Reports Forms (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.

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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

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