Report Controls

This topic describes report controls, which are used to display various information in a report. There is a list of controls available in dbForge Fusion for SQL Server and some basic recommendations on their usage.

What is a Report Control?

A Report Control represents a specific report element (like text, picture, check box, etc.) which can be inserted into a report. Report controls can reside either inside report bands, or inside other report controls which may serve as control containers (like panel).

The appearance and behavior of a report control is defined by its type. See the section below to learn more about different report control types available in the current version of Fusion for SQL Server.

Control Types

The table below represents report controls available in dbForge Fusion for SQL Server:

Report Control Description
Label A label control, which allows inserting single-line or multi-line text into a report. This text may be either static, or dynamically populated from a report data source.
Check Box A check box control, which is intended to display a True/False or Checked/Unchecked/Indeterminate state in a report.
Rich Text A rich text control, which is intended to display, enter and manipulate formatted text. You can enter and format its text at design time, load it from an external file, or bind this control to a data field.
Picture Box A picture box control, which is intended to display an image in a report. Use this control to insert images of different types into your reports.
Panel A panel control, which can contain other report controls. It is used for grouping controls together to make their manipulation easier.
Table A table control, which inserts a table (containing rows and cells) in a report. Note: to create a table that is identical to some table from data source, simply drag the needed table from the Data Source window onto Designer. Each cell of the table will be bound to a field of the source table.
Line A line control, which draws vertical, horizontal or diagonal lines in a report.
Shape A shape control, which allows to insert any simple graphics into a report.
Bar Code A barcode control, which allows to insert many different barcode types into a report.
Zip Code A zipcode control, which allows the insertion of numbers representing a zipcode into a report.
Chart A chart control is used to represent data in a graphical view.
Note: if the Chart control is bound to data, set the Data Source option in the report smart tag to (none) to display it correctly.
Tip: the Chart control can be placed on a blank data report by selecting Send to -> Chart Designer from the shortcut menu of any table or view in the Database Explorer window, Data window, or Data view of some SQL document. If you perform this action, blank data report will be created with the Chart control on it, table columns will be visible in the Data Source window, and Chart Wizard will be opened.
Pivot Grid A pivot grid control (also called as pivot table) represents data from an underlying data source in a cross-tabulated form to create cross-tab reports.
Note: if the PivotGrid control is bound to data, set the Data Source option in the report smart tag to (none) to display it correctly.
Page Info A control, which displays some auxiliary information in a report. Used to display page numbers, the current date or user information in your reports.
Page Break A page break control, which serves to mark the place where a report should start a new page.
Cross-band Line A line control, which draws itself through the bands, from the CrossBandControl.StartPoint to the CrossBandControl.EndPoint.
Cross-band Box A box control, which draws itself through the bands, from the CrossBandControl.StartPoint to the CrossBandControl.EndPoint.

Editing Report Controls

Report controls can be added to a report in different ways. For example, you may use one of the methods listed below:

  • Drag an appropriate item from the Toolbox window, and drop it onto a report.
  • Another way of adding report controls to a report is to use the Data Source window. When any data field is dragged and dropped onto a report, a new appropriate report control is added and automatically bound to the specified data field.