Master with two details from flat datasource

[i.mendizabal@ibermatica.com]

Hi,

We are just evaluating your software, but have one requirement we are not able to design in your reporting system. I don't even know if it is possible, but I'd like to ask just in case.

We use flat datasources as source for our reports (one unique datasource), even though data is hierarchical itself. So, imagine I have a Parent that has two children, such as Order->OrderLine and Order->OrderDetails.

We would like to somehow show a report grouped on Order, and showing two groups or sub-reports or whatever inside each Order, one with the OrderLines for the Order, and below, the OrderDetails for the same order.

So, for example, if I have 2 orders with two details and 3 lines each, we would have 12 lines in total, six for each order:

Order1-Detail1-Line1 || Order1-Detail1-Line2 || Order1-Detail1-Line3 || Order1-Detail2-Line1 || Order1-Detail2-Line2 || Order1-Detail2-Line3
Order2-Detail1-Line1 || Order2-Detail1-Line2 || Order2-Detail1-Line3 || Order2-Detail2-Line1 || Order2-Detail2-Line2 || Order2-Detail2-Line3

We'd like to show one page for each order, with say the order number, and then two different sub-reports (sorry, we come from Crystal world), one showing two order details (with green background) and another one below showing three order lines (with red background), just as if they where two detail bands or subreports.

We have tried nested groups, sub-reports, master component, but with no success. I guess maybe it is a newbie question, but I'd appreciate your help a lot.

Thank you very much for the help, and congratulations for the product; it looks awesome !!

[Alex K.]

Hello,

Sorry, maybe we did not exactly understand your question. Could you send us your report for analysis.

Thank you.

[HighAley]

Hello.
[quote="i".mendizabal@ibermatica.com]We are just evaluating your software, but have one requirement we are not able to design in your reporting system. I don't even know if it is possible, but I'd like to ask just in case.

We use flat datasources as source for our reports (one unique datasource), even though data is hierarchical itself. So, imagine I have a Parent that has two children, such as Order->OrderLine and Order->OrderDetails.

We would like to somehow show a report grouped on Order, and showing two groups or sub-reports or whatever inside each Order, one with the OrderLines for the Order, and below, the OrderDetails for the same order.

So, for example, if I have 2 orders with two details and 3 lines each, we would have 12 lines in total, six for each order:

Order1-Detail1-Line1 || Order1-Detail1-Line2 || Order1-Detail1-Line3 || Order1-Detail2-Line1 || Order1-Detail2-Line2 || Order1-Detail2-Line3
Order2-Detail1-Line1 || Order2-Detail1-Line2 || Order2-Detail1-Line3 || Order2-Detail2-Line1 || Order2-Detail2-Line2 || Order2-Detail2-Line3

We'd like to show one page for each order, with say the order number, and then two different sub-reports (sorry, we come from Crystal world), one showing two order details (with green background) and another one below showing three order lines (with red background), just as if they where two detail bands or subreports.

We have tried nested groups, sub-reports, master component, but with no success. I guess maybe it is a newbie question, but I'd appreciate your help a lot.

Thank you very much for the help, and congratulations for the product; it looks awesome !![/quote]
Do you need something like in the attached report template?

Thank you.

[i.mendizabal@ibermatica.com]

Hi Aleksey,

Thanks for the interest.

No, actually, the sample I am trying to achieve is not exactly what you send. The first difference is that OrderLine is not under OrderDetail, but at the same level; it is a direct descendant of Order, the same as OrderDetail. The second difference is that I have a flat csv, not hierarchized.

I attach a zip file with some files to reproduce the problem:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/62216343/Ejemplo.zip

In there, from one hand, you can find three csv files: Order, OrderDetail and OrderLines, and a Report1, which shows the final result I want to achieve. This data is structured hierarchically, and is something like you send in your sample.

On the other hand, there is an OrderFlat.csv file, which is the real data structure I have. What I want to achieve is something like what I have in Report1, an order which has two details and three lines, not six rows under Order1.

I hope I made myself clear. It is getting quite hard for me to get to explain clearly.

Thanks again, and regards

Igor.

[HighAley]

Hello.

You should add a New Data Source on other Data Source and combine master-detailed report and sorting.

Please, look at the attached report template.

Thank you.

[i.mendizabal@ibermatica.com]

Hi,

Thanks, that is exactly the result I wanted to achieve !!!

The only problem is that I use business objects instead of datasources. I sent a .csv file just to illustrate the example. I tried to perform the same steps as you mention in your post with my business object, but I was not able to create a new business object from existing one. Neither I could create new datasources from existing business objects (although I saw that an option exists, but it never shows a dialog to select any existing business object, and the 'retrieve columns' option fails with a controlled exception, maybe because it has no business object as origin...).

Maybe I should consider transforming my business object into a valid datasource (say, a datatable) to be able to apply your solution?

Thanks a lot.

Igor.

[HighAley]

Hello, Igor.
[quote="i".mendizabal@ibermatica.com]The only problem is that I use business objects instead of datasources. I sent a .csv file just to illustrate the example. I tried to perform the same steps as you mention in your post with my business object, but I was not able to create a new business object from existing one. Neither I could create new datasources from existing business objects (although I saw that an option exists, but it never shows a dialog to select any existing business object, and the 'retrieve columns' option fails with a controlled exception, maybe because it has no business object as origin...).

Maybe I should consider transforming my business object into a valid datasource (say, a datatable) to be able to apply your solution?[/quote]
You should add a second Business Object with different name.

Thank you.

[i.mendizabal@ibermatica.com]

Hello Aleksey,

That would be possible, but I still have a problem with Business Objects. I read in your forums (http://forum.stimulsoft.com/default.aspx?g=posts&t=4782) that

We do not have universal methods of sorting BO's. Business Objects are so specific that applying to them the standard methods of sorting, filtering, grouping is not possible. You should send your Business Object that is already sorted and grouped.

Is this still like that? It can be a problem for me not being able to sort or group my data in the report. I guess this would be different if I had datasources. (UPDATE: I just saw http://forum.stimulsoft.com/default.aspx?g=posts&t=5261 where it says it is solved in v 2011.3; I am running to install this to try it !!! ).

On the other way, I am also using the Silverlight ClientOnly viewer, and I find that there is no RegData method available, only RegBusinessObject. Is it not possible to use datasources in SL? In that case, I better use Business Objects, because we are sharing all our code and reports between WPF and SL.

I am a little bit stuck choosing between datasources and business objects ...

Thanks a lot!!

[HighAley]

Hello.
[quote="i".mendizabal@ibermatica.com]That would be possible, but I still have a problem with Business Objects. I read in your forums (http://forum.stimulsoft.com/default.aspx?g=posts&t=4782) that

We do not have universal methods of sorting BO's. Business Objects are so specific that applying to them the standard methods of sorting, filtering, grouping is not possible. You should send your Business Object that is already sorted and grouped.

Is this still like that? It can be a problem for me not being able to sort or group my data in the report. I guess this would be different if I had datasources. (UPDATE: I just saw http://forum.stimulsoft.com/default.aspx?g=posts&t=5261 where it says it is solved in v 2011.3; I am running to install this to try it !!! ).

On the other way, I am also using the Silverlight ClientOnly viewer, and I find that there is no RegData method available, only RegBusinessObject. Is it not possible to use datasources in SL? In that case, I better use Business Objects, because we are sharing all our code and reports between WPF and SL.

I am a little bit stuck choosing between datasources and business objects ...[/quote]
Native Silverlight Viewer work with Business Objects only. With Data Source can work Client/Server Silverlight Viewer.

If you have any problem with Business Objects, please, send it us and we'll try to solve problems in filtering and sorting in your BO.

Thank you.

[i.mendizabal@ibermatica.com]

Hi Aleksey,

Finally, after many trials, we decided to use something like a report server that receives some input data from the client (either WPF os Silverlight), creates and renders the report, and sends it using SaveDocumentToByteArray. That way, we can "use" datasources also in silverlight, and we can solve the original problem of this post with the solution you gave us.

Anyway, we have finally decided to buy the product, so I guess from now on I will open official support tickets with my doubts instead of writing to the forum...

Thanks a lot for all the help, and keep up with the good work.

Regards,

Igor.