result
    End Function
'...

The following image illustrates customization results: