Database Collation and Linking

Linking DataViews in the ReportBuilder Data workspace (DADE), requires that the detail data be sorted by the linking fields. When DataViews are linked, DADE generates special linking SQL for the detail DataView. The linking SQL (Magic SQL) can be viewed by positioning the mouse over the DataView window and pressing Ctrl + Left Mouse button. The results of the Magic SQL query can be viewed by pressing Shift + Left Mouse button.

ReportBuilder's DataPipeline architecture includes support for linked data traversal. Whenver the record position of the master data changes, the traversal logic compares the master and detail field link values and then determines where to locate the record position for the related detail data. The linking logic will only work properly if the Database engine's collation of the detail query result set is in sync with ReportBuilder's internaly field link comparison logic.

Typically the database engine can be configured to use various language drivers which control the collation order used to sort query results.

ReportBuilder contains two properties that can be configured to control the internal field link comparison:

Designer.DataSettings.CollationType (ctASCII or ctANSI) and Designer.DataSettings.IsCaseSensitive (True/False). Using these properties results in one of 4 Delphi string comparison routines being used to compare string data:

Designer.DataSettings -----> QueryDataView
                                |_ SQL object
                                |_ DataPipeline.Links[]: TppMasterFieldLInk