How to: Customize the WinForms Report Designer Form

• May 18, 2022
• 2 minutes to read

This example demonstrates how to access the Report Designer form by handling the WinReportServiceController.DesignFormCreated event.

In this topic, it is assumed that you have an XAF application that uses the Reports V2 Module, and you have created one or more reports (see Reports V2 Module Overview).

Create a View Controller in the WinForms module project. If your solution does not contain this project, add the Controller to the WinForms application project. Override the Controller’s OnActivated method, access the WinReportServiceController using the Frame.GetController<ControllerType> method and subscribe to the WinReportServiceController.DesignFormCreated event.

C#

using System.Drawing.Design;
using DevExpress.XtraReports.UserDesigner;
using DevExpress.ExpressApp;
using DevExpress.ExpressApp.ReportsV2.Win;
// ...
public class CustomDesignerController : ViewController {
    private WinReportServiceController winReportServiceController;
    protected override void OnActivated() {
        base.OnActivated();
        winReportServiceController = Frame.GetController<WinReportServiceController>();
        if (winReportServiceController != null) {
            winReportServiceController.DesignFormCreated += winReportServiceController_DesignFormCreated;
        }
    }
    void winReportServiceController_DesignFormCreated(object sender, DesignFormEventArgs e) {
        e.DesignForm.DesignMdiController.DesignPanelLoaded += DesignMdiController_DesignPanelLoaded;
    }
    void DesignMdiController_DesignPanelLoaded(object sender, DesignerLoadedEventArgs e) {
        IToolboxService ts = (IToolboxService)e.DesignerHost.GetService(typeof(IToolboxService));
        ts.AddToolboxItem(new ToolboxItem(typeof(MyControl)), "New Category");
    }
}

VB.NET

Imports System.Drawing.Design
Imports DevExpress.XtraReports.UserDesigner
Imports DevExpress.ExpressApp
Imports DevExpress.ExpressApp.ReportsV2.Win
' ...
Public Class CustomDesignerController
    Inherits ViewController
    Private winReportServiceController As WinReportServiceController
    Protected Overrides Sub OnActivated()
        MyBase.OnActivated()
        winReportServiceController = Frame.GetController(Of WinReportServiceController)()
        If winReportServiceController IsNot Nothing Then
            winReportServiceController.DesignFormCreated += winReportServiceController_DesignFormCreated
        End If
    End Sub
    Private Sub winReportServiceController_DesignFormCreated( _
    ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As DesignFormEventArgs)
        AddHandler e.DesignForm.DesignMdiController.DesignPanelLoaded, _
        AddressOf DesignMdiController_DesignPanelLoaded
    End Sub
    Private Sub DesignMdiController_DesignPanelLoaded( _
    ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As DesignerLoadedEventArgs)
        Dim ts As IToolboxService = CType(e.DesignerHost.GetService( _
        GetType(IToolboxService)), IToolboxService)
        ts.AddToolboxItem(New ToolboxItem(GetType(MyControl)), "New Category")
    End Sub
End Class

In this code, a custom component is added to the Report Designer toolbar for demonstration purposes. To learn about other possible customizations, refer to the Report Designer topic.