Creating the skin template of a report

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Steps to follow
Step 1: Creating a skin template project
Overview
Creating a skin template project
Step 2: Creating a skin template report
Overview
Creating a skin template report
Step 3: Copying the skin template reports
Step 4: Creating the preview of the skin template
Overview
Creating a preview of skin template

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See also

Skin template

Creating the skin template of a report

Steps to follow

Several steps are required to create the skin template of a report:

Step 1: Creating a project that groups the different skin templates of reports.
Step 2: Creating a skin, template report for all types of reports.
Step 3: Copying the skin template reports.
Step 4 (optional): Creating a report preview.

Remarks:

One of the methods for creating a skin template of report is presented here. The method presented below is recommended but it is not mandatory.
The user version of the report editor (Reports & Queries) does not allow you to create your own skin templates of reports.
The icon indicates a tip. The instructions described in these tips are not mandatory but they will help you create a report skin template.

Step 1: Creating a skin template project

Overview

In most cases, a skin template includes several report templates (up to 4). To simplify the creation and the modification of your skin templates, we recommend that you use a project for each skin template.

The skin template project will group:

a skin template report for each type of report. WINDEV proposes 4 types of reports, therefore the skin-template project will contain 4 skin-template reports.
a report preview.

Remark: If skin templates are used to customize your windows, your skin templates of window can be created in this project. For more details, see Creating a window skin template.

Creating a skin template project

To create a skin-template project, create a new project:

Click in the quick access buttons.
The new element window appears: click "Project".

This project is linked to no analysis and it uses no skin template.

To easily identify your skin template projects, it is recommended to use the following notation: "SkinTemplate_<NameOfSkinTemplate>". For example, if the skin template is named Caribbean, the project will be named "SkinTemplate_Caribbean".

Step 2: Creating a skin template report

Overview

Each skin template report corresponds to a type of report. Therefore, a skin template report must be created for each type of report used. For more details, see The types of reports proposed by WINDEV.

Creating a skin template report

To create a skin template report:

Create a free record:
- Click in the quick access buttons.
- The new element window appears: click "Report" then "Report". The report creation wizard starts.
- In the wizard, select "Blank report" and validate.
This report:
- will not be printed on a form,
- will use no data source,
- will have the default dimensions.
Specify the name of the report according to following notation: "<NameOfSkinTemplate>_<ReportType>. For example, "Caribbean_Label".
In the "Background" and "Details" tabs of the description of the report blocks ("Block description" in the context menu), specify the desired style (background color, border thickness, ...).
To customize your report, you can add:
- controls specific to your skin template.
  These controls will be displayed in all the reports that use this skin template. For example, you can add a preset control to display the system date and time, or an Image control to display the logo of a company.
- controls containing the data of your report.
  When creating a report, the report editor automatically creates all the controls required for using the report. These controls use the default style of the report controls (no background color, no border, "Arial" font, size "11").
  To use a different control style, add these controls (see the list of controls) and define their style in the skin template report. These controls can be positioned in any block.
  If custom controls are added into a skin-template report, these controls will be automatically used when creating the report.
Save the report (Ctrl + S).

Step 3: Copying the skin template reports

To use a custom skin templates in your applications, the skin template reports must be copied to the "Personal\Templates\<NameOfSkinTemplate>" directory of WINDEV or WEBDEV

Remark: Once the skin-template reports have been copied, WINDEV or WEBDEV must be restarted in order to take these new skin templates of reports into account.

Step 4: Creating the preview of the skin template

Overview

To simplify the use of a custom skin template, we advise you to create previews. These previews will be used when a skin template is applied to a report.

Each report preview corresponds to a type of report. Indeed, the preview differs according to the type of report (or according to the current report). Therefore, a report preview should be created for each type of report used.

Creating a preview of skin template

To create a preview of skin template:

In a project associated with an analysis, create a new report:
- Click in the quick access buttons.
- The new element window appears: click "Report" then "Report". The report creation wizard starts.
- Create a "Form" report for example.
Select the skin template of report that was created beforehand. No preview of skin template is displayed in the "Preview" area.
Validate the report creation. The created report becomes the current report.
Copy the created report: on the "Home" tab, in the "Edit" group, click "Copy" (or press Ctrl + C).
Paste the clipboard content in a drawing software ("Paint" for example).
Save the image:
- according to the following notation: "<NameOfSkinTemplate>_<ReportType>.BMP".
  For example, "Caribbean_Form.BMP".
- in the "Personal\Templates\<NameOfSkinTemplate>" directory of WINDEV or WEBDEV.