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Overview

Reports Forms are formatted text documents presenting values from your solution variables. They can be saved to disk as text or PDF files, or displayed directly within a display.On (Reference) define text-based and PDF report templates with dynamic data integration from tags and queries. ReportForm enable:

  • Text and PDF report generation
  • Dynamic tag value insertion
  • Scheduled report creation
  • Header/footer templates
  • Multiple output formats
  • Automatic file saving

Forms are created using the integrated Reports Forms Editor with real-time preview.

In this page:

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Report Form Example

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ReportForm Configuration

You create the text, formatting, and values by using the integrated ReportForms Editor. To create or edit a report:

Go toReports / Forms.
  • Select a Form name or select the insert row (first row) to create a new Form.
  • Enter or select information in the Form’s row, as needed.
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    Reports → Tutorial | Concept | How-to Guide | Reference



    Configuration Properties

    PropertyDescriptionRequired
    NameUnique form identifierYes
    SaveFormatOutput format (Text/HTML/Unicode/ASCII/PDF)Yes
    SaveFileNameFull path for saved reportsYes
    SaveTriggerTag/property to trigger saveNo
    PaddingText alignment (Compact/PadRight/PadLeft)No
    AppendFile to append content toNo
    HeaderHeader template referenceNo
    FooterFooter template referenceNo
    LengthDocument size configurationNo
    EditSecurityUser group permissionsNo
    DescriptionDocumentation textNo

    Creating Report Forms

    1. Navigate to Reports → Forms
    2. Click first row to create new form
    3. Configure:
      • Name: Unique identifier
      • SaveFormat: Select output type
      • SaveFileName: Target file path
    4. Double-click to open Forms Editor

    Forms Editor

    Text Formatting

    • Font selection and sizing
    • Bold, italic, underline
    • Text alignment
    • Color selection
    • Bullet points and numbering

    Dynamic Content

    Insert tag values:

    Production Report
    Date: @Info.Date@
    Shift: @Tag.Shift_Number@
    Total Units: @Tag.Production_Count@
    Quality Score: @Tag.Quality_Score@%

    Tables

    | Product | Quantity | Status |
    |---------|----------|--------|
    | @Tag.Product1@ | @Tag.Qty1@ | @Tag.Status1@ |
    | @Tag.Product2@ | @Tag.Qty2@ | @Tag.Status2@ |

    Output Formats

    Text Format

    Plain ASCII text:

    • Fixed-width fonts
    • No formatting
    • Smallest file size
    • Universal compatibility

    HTML Format

    Web-ready reports:

    • Full formatting support
    • Images and links
    • CSS styling
    • Browser viewing

    PDF Format

    Professional documents:

    • Exact layout preservation
    • Print-ready output
    • Digital signatures
    • Security options

    File Naming

    Static Names

    C:\Reports\DailyReport.pdf
    \\Server\Reports\Production.txt

    Dynamic with Tags

    C:\Reports\Report_@Tag.Date@.pdf
    C:\Reports\@Tag.Shift@_@Tag.Line@.txt

    Using Macros

    @ExecutionPath@\Reports\Current.pdf
    @SolutionPath@\Output\Report.txt

    Runtime Display

    Windows WPF Clients

    • ReportViewer Control - Native report display
    • PdfViewer Control - PDF rendering

    Web HTML5 Clients

    • PdfViewer Control - Browser-based viewing

    Control Configuration

    xml

    <ReportViewer ReportName="ProductionReport" />
    <PdfViewer Source="@Report.Form.DailyReport.FileName" />

    Triggering Reports

    Manual Generation

    csharp

    // Generate report on button click
    @Report.Form.ProductionReport.Generate();

    Scheduled Generation

    Using SaveTrigger property:

    csharp

    // Trigger at shift change
    @Tag.ShiftChange = 1;  // Triggers if SaveTrigger = Tag.ShiftChange

    Script-Based

    csharp

    public void GenerateDailyReport()
    {
        // Set report data
        @Tag.ReportDate = DateTime.Today;
        @Tag.TotalProduction = CalculateTotal();
        
        // Generate and save
        @Report.Form.DailyReport.Generate();
        @Report.Form.DailyReport.Save();
    }

    Headers and Footers

    Header Template

    Create standard header:

    ========================================
         ACME Corporation
         Production Report
         @Info.Date@ @Info.Time@
    ========================================

    Footer Template

    Standard footer:

    ----------------------------------------
    Page @Page.Number@ of @Page.Total@
    Generated by: @Client.UserName@
    ========================================

    Linking Templates

    1. Create header/footer forms
    2. Reference in main report:
      • Header: Select header form
      • Footer: Select footer form

    Padding Options

    OptionEffectUse Case
    CompactNo extra spacingData files
    PadRightRight-align with spacesFixed-width reports
    PadLeftLeft-align with spacesNumeric columns

    Security Configuration

    EditSecurity

    Control who can modify reports:

    • Set user groups with edit rights
    • Restrict runtime modifications
    • Protect report templates

    File Permissions

    Ensure write access to:

    • Report output directories
    • Network shares
    • Temporary folders

    Best Practices Checklist 

    •  Use templates - Create reusable headers/footers
    •  Test paths - Verify file locations exist
    •  Handle errors - Check generation status
    •  Archive reports - Implement retention policy
    •  Validate data - Check tags before generation
    •  Schedule wisely - Avoid peak load times
    •  Monitor disk space - Clean old reports

    Troubleshooting

    Report not generating:

    • Verify form configuration
    • Check SaveTrigger conditions
    • Confirm file path exists
    • Review user permissions

    Missing data:

    • Check tag names
    • Verify tag values populated
    • Review timing of generation
    • Confirm data availability

    Format issues:

    • Match SaveFormat to viewer
    • Check padding settings
    • Verify encoding (ASCII/Unicode)
    • Review template formatting

    File access errors:

    • Check write permissions
    • Verify network connectivity
    • Close open report files
    • Review antivirus settings

    You can edit the contents of the ReportForm in the Reports Forms Editor.

    Visualizing Reports in Runtime

    To visualize the reports created from a ReportForm at runtime is straightforward.

    When using Windows WPF clients, you can use the following visualization controls. 

    When using Web HTML5, or portable displays, you can use the following visualization control:

    Properties Reference

    ReportForms Configuration table

    Property

    Description

    ID

    Identifies the unique identifier assigned.

    VersionID

    Specifies the version number.

    Name

    Indicates the name assigned for identification.

    Padding

    Determines space around content: 'Compact' for no extra characters, 'PadRight' for extra space to the right, 'PadLeft' for extra space to the left.

    SaveFormat

    Sets the file format for saving the document: 'Text', 'HTML', 'Unicode', 'ASCII' or 'PDF'.

    SaveFileName

    Specifies the full path and filename for saving the document.

    SaveTrigger

    Sets an object property to trigger the save action.

    Append

    Specifies the file to which the document will be appended.

    Header

    Selects another document to serve as the header.

    Footer

    Selects another document to serve as the footer.

    Length

    Configures the size of the document.

    EditSecurity

    Checks which user groups have edit permissions for the document.

    Legacy

    Indicates if the document is a legacy version (read-only).

    Level

    Determines the access level required for interaction.

    Category

    Organizes the document into a management category.

    LockState

    Shows the current lock status of the document for editing or changes.

    LockOwner

    Identifies the user who has locked the document for exclusive editing.

    DateCreated

    Records the date and time of the document's creation.

    DateModified

    Records the date and time the document was last modified.

    Description

    Provides a summary or explanation of the document's content.

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