Create RDLC report dynamically at run-time from a DataGridView

Question

I have a form AdvancedSearchForm with a DataGridView control dgrData and a button Report in C# Winform. On click of t

Answer 1

As an option to create RDLC report dynamically at at run-time, you can use Run-Time Text Templates.

In the below example, I've created a simple grid report that can be used to create report dynamically at run-time. You can dynamically add columns to report and set title, width, header back color for column.

In the example, I've filled the template using a DataGridView. But you can use this technique dependent from any kind of contrlol or even use it in web forms.

Sample Usage - Create and Show Dynamic Report

To create and show dynamic report it's enough to add some columns to the ReportForm and then set data and show the form.

var f = new ReportForm();
f.ReportColumns = this.dataGridView1.Columns.Cast<DataGridViewColumn>()
                      .Select(x => new ReportColumn(x.DataPropertyName)
                      { Title = x.HeaderText, Width = x.Width }).ToList();
f.ReportData = this.dataGridView1.DataSource;
f.ShowDialog();

Path to solution

It's enough to add ReportColumn and DynamicReport.tt and ReportForm to your application or even in a reusable library once and then simply use like above example. Follow below steps to create a dynamic report template.

Report Column Model

Create a report column model that contains properties for title, expression, color and so on. We will use this to add columns to report.

using System;
using System.Drawing;
public class ReportColumn
{
    public ReportColumn(string name)
    {
        Name = name;
        Title = name;
        Type = typeof(System.String);
        Width = GetPixelFromInch(1);
        Expression = string.Format("=Fields!{0}.Value", name);
        HeaderBackColor = Color.LightGray;
    }
    public string Name { get; set; }
    public string Title { get; set; }
    public Type Type { get; set; }
    public int Width { get; set; }
    public float WidthInInch
    {
        get { return GetInchFromPixel(Width); }
    }
    public string Expression { get; set; }
    public Color HeaderBackColor { get; set; }
    public string HeaderBackColorInHtml
    {
        get { return ColorTranslator.ToHtml(HeaderBackColor); }
    }
    private int GetPixelFromInch(float inch)
    {
        using (var g = Graphics.FromHwnd(IntPtr.Zero))
            return (int)(g.DpiY * inch);
    }
    private float GetInchFromPixel(int pixel)
    {
        using (var g = Graphics.FromHwnd(IntPtr.Zero))
            return (float)pixel / g.DpiY;
    }
}

Report Template

Add a Run-time Template (Also known as Preprocessed template) to the project and name it DynamicReport.tt and copy this content to the file:

<#@ template language="C#" #>
<#@ import namespace="System.Linq" #>
<#@ import namespace="System.Collections.Generic" #>
<#@ parameter name="Model" type="System.Collections.Generic.List<ReportColumn>"#>
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Report xmlns:rd="http://schemas.microsoft.com/SQLServer/reporting/reportdesigner" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sqlserver/reporting/2008/01/reportdefinition">
  <DataSources>
    <DataSource Name="DataSource1">
      <ConnectionProperties>
        <DataProvider>System.Data.DataSet</DataProvider>
        <ConnectString>/* Local Connection */</ConnectString>
      </ConnectionProperties>
      <rd:DataSourceID>e9784bb0-a630-49cc-b7f9-8495aca23a6c</rd:DataSourceID>
    </DataSource>
  </DataSources>
  <DataSets>
    <DataSet Name="DataSet1">
      <Fields>
<#    foreach(ReportColumn column in Model){#>
        <Field Name="<#=column.Name#>">
          <DataField><#=column.Name#></DataField>
          <rd:TypeName><#=column.Type.Name#></rd:TypeName>
        </Field>
<#    }#>
      </Fields>
      <Query>
        <DataSourceName>DataSource1</DataSourceName>
        <CommandText>/* Local Query */</CommandText>
      </Query>
      <rd:DataSetInfo>
        <rd:DataSetName />
        <rd:TableName />
        <rd:ObjectDataSourceType />
      </rd:DataSetInfo>
    </DataSet>
  </DataSets>
  <Body>
    <ReportItems>
      <Tablix Name="Tablix1">
        <TablixBody>
          <TablixColumns>
<#    foreach(ReportColumn column in Model){#>
            <TablixColumn>
              <Width><#=column.WidthInInch#>in</Width>
            </TablixColumn>
<#    }#>
          </TablixColumns>
          <TablixRows>
            <TablixRow>
              <Height>0.25in</Height>
              <TablixCells>
<#    foreach(ReportColumn column in Model){#>
                <TablixCell>
                  <CellContents>
                    <Textbox Name="<#=column.Name#>TextBox">
                      <CanGrow>true</CanGrow>
                      <KeepTogether>true</KeepTogether>
                      <Paragraphs>
                        <Paragraph>
                          <TextRuns>
                            <TextRun>
                              <Value><#=column.Title#></Value>
                              <Style />
                            </TextRun>
                          </TextRuns>
                          <Style />
                        </Paragraph>
                      </Paragraphs>
                      <rd:DefaultName><#=column.Name#>TextBox</rd:DefaultName>
                      <Style>
                        <Border>
                          <Color>LightGrey</Color>
                          <Style>Solid</Style>
                        </Border>
                        <BackgroundColor><#=column.HeaderBackColorInHtml#></BackgroundColor>
                        <PaddingLeft>2pt</PaddingLeft>
                        <PaddingRight>2pt</PaddingRight>
                        <PaddingTop>2pt</PaddingTop>
                        <PaddingBottom>2pt</PaddingBottom>
                      </Style>
                    </Textbox>
                  </CellContents>
                </TablixCell>
<#    }#>
              </TablixCells>
            </TablixRow>
            <TablixRow>
              <Height>0.25in</Height>
              <TablixCells>
<#    foreach(ReportColumn column in Model){#>
                <TablixCell>
                  <CellContents>
                    <Textbox Name="<#=column.Name#>">
                      <CanGrow>true</CanGrow>
                      <KeepTogether>true</KeepTogether>
                      <Paragraphs>
                        <Paragraph>
                          <TextRuns>
                            <TextRun>
                              <Value><#=column.Expression#></Value>
                              <Style />
                            </TextRun>
                          </TextRuns>
                          <Style />
                        </Paragraph>
                      </Paragraphs>
                      <rd:DefaultName><#=column.Name#></rd:DefaultName>
                      <Style>
                        <Border>
                          <Color>LightGrey</Color>
                          <Style>Solid</Style>
                        </Border>
                        <PaddingLeft>2pt</PaddingLeft>
                        <PaddingRight>2pt</PaddingRight>
                        <PaddingTop>2pt</PaddingTop>
                        <PaddingBottom>2pt</PaddingBottom>
                      </Style>
                    </Textbox>
                  </CellContents>
                </TablixCell>
<#    }#>
              </TablixCells>
            </TablixRow>
          </TablixRows>
        </TablixBody>
        <TablixColumnHierarchy>
          <TablixMembers>
<#    foreach(ReportColumn column in Model){#>
            <TablixMember />
<#    }#>
          </TablixMembers>
        </TablixColumnHierarchy>
        <TablixRowHierarchy>
          <TablixMembers>
            <TablixMember>
              <KeepWithGroup>After</KeepWithGroup>
            </TablixMember>
            <TablixMember>
              <Group Name="Details" />
            </TablixMember>
          </TablixMembers>
        </TablixRowHierarchy>
        <DataSetName>DataSet1</DataSetName>
        <Top>0.15625in</Top>
        <Left>0.125in</Left>
        <Height>0.5in</Height>
        <Width>2in</Width>
        <Style>
          <Border>
            <Style>None</Style>
          </Border>
        </Style>
      </Tablix>
    </ReportItems>
    <Height>0.82292in</Height>
    <Style />
  </Body>
  <Width>6.5in</Width>
  <Page>
    <LeftMargin>1in</LeftMargin>
    <RightMargin>1in</RightMargin>
    <TopMargin>1in</TopMargin>
    <BottomMargin>1in</BottomMargin>
    <Style />
  </Page>
  <rd:ReportID>60987c40-62b1-463b-b670-f3fa81914e33</rd:ReportID>
  <rd:ReportUnitType>Inch</rd:ReportUnitType>
</Report>

Report Form

Add a Form to project and add a ReportViewer control to the form and put this code in the class:

public partial class ReportForm : Form
{
    public ReportForm()
    {
        InitializeComponent();
        ReportColumns  = new List<ReportColumn>();
        this.Load+=new EventHandler(ReportForm_Load);
    }

    public List<ReportColumn> ReportColumns { get; set; }
    public Object ReportData { get; set; }

    private void ReportForm_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        var report = new DynamicReport();
        report.Session = new Dictionary<string, object>();
        report.Session["Model"] = this.ReportColumns;
        report.Initialize();
        var rds = new Microsoft.Reporting.WinForms.ReportDataSource("DataSet1", this.ReportData);
        this.reportViewer1.LocalReport.DataSources.Clear();
        this.reportViewer1.LocalReport.DataSources.Add(rds);
        var reportContent = System.Text.Encoding.UTF8.GetBytes(report.TransformText());
        using (var stream = new System.IO.MemoryStream(reportContent))
        {
            this.reportViewer1.LocalReport.LoadReportDefinition(stream);
        }
        this.reportViewer1.RefreshReport();
    }
}

Note

You can simply extend the ReportColumn model and also DynamicReport.tt. I've created the template using an exiting report, I just used some t4 code tags to make it dynamic.

Example

You can clone or download a working example:

• r-aghaei/DynamicRdlcReport
• Download Zip