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Every Visual Basic programmer is familiar with the idea of an interactive designer. For example, User-Defined Forms and UserControls are created and edited using VB6's intrinsic GUI designer. The GUI designer allows the programmer to interactively edit a visual representation of the Form or UserControl and then stores most of the information in mostly text-based files (.frm/.ctl) files. In addition to its GUI designer, Visual Basic allows third party component developers to create their own interactive component designers. These Third-Party Designers (3PDs) require the installation the third-party product. They allow the programmer to interactively edit a visual representation of their components and store design-time information in mostly proprietary binary format. This is somewhat similar to, but worse generally more obscure than, the problem of complex proprietary setting third-party control information stored in for forms and controls in binary frx and ctx files.
| Info |
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VB6 also has intrinsic DataReports |
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, DataEnvironments, WebDocuments, and PropertyPages all with their own custom designers. These types are rarely used in the codes we have seen so they are not fully supported by gmBasic at this time. |
Third-party designers typically create two types of files:
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In order to process a 3PD subclass, the dsx files must be converted to a text format that gmBasic can read, interpret, and load.
This article describes how different types of custom designer APIs are handled.
ActiveReports
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article describes how different types of custom designer APIs are handled.
ActiveReports
| Original VB6 | Generated DSX.RPT file |
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The dsr file has very little information in it besides the name of the designer subclass
and a reference to the dsx file containing the detailed of the subclass structure. | Code Block |
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| VERSION 5.00
Begin {9EB8768B-CDFA-44DF-8F3E-857A8405E1DB} Contact_Call_Log_Counts
Caption = "Company Check Form"
ClientHeight = 11115
ClientLeft = 60
ClientTop = 345
ClientWidth = 15240
StartUpPosition = 3 'Windows Default
_ExtentX = 26882
_ExtentY = 19606
SectionData = "Contact_Call_Log_Counts.dsx":0000 <---
End
Attribute VB_Name = "Contact_Call_Log_Counts"
Attribute VB_GlobalNameSpace = False
Attribute VB_Creatable = False
Attribute VB_PredeclaredId = True
Attribute VB_Exposed = False |
| After running the makedsr process with gmStudio I have a text file (*.dsr.rpt) containing the detailed
structure of the designer subclass that can be loaded by gmBasic. | Code Block |
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| Begin DDActiveReports2.ActiveReport Contact_Call_Log_Counts
Version = 2.0
Begin DDActiveReports2.Section ReportHeader
Type = "ReportHeader"
Name = "ReportHeader"
Height = "0"
KeepTogether = "-1"
End
Begin DDActiveReports2.Section PageHeader
Type = "PageHeader"
Name = "PageHeader"
Height = "1095"
KeepTogether = "-1"
Begin DDActiveReports2.Label Label1
Type = "AR.Label"
Name = "Label1"
Left = "0"
Top = "0"
Width = "4800"
Height = "360"
Caption = " INSURANCE COMPANY"
Multiline = "0"
ClassName = "Normal"
Style = "font-size: 14.5pt; font-weight: bold;"
End
Begin DDActiveReports2.Label State_Contract
Type = "AR.Label"
Name = "State_Contract"
Left = "720"
Top = "810"
Width = "5670"
Height = "270"
Caption = "STATE"
Multiline = "0"
ClassName = "Normal"
Style = "font-size: 12pt; font-weight: bold; text-align: right;"
End
Begin DDActiveReports2.Label Label6
Type = "AR.Label"
Name = "Label6"
Left = "6690"
Top = "810"
Width = "960"
Height = "270"
Caption = "COUNT"
Multiline = "0"
ClassName = "Normal"
Style = "font-size: 12pt; font-weight: bold;"
End
Begin DDActiveReports2.Line Line6
Type = "AR.Line"
Name = "Line6"
X1 = "0"
Y1 = "1080"
X2 = "11550"
Y2 = "1080"
LineWeight = "2"
AnchorBottom = "0"
End
Begin DDActiveReports2.Label Report_Title
Type = "AR.Label"
Name = "Report_Title"
Left = "0"
Top = "420"
Width = "10860"
Height = "330"
Caption = "CONTACTS MADE BY STATE"
Multiline = "0"
ClassName = "Normal"
Style = "font-size: 14.5pt; font-weight: bold;"
End
End
Begin DDActiveReports2.Section Detail
Type = "Detail"
Name = "Detail"
Height = "270"
KeepTogether = "-1"
Begin DDActiveReports2.Shape Shape45
Type = "AR.Shape"
Name = "Shape45"
Left = "11220"
Top = "13050"
Width = "0"
Height = "30"
BackColor = "0"
LineWeight = "2"
End
Begin DDActiveReports2.Field Report_Field
Type = "AR.Field"
Name = "Report_Field"
DataField = "Report_Field"
Left = "690"
Top = "0"
Width = "5730"
Height = "270"
ClassName = "Normal"
Style = "font-size: 12pt; text-align: right;"
End
Begin DDActiveReports2.Field Report_Count
Type = "AR.Field"
Name = "Report_Count"
DataField = "Report_Count"
Left = "6690"
Top = "0"
Width = "840"
Height = "270"
ClassName = "Normal"
Style = "font-size: 12pt; text-align: right;"
End
Begin DDActiveReports2.DataControl DC_Report
Type = "AR.DataControl"
Name = "DC_Report"
Left = "11010"
Top = "0"
Width = "210"
Height = "120"
Visible = "0"
LockType = "1"
End
End
Begin DDActiveReports2.Section PageFooter
Type = "PageFooter"
Name = "PageFooter"
Height = "0"
KeepTogether = "-1"
End
Begin DDActiveReports2.Section ReportFooter
Type = "ReportFooter"
Name = "ReportFooter"
Height = "330"
KeepTogether = "-1"
Begin DDActiveReports2.Field Sum_Count
Type = "AR.Field"
Name = "Sum_Count"
DataField = "Report_Count"
Left = "6690"
Top = "60"
Width = "840"
Height = "270"
SummaryType = "1"
SummaryFunc = "0"
SummaryRunning = "0"
ClassName = "Normal"
Style = "font-size: 12pt; text-align: right;"
End
Begin DDActiveReports2.Line Line7
Type = "AR.Line"
Name = "Line7"
X1 = "6690"
Y1 = "30"
X2 = "7560"
Y2 = "30"
LineWeight = "2"
AnchorBottom = "0"
End
End
End
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Note: The process for converting ActiveReports dsx files to dsx.rpt files only words works for ActiveReports v2 format files. Fortunately, the vendor offers an Upsizer.
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