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In this report, we want to write out some data of one particular product e.g. product’s name, category, description, price etc. including the product's picture. Data model used for all examples is exposed here.

Initially, we are creating a report template. Follow the common preparation steps to start building the template from scratch:

  • Open a new blank Word document and enable it for templating
  • Turn on Data Sources and Elements Explorers
  • Define default data source as the Product class

After that, you should be at the following point:
Inserting Field Element image

Insert Field elements bound to the products's name, category, description and price by configuring their Binding Source and Path properties (for detail explanation please look at Templating single values example):
Example_TemplatingImages
Note that on the picture the pane Data Sorces Explorer is turned off, that does not mean that data sources are discarded; simply, we are not showing it to save the space on the template.

Then insert Image element on the template:
Example_TemplatingImages

Adjust properties Binding Source and Path. Notice that the Image element is bound to the property Image of the class Product which is of type byte array:
Example_TemplatingImages

Finished template (with Design mode turned on) looks like:
Finished template image

Remarks:

  • Image element has to be bound to the one object’s property which is typed of byte array. Type of the concrete image (jpg, png, tif etc.) is not needed to be provided, since Word internally knows to deal with the image content itself.
  • Dummy picture that is placed within an Image element is there for the purpose of formatting in any way, including text wrapping, tuning of the size of the picture etc. Rendering of Image element will be performed by replacing it (together with dummy picture) by the content behind its bound property of type byte array and by keeping, at the same time, all the characteristics of the dummy picture.
  • Dummy picture could be deleted from the Image element and new picture with special size could be inserted instead. No matter which picture is used, formatting and other picture’s properties tuning are going on in the same manner.

Now when we have a report template saved, we can proceed to generation of the report. Report generation takes place programmatically, from your application that is using (has a reference to) the LD ReportEngine dll. This code looks like following:


// Instancing report engine, by assigning the data source
DocumentGenerator dg = new DocumentGenerator(DataAccess.GetProductById(33));

// Generating report by specifying the report template and the resulting report (as file paths)
DocumentGenerationResult result = dg.GenerateDocument("example10.docx", "example10_output.docx");

// Examining potentially errors
if (result.HasErrors)
{
    foreach (Error error in result.Errors) Console.Out.WriteLine(error.Message);
}


It is also possible to invoke the method GenerateDocument with same parameters typed as System.IO.Stream.


Generated report looks like:
Generated Report image