Difference between all the extension types you can use

[aussiegirl]

Hi There

I have got the trial version of Stimulsoft.Net and I have created my own small application that allows users to create new reports and preview etc through my application.

Currently I am simply using the *.mrt extension when a user creates a new report, they can then save it to an access database that I have. The name of the report will be the value that they enter in to my VB form and the extension .mrt is appended to it.

So my question is, what is the difference between, compiled reports *.dll and reports with the *.mdc or *cs, I see in the documentation on how to do it, but is there a good and bad way to save the reports using the different extensions? I am assuming that you cannot open the .dll files in the designer only to preview is this correct?

Also what does it mean exactly to "render a report"

Thanks for you time..

[Jan]

Hello,

I have got the trial version of Stimulsoft.Net and I have created my own small application that allows users to create new reports and preview etc through my application.

Currently I am simply using the *.mrt extension when a user creates a new report, they can then save it to an access database that I have. The name of the report will be the value that they enter in to my VB form and the extension .mrt is appended to it.

So my question is, what is the difference between, compiled reports *.dll and reports with the *.mdc or *cs, I see in the documentation on how to do it, but is there a good and bad way to save the reports using the different extensions? I am assuming that you cannot open the .dll files in the designer only to preview is this correct?

You can save reports from report designer with three types of extension: mrt, mrz, mrx. mrt - this is xml based file format of report template. mrz - its a packed version of report template. mrx - its a packed and encrypted version of report template. All formats can be loaded in report designer after saving. In code you can use Load method of StiReport class to load report template from this formats. For example:

Code: Select all

report.Load("report.mrt");

Also you can save report to C# (.cs) or VB.Net (.vb) source code from report designer. In this case you receive source code file which contain report class. You can't load report which saved as source code in report designer. Latest variant is saving report to assembly. In this case report engine compile report class to .net framework assembly. After then you can load report from this assembly with help of following code:

Code: Select all

StiReport report = StiReport.GetReportFromAssembly("report.dll");

You can't design report which saved into assembly.

Also what does it mean exactly to "render a report"

Its a process when report engine create rendered report which based on report template and binded to this report data. You can call report rendering process with help of Render method of StiReport class. For example:

Code: Select all

StiReport report = new StiReport();
report.Load("myreport.mrt");
report.Render();

Thank you.

[Scorpion31blood]

Hi, I came across this question while getting information about .mrz format. Can you please answer 2 of my queries.
1: Is .mrz format a report format or dashboard format or we can use it in both.
2. Currently I am unable to see it in preview mode using dashboard preview. Is it possible to show the preview. I am using stimulsoft-dashbpards-js package.

[Max Shamanov]

Hello,

1. Yes, you can save both reports and dashboards to mrz.
2. How are you trying to preview the dashboard?

Thank you.