Creating a simple column report with VPE

Even though there is no designer for VPE reports especially column based reports can be created very quickly and can also be maintained rather easily

as an example lets walk through creating a simple customer report

the skeleton for a report object looks as follows

Object oColumnReport is a cszVpeColumnReport_V2
    // main file is CUST ordered by index.1
    Set Main_File to CUST.file_number
    Set ordering to 1

    Object oPageHeader is a cszVpePageHeaderSection
            Set psPageTitle to "StarZen Technologies, Inc"
            Set psPageSubtitle to "Column Report Sample V2"
            Set piSectionHeight to 150
    End_Object
        
End_Object

We create a simple object based on the cszVpeColumnReport class

We can set the main file and the ordering. The report class can either support database finds and constraints directly or via an attached DataDictionary object

In our example we will add constraints directly to the report object as well as a manual selection function

    // Constraint    
    Procedure OnConstrain
        String sIDTo sIDFrom
        
        Get Value of oSelStart1 to sIDFrom
        Get Value of oSelStop1 to sIDTo
        
        Constrain CUST.NUM ge sIDFrom
        If (trim(sIDTo)<>"") Constrain CUST.nUm ge sIDTo            
    End_Procedure
    
    // use manual selection
    Function Selection Returns Integer
        Send DoUpdateStatusPanel ("Processing record#: "+String(CUST.NUM))
    
        Function_Return RPT_OK
    End_Function

the report class also has a built in status panel feature and we are updating the status panel from the selection function

Now on to define the columns. this works very similar to the way you define columns in dbgrids and dblists

Object oIDColumn is a cszVpeReportColumn 
  Set psCaption to "ID"
  Set piWidth to 8
                
  Function ColumnValue Returns String
    Function_Return (trim(CUST.NUM))
  End_Function 
End_Object
        
Object oNameColumn is a cszVpeReportColumn 
  Set psCaption to "Name"
  Set piWidth to 20
                
  Function ColumnValue Returns String
    Function_Return (trim(CUST.NAME))
  End_Function 
End_Object

Object oAddressColumn is a cszVpeReportColumn 
  Set psCaption to "Address"
  Set piWidth to 20
                
  Function ColumnValue Returns String
    Function_Return (trim(CUST.ADDRESS1))
  End_Function 
End_Object

Object oCityColumn is a cszVpeReportColumn 
  Set psCaption to "City"
  Set piWidth to 12
                
  Function ColumnValue Returns String
    Function_Return (trim(CUST.CITY))
  End_Function 
End_Object

Object oBalanceColumn is a cszVpeReportColumn 
  Set psCaption to "Balance"
  Set piWidth to 18
  Set piTextAlignment to VPE_ALIGN_RIGHT
  Set pbTotal to True
  Set pnTotalFormat to 8.2
  Set pbTotalThousandsFormatting to True
                
  Function ColumnValue Returns String
    Function_Return (szFormatToDecimalsEx(cust.balance,10.2,True))
  End_Function 
End_Object

you simply define all the column objects setting properties. The report class supports hiding as well as reording columns at runtime and will adjust the report output automatically based on these changes

we can also define other sections for example a page header section

        Object oPageHeader is a cszVpePageHeaderSection
                Set psPageTitle to "StarZen Technologies, Inc"
                Set psPageSubtitle to "Column Report Sample V2"
                Set piSectionHeight to 150
        End_Object

this is pretty much all there is to creating a simple column report

These VPE reports can be used in both DataFlex Desktop as well as WebApp applications