Overview
ReportBuilder is designed from the ground up to provide an extensible reporting platform for tackling advanced reporting requirements in all areas: data access, report layout and design, and report output. ReportBuilder includes a complete set of abstract ancestor classes for deriving new components in each of these areas. If you’ve got a component you would like to share, drop us a line at components@digital-metaphors.com.
Database Products
ReportBuilder leverages Delphi’s strong data access architecture to provide connectivity to most any database product. Use ReportBuilder’s DBPipeline component to connect to Delphi datasets such as FireDAC, ADO, IBExpress, dbExpress as well as 3rd-party datasets such as Advantage, ElevateDB, DBISAM, NExusDB,…
DataPipelines
The DataPipeline class in ReportBuilder provides an open, extensible architecture for natively accessing data stored in any format. ReportBuilder includes a DBPipeline for dataset access, a TextPipeline for accessing data stored in text files, and a JITPipeline for accessing data based on custom event-handlers. Additional data pipelines can be developed to natively access data stored in proprietary formats or objects.
DADE Plug-ins
ReportBuilder Pro’s Data Access Development Environment (DADE) contains QueryWizard and QueryDesigner tools that enable developers and End-Users to create and modify SQL queries. The DADE architecture allows developers to define custom DataView classes for the purpose of using the Query tools with any SQL based TDataSet descendant.
Report Components
The Report Component Library (RCL) is to ReportBuilder what the VCL is to Delphi. The RCL enables developers to derive new report components and install them into the Report Designer’s component palette.
Output Devices
The Device class in ReportBuilder provides an open, extensible architecture for translating report page objects into a more useable format.
International Languages
This page provides a list of the languages supported by ReportBuilder and the translator who has completed each translation. A download link is provided for translations which are not currently included in the product. Instructions on how to install these translations are included in the download.
DADE Plugins
ReportBuilder’s Data Access Development Environment (DADE) contains QueryWizard and QueryDesigner tools that enable developers and end-users to create and modify SQL queries. The DADE architecture allows developers to define custom DataView classes for the purpose of using the Query tools with any SQL based TDataSet descendant. A DataView class is responsible for creating the data access objects required to connect a report to data. A typical DataView will contain one or more DataPipelines, DataSources, and DataSets.
DADE includes dataview classes that support Delphi’s FireDAC, ADO, IBExpress, and dbExpress components. Additional plug-ins are available for download and new plug-ins can be created to support products that contain SQL based TDataSet descendants.
[table id=41 /]
RCL
The Report Component Library (RCL) is to ReportBuilder what the VCL is to Delphi. The RCL enables developers to derive new report components and install them into the Report Designer’s component palette. Frequently requested components are Grid and Crosstab.
[table id=40 /]
Output Devices
The Device class in ReportBuilder provides an open, extensible architecture for translating report page objects into more useable formats. ReportBuilder includes devices for screen, printer, archive, PDF, Doc, Xls, Xlsx, RTF, Html, text and images such as Png, Jpg, Bmp, Emf. An email class is included for emailing reports.
[table id=11 /]
Language Support
Digital Metaphors is committed to serving the world market. Part of this commitment is clearly evidenced in ReportBuilder, which contains a state-of-the-art architecture for the conversion of the user-interface into the native language of various nations throughout the world. This architecture is composed of two basic parts:
String Translation Application
The String Translation Application allows translators to quickly and easily create new translations or update existing translations. This application shows translators the actual dialogs in which each string is used. When a translation is complete, the application automatically generates the ‘rc’ files needed to incorporate a translation into ReportBuilder.
State-of-the-Art Language Architecture
The second part of the architecture resides in ReportBuilder itself. Here multiple translations can reside in a single application. On-the-fly selection of any given language is provided via a single property of the report component. Application executables are optimized to contain only the languages necessary to support the application. This page provides a list of the languages supported by ReportBuilder and the translator who has completed each translation. A download link is provided for translations which are not currently included in the product. Instructions on how to install these translations are included in the download.
Included Translations
[table id=38 /]
Downloadable Translations
[table id=39 /]