VRD - Visual Report Designer Engine

Source: source/classes/vrd.prg

Standalone class (report engine)

VRD is the runtime engine for the Visual Report Designer. It loads and processes report definitions stored in .rpt (INI-format) files, manages data areas, processes database queries, and drives the printing or previewing of complex reports. It is not a visual designer itself but the execution engine that reads the output of the designer.

Key DATA Members

DATA	Type	Description
`cTitle`	Character	Report title
`cReportName`	Character	Report definition file name (.rpt)
`cDefIni`	Character	Main INI file path for report definition
`aAreaInis`	Array	Array of area INI file definitions
`aFonts`	Array	All fonts with properties
`aColors`	Array	All color definitions
`aDBAlias`	Array	Array of database aliases used by areas
`aDBContent`	Array	Array of database content records
`aAreaSource`	Array	Area source definitions (top, width, height, etc.)
`nTopMargin`	Numeric	Top paper margin in mm
`nLeftMargin`	Numeric	Left paper margin in mm
`nPageBreak`	Numeric	Page break position
`nOrientation`	Numeric	1 = Portrait, 2 = Landscape
`oPrn`	TPrinter	Printer device object
`lPreview`	Logical	Preview mode flag
`lShowInfo`	Logical	Show info message during processing

Methods

Method	Description
`New( cReportName, lPreview, cPrinter, oWnd, lModal, lPrintIDs, lNoPrint, lNoExpr, cAreaPath, lPrintDialog, nCopies, lCheck, oPrint, aSize, cTitle, cPreviewDir, lAutoBreak, lShowInfo )`	Create VRD engine and load report definition
`End( lPrintArea )`	Close report, release resources, optionally print
`AreaStart( nArea, lPrintArea, aIDs, aStrings, lPageBreak )`	Start processing a report area
`AreaStart2( nArea, lPrintArea, aIDs, aStrings, lPageBreak )`	Alternate area start with extended parameters
`PrintArea( nArea, nAddtoTop, lPageBreak )`	Print all items in a report area
`PrintRest( nArea, nAddtoTop, lPageBreak )`	Print remaining space in an area after items
`PrintItem( nArea, nItemID, cValue, nAddToTop, lMemo, nEntry )`	Print a specific item in an area
`PrintItemList( nArea, aIDs, aStrings, nAddToTop )`	Print a list of items by ID
`GetItem( nArea, nItemID )`	Get item definition data from area INI
`DrawBox( nTop, nLeft, nBottom, nRight )`	Draw a rectangle box on the report
`Say( nRow, nCol, cText, oFont, nWidth, nClrText, nBkMode, nPad )`	Print text at specified position
`SayMemo( nTop, nLeft, nWidth, nHeight, cText, oFont, nColor, nPad, lVariHeight )`	Print memo text with word wrap
`OpenDatabases()`	Open all databases referenced by report areas
`CloseDatabases()`	Close all opened databases
`GetDBContent( cDatabase, cDBAlias, cDBType, cSeparator, nIndex )`	Retrieve database content for an area
`DBSum( cDatabase, cField, nLen, nDec, cFor, lPrevious, lCount )`	Compute sum of a database field
`DBCount( cDatabase, cFor )`	Count records matching a condition
`SetExpression( cName, cExpression, cInfo )`	Define a named expression for use in items
`GetExpression( cName )`	Retrieve a named expression value
`EvalExpression( cText )`	Evaluate a Harbour expression in report context
`PageBreak( lPrintArea )`	Insert a page break
`PrintDialog()`	Show print setup dialog with printer, copies, range
`SetPaperSize( aSize )`	Set custom paper dimensions

Example: Load and Preview a Report

#include "FiveWin.ch"

function Main()

   local oRpt

   // Load a report definition and open in preview mode
   oRpt := VRD():New( "C:\reports\invoice.rpt", .T. )
   oRpt:OpenDatabases()
   oRpt:AreaStart( 1 )
   oRpt:PrintArea( 1 )
   oRpt:End()

return nil

Notes

VRD reads report definitions from INI-format .rpt files created by the Visual Report Designer application. These files define areas, items, fonts, colors, database connections, and expressions.
Report areas are logical sections (e.g., page header, detail, page footer). Each area has its own set of items (text, fields, lines, boxes) positioned at design-time coordinates.
The engine supports calculated expressions, database summaries, conditional printing, and page break management.
Multiple databases can be opened simultaneously via aDBAlias, supporting master-detail report structures.

VRD - Visual Report Designer Engine

Key DATA Members

Methods

Example: Load and Preview a Report

Notes

See Also