steinerd / reporting.import

An import tool designed to convert third party reports into an internal format supported by DevExpress Reports

Overview

This repository contains a console application project designed to convert third-party reports into DevExpress Report Definition (.REPX) files. You can use these .REPX files to load report layouts within the DevExpress Visual Studio Report Designer, DevExpress End-User Report Designer, or display the report at runtime.

Project Specifics

This report conversion tool is limited in scope (due to differences between DevExpress Reports and other reporting tools). Review the requirements and limitations related to this product before you convert reports.

This project intentionally does not contain third-party libraries. To compile the application, add references to required assemblies.

You can modify the following options in project properties:

• The Build Tab’s Conditional compilation symbols specifies the list of all supported third-party suppliers (all are enabled by default);
• The Debug tab allows you to specify Command line arguments. These arguments determine input and output files (the in and out parameters). If the source or destination file is stored within the application’s root folder, specify the file's name. Otherwise, specify the full path to the file.

Examples of use

You can launch the application from Visual Studio or from the command line and specify the in and out parameters. Use the following command to convert multiple reports at a time:

FOR /R Reports %R IN (*.rpt) DO ReportsImport "/in:%R" "/out:%R.repx"

The following command converts an individual report:

ReportsImport /in:c:\0\crystal\file.rpt /out:c:\0\converted\testreport.repx

RDL/RDLC and Crystal Reports Conversion Specifics

If an RDL/RDLC or Crystal Reports function cannot be converted, it is replaced with the "NOT_SUPPORTED" message, as in the following expression example:

RDL/RDLC	Crystal	DevExpress
=IsDate(Fields!Column.Value)	IsDate({report.Column})	Iif(True, '#NOT_SUPPORTED#', 'IsDate([Column])')

Set the UnrecognizedFunctionBehavior option to Ignore to leave unrecognized functions in expressions.

RDL/RDLC Reports:

ReportsImport /in:c:\0\rdlc\file.rdlc /out:c:\0\converted\testreport.repx /ssrs:UnrecognizedFunctionBehavior=Ignore

Crystal Reports:

ReportsImport /in:c:\0\crystal\file.rpt /out:c:\0\converted\testreport.repx /crystal:UnrecognizedFunctionBehavior=Ignore

The command listed above produces a .REPX file with the unrecognized IsDate function:

RDL/RDLC	Crystal	DevExpress
=IsDate(Fields!Column.Value)	IsDate({report.Column})	IsDate([Column])

You can implement custom functions to support unrecognized functions in DevExpress reports (the IsDate custom function in the sample above).