How to: Use the Custom Report Preview Form

• Feb 17, 2022
• 2 minutes to read

This example demonstrates how to show a custom Report Preview form in a WinForms XAF application that uses the Reports V2 Module.

1. In the WinForms Module project (MySolution.Module.Win), create a new custom form (CustomPreviewForm in this example) and design it as described in the following help topic: Create a Custom Print Preview.

   Tip

   Refer to the API and Customization section in the XtraReports documentation to learn more about report preview customization.

2. Add the ShowReport method to CustomPreviewForm:

   File: MySolution.Module.Win\CustomPreviewForm.cs(.vb).

   C#

   using DevExpress.XtraReports.UI;
   using System.Windows.Forms;
   // ...
   public partial class CustomPreviewForm : Form {
       // ...
       public void ShowReport(XtraReport report){
           documentViewer1.DocumentSource = report;
           report.CreateDocument();
           Show();
       }
   }
   

   VB.NET

   Imports DevExpress.XtraReports.UI
   ' ...
   Public Class CustomPreviewForm
       Public Sub ShowReport(ByVal report As XtraReport)
           DocumentViewer1.DocumentSource = report
           report.CreateDocument()
           Show()
       End Sub
   End Class
   

   In this example, documentViewer1 is the DocumentViewer component added to this form in the previous step.

3. In the WinForms Module project (MySolution.Module.Win), create the following Controller to display a report preview in the CustomPreviewForm form:

   File: MySolution.Module.Win\Controllers\CustomPreviewController.cs(.vb).

   C#

   using DevExpress.ExpressApp;
   using DevExpress.ExpressApp.ReportsV2;
   // ...
   public class CustomPreviewController : ViewController {
       private ReportServiceController reportServiceController;
       protected override void OnActivated() {
           base.OnActivated();
           reportServiceController = Frame.GetController<ReportServiceController>();
           if (reportServiceController != null) {
               reportServiceController.CustomShowPreview += reportServiceController_CustomShowPreview;
           }
       }
       void reportServiceController_CustomShowPreview(object sender, CustomShowPreviewEventArgs e) {
           IReportContainer reportContainer = 
               ReportDataProvider.ReportsStorage.GetReportContainerByHandle(e.ReportContainerHandle);
           reportServiceController.SetupBeforePrint(reportContainer.Report, 
               e.ParametersObject, e.Criteria, e.CanApplyCriteria, e.SortProperty, e.CanApplySortProperty);
           CustomPreviewForm form = new CustomPreviewForm();
           form.ShowReport(reportContainer.Report);
           e.Handled = true;
       }
       protected override void OnDeactivated() {
           if (reportServiceController != null) {
               reportServiceController.CustomShowPreview -= reportServiceController_CustomShowPreview;
           }
       }
   }
   

   VB.NET

   Imports DevExpress.ExpressApp
   Imports DevExpress.ExpressApp.ReportsV2
   ' ...
   Public Class CustomPreviewController
       Inherits ViewController
       Private reportServiceController As ReportServiceController
       Protected Overrides Sub OnActivated()
           MyBase.OnActivated()
           reportServiceController = Frame.GetController(Of ReportServiceController)()
           If reportServiceController IsNot Nothing Then
               AddHandler reportServiceController.CustomShowPreview, AddressOf reportServiceController_CustomShowPreview
           End If
       End Sub
       Private Sub reportServiceController_CustomShowPreview(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As CustomShowPreviewEventArgs)
           Dim reportContainer As IReportContainer = ReportDataProvider.ReportsStorage.GetReportContainerByHandle(e.ReportContainerHandle)
           reportServiceController.SetupBeforePrint(reportContainer.Report, e.ParametersObject, e.Criteria, e.CanApplyCriteria, e.SortProperty, e.CanApplySortProperty)
           Dim form As New CustomPreviewForm()
           form.ShowReport(reportContainer.Report)
           e.Handled = True
       End Sub
       Protected Overrides Sub OnDeactivated()
           If reportServiceController IsNot Nothing Then
               RemoveHandler reportServiceController.CustomShowPreview, AddressOf reportServiceController_CustomShowPreview
           End If
       End Sub
   End Class