Stimulsoft Reportswpf Official
Here’s a concise Stimulsoft Reports.WPF guide to get you started.
1. Separation of Concerns
Stimulsoft uses a .mrt (Report Template) file format. This separates the report layout from the application code. If a client wants to move a logo or change a font, they can do so in the designer without requiring a recompilation of the WPF application.
Integration tips
- For MVVM, wrap report operations in view-model commands and avoid heavy logic in code-behind.
- Use object data sources for strongly typed models to simplify binding and expressions.
- Preprocess large datasets on a background thread to keep the UI responsive; call Render() when data is ready.
- Use report templates and styles for consistent branding and faster report development.
What it is
Stimulsoft Reports.WPF is a WPF-targeted edition of Stimulsoft’s reporting suite. It includes: stimulsoft reportswpf
- A visual report designer (standalone and embeddable).
- Report viewer and printing components for WPF.
- Support for band- and page-based report layouts, charts, gauges, and maps.
- Exporters for PDF, Excel, Word, HTML, images, and more.
- Data binding to multiple sources (SQL, ORM, JSON, XML, objects).
Data Connectivity and Processing
One of Stimulsoft Reports.WPF's strongest assets is its versatility in data handling. It supports a wide array of data sources suitable for desktop environments:
- SQL Sources: Direct connections to MS SQL, MySQL, PostgreSQL, Oracle, and ODBC/OLEDB sources.
- Business Objects: This is the "Gold Standard" for WPF developers. Stimulsoft can consume .NET business objects (IEnumerable collections) passed from the application. This allows developers to keep their MVVM architecture intact, retrieving data in the application logic and passing it to the report engine without requiring direct SQL access from the report file.
- JSON, XML, and CSV: For modern interoperability or configuration-based data.
Additionally, the internal scripting engine (C# or VB.NET) allows for complex event handling. Developers can write code within the report to manipulate data at the moment of rendering, allowing for conditional formatting or complex calculations that go beyond standard expressions. Here’s a concise Stimulsoft Reports
Key Takeaways from the Story
This story highlights the primary benefits of using Stimulsoft Reports.WPF:
- Native WPF Technology: It uses the WPF rendering engine, ensuring that reports look exactly like the rest of the application and utilize hardware acceleration.
- Embedded Designer: The designer can be embedded directly into your application, allowing developers or even end-users to edit reports at runtime without needing Visual Studio.
- Rich Data Visualization: Includes native charts, gauges, and barcodes without needing third-party charting libraries.
- Export Versatility: One-click export to PDF, Excel, Word, HTML, and more, solving the headache of custom export logic.
- Performance: Handles large datasets efficiently, overcoming the limitations of standard WPF
FlowDocument or `Data
Load & Show Report in WPF
using Stimulsoft.Report;
using Stimulsoft.Report.Wpf;
// Load report
StiReport report = new StiReport();
report.Load("Report.mrt"); For MVVM, wrap report operations in view-model commands
// Load data (if not saved in .mrt)
// report.RegData(dataset);
// report.Dictionary.Synchronize();
// Show viewer
StiWpfViewerControl viewer = new StiWpfViewerControl();
viewer.Report = report;
viewer.Show();
// Or embed in your window:
// myGrid.Children.Add(viewer);
Typical use cases
- Financial statements, invoices, and receipts.
- Management dashboards and executive summaries.
- Operational reports for inventory, sales, and HR.
- Printable contracts, certificates, and labels.
- Exporting reports to archival formats (PDF/Excel).