What's new in the FastReport 4

Report Designer:

• New XP-style interface
• The "Data" tab with all report datasets
• Ability to draw diagrams in the "Data" tab
• Code completion (Ctrl+Space)
• Breakpoints
• Watches
• Report templates
• Local guidelines (appears when you move or resize an object)
• Ability to work in non-modal mode, mdi child mode

Report Preview:

• Thumbnails

Print:

• Split a big page to several small pages
• Print several small pages on one big
• Print a page on a specified sheet (with scale)
• Duplex handling from print dialogue
• Print copy name on each printed copy (for example, "First copy", "Second copy")

Report Core:

• "endless page" mode
• Images handling, increased speed
• The "Reset page numbers" mode for groups
• Reports encrypting (Rijndael algorithm)
• Report inheritance (both file-based and dfm-based)
• Drill-down groups
• frxGlobalVariables object
• "cross-tab" object enhancements:
  • Improved cells appearance
  • Cross elements visible in the designer
  • Fill corner (ShowCorner property)
  • Side-by-side crosstabs (NextCross property)
  • Join cells with the same value (JoinEqualCells property)
  • Join the same string values in a cell (AllowDuplicates property)
  • Ability to put an external object inside cross-tab
  • AddWidth, AddHeight properties to increase width&height of the cell
  • AutoSize property, ability to resize cells manually
• Line object can have arrows
• Added TfrxPictureView.FileLink property (can contain variable or a file name)
• Separate settings for each frame line (properties Frame.LeftLine, TopLine, RightLine, BottomLine can be set in the object inspector)
• PNG images support (uncomment {$DEFINE PNG} in the frx.inc file)
• Open Document Format for Office Applications (OASIS) exports, spreadsheet (ods) and text (odt)

Enterprise components:

• Users/Groups security support
• Web-forms feature improvements
• Templates support
• Dynamically refresh of reports list, configuration, database connection, users/groups

Features:

• Band-oriented report generator. Wide range of band types allows you to create any kind of report.
• Report can consist of several design pages. Thus you can build a report that consists of cover, data and back cover - all in one file.
• Wide range of objects that can be used in a report: text, picture, lines, shapes, charts, barcodes, cross-table, ole object, richtext, checkbox, gradient.
• Visual report designer supports zooming, undo/redo, guidelines, rulers. Fully customizable interface with MS Office look. You can give your users the ability to modify reports and create new ones.
• Report can contain datasets (tables, queries, DB connections). Thus you can not only use application-defined datasets, but connect to any databases and use tables and queries right inside a report. At this time the following libraries are supported: ADO, BDE, DBX, IBX, FIB, and many third-party DB libraries.
• Report can contain dialogue forms to ask for some data before the report is run. You can create fully standalone, application-independent reports!
• Built-in script engine that supports 4 languages: PascalScript, C++Script, BasicScript, JScript. You can perform complex data handling with it, manage the interaction with dialogue forms and controls.
• The debugging tools: step, breakpoints, watches.
• Visual query builder. You don't have to learn the SQL language to create a complex query from several data tables.
• Export filters allow you to export your report to many supported formats (PDF, RTF, XLS, XML, HTML, JPG, BMP, GIF, TIFF, TXT, CSV, Open Document Format).
• Send report by email with one mouse click.
• Web-reporting components. Distance no longer matters! You can browse a report using only web browser.
• Special kind of report for dot-matrix printing. This type of printer is still alive and used in many corporations. Use FastReport for fast dot-matrix printing!
• Report inheritance (supported both file-based inheritance and visual form inheritance used in Delphi/C++Builder). You have many reports with common elements such as titles, logos, footers? Put the common elements into base report and inherit all other reports from a base.
• Rich printing abilities: cut big pages to several smaller ones, print several small pages on one big, print on specified paper size using scale. You need to print A3 report on A4 printer? It's not a problem anymore!
• Access to any kind of data, from an array to a DB table. You can pass any data from your application into the report, either static (non-changed) data or data dynamically changed from row to row.
• Report wizard. Perform 5 steps and get well-shaped, ready-to-use report.
• Cross-tab reports allow to build a table with complex row and column headers from a single dataset, either table or a query. This is analogous to OLAP cubes with exception that you cannot manage it dynamically.
• Vertical bands allow you to build a table-type report with variable number of table columns.
• Charts. Full support of all features of TeeChart Pro library.
• Multi-functional "Text" object can display one or more text lines. That may contain text mixed with variables or dataset fields or expressions. It supports simple HTML tags (b,i,u,strike,sub,sup,font color), all styles of text alignment, text rotation, fill, frame, WYSIWYG mode.
• UNICODE support. Your report may display all the world languages!
• Extendable FastReport architecture allows you to create your own objects, export filters, functions, wizards, DB engines. If an existing FastReport abilities are not enough for you - extend it!
• Drill-down reports. You can turn your group report into interactive drill-down report with one mouse click! You can expand or collapse a group right in the preview window.
• Interactive reports. You can define an action that will be performed if a user clicks an object in the preview window. For example, you can build and show another report with detailed information about the item that was clicked.
• Don't be concerned about confidentiality with report encryption! You can open the report file only if you know the password.
• Print copy name on each printed copy (for example, "First copy", "Second copy"). You can set up copy names easily.