Open PageDesign from preview?

[midspace]

Hi,

The WinForms control has the ability to open the PageDesigner from the Preview.
This can also be done programmatically va stiViewerControl.InvokePageDesign();

However, we cannot find a similar thing in the Web controls.
Is this possible? Or at least a way of loading a rendered Report back in the Web Template designer?

[Edward]

Hi Midspace,

Unfortunately, there is no way to do a similar thing in the web version of the designer because the viewer and designer are separate controls. There is no such a command that can do this in a similar fashion as it was possible in WinForms version.

Could you please explain your task in more details, maybe we could find some other way to load the rendered report into the report viewer? Maybe something more of a standard approach, as in our live demo?
https://demo.stimulsoft.com/
If the designer is required, then it will be called for a specific report, or if the rendered report is required, then it could be loaded into the standard viewer?

Thank you,
Edward

[Sellorio-SyncSoft]

Hi Edward,

I work with Midspace.

We are using the standard MVC method "@Html.Stimulsoft()..." to place the stimulsoft Viewer or Designer on our page. In the WinForms control, we were able to take a rendered report (MDC) and call InvokePageDesign on the control in order to modify the report in the designer. I understand that this feature is not available to the web controls.

From my understanding, the WinForms control converts the MDC to an MRT with only literal values (no data bindings) and thus the designer is able to edit it. Is there any way for us to access this conversion logic so we may do something similar by switching out the Viewer with the Designer and providing the Designer with the converted MRT?

Thanks

[midspace]

We have a developed a report engine by utilizing the Stimulsoft WinForms controls.
Current it works by:
1. We generate an xml dataset via business processing.
2. Using the associated .MRT template, we generate the report.
3. The report is displayed using the Stimulsoft.Report.Viewer.StiViewerControl.
4. We allow the user to make minor custom adjustments to the rendered report. This is done by using the "Edit" option, or calling StiViewerControl.InvokePageDesign() via our own toolbar.
5. The Stimulsoft Winform preview changes from the rendered content to the designer, containing the rendered content in a template format. Note, this does not show the original template.
6. Once the user is satisfied, we can return to the preview with the new changes for processing, either exporting to PDF or printing.

We are now trying to replicate the above in a standard ASP.NET MVC methods. But because the web controls do not have a InvokePageDesign, so are somewhat blocked.
We have looked at trying to do the same using the Web controls, by switching between the Preview and Designer controls.
If we save the rendered StiReport to a file (.MDC), and then try to load it in the Web designer, we end up with a blank page. It does not appear to load a complete or rendered StiReport.
If we had the ability to convert .MDC to an .MRT like the WinForms StiViewerControl does, we would be set.

[Edward]

Hi Midspace & Sellorio,

Thank you for explaining the workflow, it does make sense now.

Could you please confirm that my understanding is correct and you could follow the proposed path:
1) The report is rendered in the web viewer in a normal way from mrt file, as per the following sample;
http://demo.stimulsoft.com/#Net/EditableReport
2) The user clicks the Editor Tool in the toolbar to edit the editable fields, please check the above report.
3) Then if I understood correctly, a user would like to rearrange/resize, remove or add some components on the rendered page in a 'designer-style' editor mode. This mode is something that appears if you click Edit Page button in the report preview in the following video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LrLzIcE007w
4) The rendered .MDC report can be saved or exported.

So the steps above are perfectly possible apart from point 3 now, in my opinion, but you suggested to achieve the point 3 above by converting the .MDC into 'a multipaged' .MRT format, so you could use the standard designer to edit the rendered report.
Please confirm my understanding is correct and we will discuss the possibility of such a scenario.

Thank you,
Edward

[Sellorio-SyncSoft]

Hi Edward,

That sounds like what we want. How do we convert the MDC to the multipaged MRT?

Thanks,
Sellorio

[Lech Kulikowski]

Hello,

Unfortunately, in the Web version, it is not possible. Sorry.

Thank you.

[Sellorio-SyncSoft]

Hi Stimulsoft,

We need this feature since we allow our users to modify the generated reports before sending (for custom blocks of text applicable to only this particular print).

Can we get an ETA on this?

Regards,
Sea

[Edward]

Hi Sea,

We have discussed this and unfortunately, we currently do not have plans to introduce this feature in the nearest future.

Thank you,
Edward