How to: Use XAF Reports in a non-XAF Application

• Feb 24, 2022
• 3 minutes to read

This topic describes how to create, setup and export XAF reports in a non-XAF application. Since XAF stores reports in the database, and XAF reports use Object Space to retrieve data, you should manually connect to the XAF database and create an Object Space in a non-XAF application.

Tip

A complete sample project is available in the DevExpress Code Examples database at https://supportcenter.devexpress.com/ticket/details/t275059/how-to-create-and-setup-an-xtrareport-report-for-exporting-to-a-stream-in-a-non-xaf.

1. Implement the IReportObjectSpaceProvider and IObjectSpaceCreator interfaces.

   C#

   using DevExpress.ExpressApp;
   using DevExpress.ExpressApp.ReportsV2;
   using DevExpress.Persistent.Base.ReportsV2;
   // ...
   public class MyReportObjectSpaceProvider : IReportObjectSpaceProvider, IObjectSpaceCreator {
       IObjectSpaceProvider objectSpaceProvider;
       IObjectSpace objectSpace;
       public MyReportObjectSpaceProvider(IObjectSpaceProvider objectSpaceProvider)  {
           this.objectSpaceProvider = objectSpaceProvider;
       }
       public void DisposeObjectSpaces() {
           if (objectSpace != null) {
               objectSpace.Dispose();
               objectSpace = null;
           }
       }
       public IObjectSpace GetObjectSpace(Type type) {
           if (objectSpace == null) {
               objectSpace = objectSpaceProvider.CreateObjectSpace();
           }
           return objectSpace;
       }
       public IObjectSpace CreateObjectSpace(Type type) {
           return objectSpaceProvider.CreateObjectSpace();
       }
   }
   

   VB.NET

   Imports DevExpress.ExpressApp
   Imports DevExpress.ExpressApp.ReportsV2
   Imports DevExpress.Persistent.Base.ReportsV2
   ' ...
   Public Class MyReportObjectSpaceProvider
       Implements IReportObjectSpaceProvider, IObjectSpaceCreator
       Private objectSpaceProvider As IObjectSpaceProvider
       Private objectSpace As IObjectSpace
       Public Sub New(ByVal objectSpaceProvider As IObjectSpaceProvider)
           Me.objectSpaceProvider = objectSpaceProvider
       End Sub
       Public Sub DisposeObjectSpaces()
           If objectSpace IsNot Nothing Then
               objectSpace.Dispose()
               objectSpace = Nothing
           End If
       End Sub
       Public Function GetObjectSpace(ByVal type As Type) As IObjectSpace
           If objectSpace Is Nothing Then
               objectSpace = objectSpaceProvider.CreateObjectSpace()
           End If
           Return objectSpace
       End Function
       Public Function CreateObjectSpace(ByVal type As Type) As IObjectSpace
           Return objectSpaceProvider.CreateObjectSpace()
       End Function
   End Class
   

2. Inherit the ReportDataSourceHelper class and override the CreateReportObjectSpaceProviderCore method.

   C#

   using DevExpress.ExpressApp;
   using DevExpress.ExpressApp.ReportsV2;
   using DevExpress.Persistent.Base.ReportsV2;
   // ...
   public class MyReportDataSourceHelper : ReportDataSourceHelper {
       IObjectSpaceProvider objectSpaceProvider;
       public MyReportDataSourceHelper(IObjectSpaceProvider objectSpaceProvider) : base(null) {
           this.objectSpaceProvider = objectSpaceProvider;
       }
       protected override IReportObjectSpaceProvider CreateReportObjectSpaceProvider() {
           return new MyReportObjectSpaceProvider(objectSpaceProvider);
       }
   }
   

   VB.NET

   Imports DevExpress.ExpressApp
   Imports DevExpress.ExpressApp.ReportsV2
   Imports DevExpress.Persistent.Base.ReportsV2
   ' ...
   Public Class MyReportDataSourceHelper
       Inherits ReportDataSourceHelper
   
       Private objectSpaceProvider As IObjectSpaceProvider
       Public Sub New(ByVal objectSpaceProvider As IObjectSpaceProvider)
           MyBase.New(Nothing)
           Me.objectSpaceProvider = objectSpaceProvider
       End Sub
       Protected Overrides Function CreateReportObjectSpaceProvider() As IReportObjectSpaceProvider
           Return New MyReportObjectSpaceProvider(objectSpaceProvider)
       End Function
   End Class
   

3. Create an Object Space Provider using the approach from the Access XAF Application Data in a non-XAF Application article and register the required types in the Types Info Subsystem.

   An example for the Entity Framework.

   C#

   using DevExpress.ExpressApp;
   using DevExpress.ExpressApp.DC;
   using DevExpress.ExpressApp.EF;
   using DevExpress.Persistent.BaseImpl.EF;
   // ...
   connectionString = 
       @"Integrated Security=SSPI;Pooling=false;MultipleActiveResultSets=True;Data Source=(localdb)\v11.0;Initial Catalog=ExportReportDemoEF";
   EFObjectSpaceProvider objectSpaceProvider = new EFObjectSpaceProvider(typeof(ExportReportDemoEFDbContext), connectionString);
   ((TypesInfo)XafTypesInfo.Instance).AddEntityStore(objectSpaceProvider.EntityStore);
   XafTypesInfo.Instance.RegisterEntity(typeof(Person));
   

   VB.NET

   Imports DevExpress.ExpressApp
   Imports DevExpress.ExpressApp.DC
   Imports DevExpress.ExpressApp.EF
   Imports DevExpress.Persistent.BaseImpl.EF
   ' ...
   Dim connectionString As String = _
   "Integrated Security=SSPI;Pooling=false;MultipleActiveResultSets=True;Data Source=(localdb)\v11.0;Initial Catalog=ExportReportDemoEF"
   Dim objectSpaceProvider As New EFObjectSpaceProvider(GetType(ExportReportDemoEFDbContext), connectionString)
   CType(XafTypesInfo.Instance, TypesInfo).AddEntityStore(objectSpaceProvider.EntityStore)
   XafTypesInfo.Instance.RegisterEntity(GetType(Person))
   

   An example for XPO.

   C#

   using DevExpress.ExpressApp;
   using DevExpress.ExpressApp.DC;
   using DevExpress.ExpressApp.DC.Xpo;
   using DevExpress.ExpressApp.Xpo;
   using DevExpress.Persistent.BaseImpl;
   // ...
   connectionString =
       @"Integrated Security=SSPI;Data Source=(localdb)\v11.0;Initial Catalog=ExportReportDemo";
   XpoTypesInfoHelper.ForceInitialize();
   ITypesInfo typesInfo = XpoTypesInfoHelper.GetTypesInfo();
   XpoTypeInfoSource xpoTypeInfoSource = XpoTypesInfoHelper.GetXpoTypeInfoSource();
   typesInfo.RegisterEntity(typeof(Person));
   typesInfo.RegisterEntity(typeof(ReportDataV2));
   ConnectionStringDataStoreProvider dataStoreProvider = new ConnectionStringDataStoreProvider(connectionString);
   XPObjectSpaceProvider objectSpaceProvider = new XPObjectSpaceProvider(dataStoreProvider, typesInfo, xpoTypeInfoSource);
   

   VB.NET

   Imports DevExpress.ExpressApp
   Imports DevExpress.ExpressApp.DC
   Imports DevExpress.ExpressApp.DC.Xpo
   Imports DevExpress.ExpressApp.Xpo
   Imports DevExpress.Persistent.BaseImpl
   ' ...
   Dim connectionString As String = _
   @"Integrated Security=SSPI;Data Source=(localdb)\v11.0;Initial Catalog=ExportReportDemo"
   XpoTypesInfoHelper.ForceInitialize()
   Dim typesInfo As ITypesInfo = XpoTypesInfoHelper.GetTypesInfo()
   Dim xpoTypeInfoSource As XpoTypeInfoSource = XpoTypesInfoHelper.GetXpoTypeInfoSource()
   typesInfo.RegisterEntity(GetType(Person))
   typesInfo.RegisterEntity(GetType(ReportDataV2))
   Dim dataStoreProvider As New ConnectionStringDataStoreProvider(connectionString)
   Dim objectSpaceProvider As New XPObjectSpaceProvider(dataStoreProvider, typesInfo, xpoTypeInfoSource)
   

4. Use the approach described in the How to: Print a Report Without Displaying a Preview topic to access and print the report.

   C#

   using DevExpress.ExpressApp;
   using DevExpress.XtraReports.UI;
   using DevExpress.ExpressApp.ReportsV2;
   // ...
   IObjectSpace objectSpace = objectSpaceProvider.CreateObjectSpace();
   ReportDataV2 reportData = objectSpace.FindObject<ReportDataV2>(
       new BinaryOperator("DisplayName", "Employees Report"));
   XtraReport report = ReportDataProvider.ReportsStorage.LoadReport(reportData);
   MyReportDataSourceHelper reportDataSourceHelper = new MyReportDataSourceHelper(objectSpaceProvider);
   ReportDataProvider.ReportObjectSpaceProvider = new MyReportObjectSpaceProvider(objectSpaceProvider);
   reportDataSourceHelper.SetupBeforePrint(report);
   report.ExportToPdf("report.pdf");
   

   VB.NET

   Imports DevExpress.ExpressApp
   Imports DevExpress.XtraReports.UI
   Imports DevExpress.ExpressApp.ReportsV2
   ' ...
   Dim objectSpace As IObjectSpace = objectSpaceProvider.CreateObjectSpace()
   Dim reportData As ReportDataV2 = objectSpace.FindObject(Of ReportDataV2)(New BinaryOperator("DisplayName", "Employees Report"))
   Dim report As XtraReport = ReportDataProvider.ReportsStorage.LoadReport(reportData)
   Dim reportDataSourceHelper As New MyReportDataSourceHelper(objectSpaceProvider)
   ReportDataProvider.ReportObjectSpaceProvider = New MyReportObjectSpaceProvider(objectSpaceProvider)
   reportDataSourceHelper.SetupBeforePrint(report)
   report.ExportToPdf("report.pdf")