Report Authors / Design Reports / Design Page/RDLX Reports / Tutorials: Page/RDLX Report Scenarios / Link Multiple Datasets to Same Data Region
Link Multiple Datasets to Same Data Region

Many a time, we need to display varied data from different datasets into one data region. This is now possible by using the Lookup function in a data region.

The Lookup function returns a value corresponding to a related or a common field with the same data type in another data set. It is set as an expression in the Value  property of a data region's Textbox. The Lookup function in ActiveReports is similar to the Microsoft Excel's VLOOKUP.
Using multiple datasets in a data region at design time

Create a Report

In the ActiveReports Designer, create a new Page Report. 

Bind Report to Data

  1. As you create a new report, the Report Data Source dialog appears for you to configure the report data connection. You can also access this dialog by right-clicking the Data Sources node in the Report Explorer and then selecting the Add Data Source option.
  2. In the dialog, select the General page and enter a name for the data source.
  3. Select 'SQLite Provider'. The report connects to the SalesResult.db file can be downloaded from GitHub: ..\Samples19\Data\SalesResult.db. See Custom Data Provider for more information.

Add Dataset1

  1. In the Report Explorer, right-click the data source node and select the Add Data Set option or select Data Set from the Add button.
  2. In the Add Dataset that appears, select the General page and let the name of the dataset be Dataset1. This name appears as a child node to the data source icon in the Report Explorer.
  3. On the Query page of this dialog, in the Query field enter the following SQL query.
    SQL Query
    Copy Code
    SELECT M01Product.Category, M01Product.ProductID
    FROM M01Product
    
  4. Click the Validate DataSet icon Validate DataSet icon at the top right hand corner above the Query box to validate the query.
  5. Click OK to close the dialog. Your data set and queried fields appear as nodes in the Report Explorer.

    The Dataset1 contains following fields:

    • Category
    • ProductID

Add Dataset2

  • Repeat Steps 1 and 2 to add another dataset with name Dataset2.
  • On the Query page of this dialog, in the Query field enter the following SQL query.
    SQL Query
    Copy Code
    SELECT * FROM T01Result
    
  • Click the Validate DataSet icon Validate DataSet icon at the top right hand corner above the Query box to validate the query.
  • Click OK to close the dialog. Your data set and queried fields appear as nodes in the Report Explorer.                

The Dataset2 contains following fields:

  • ID
  • ProductID
  • Quantity
  • PDate
  • FY

Design Report
Using multiple datasets in a data region at run time

  1. From the toolbox, drag a Table data region onto the design surface of the report.
  2. Go to the Properties panel to set the properties of Table data region as follows:
    Property Name Property Value
    FixedSize 4in, 4in
    Location 0in, 0in
    DataSetName Dataset1
  3. Hover your mouse over the text boxes of the Table Details row to access the field selection adorner and set the following fields in the table cells along with their properties.
    Cell Field
    TextBox4 Category
    TextBox5 ProductID
    This automatically places an expression in the details row and simultaneously places a static label in the header row of the same column.
  4. Select TextBox6 of the Table data region and from the Properties pane, set the following properties:

    Property Name Property Value
    Value =Lookup(Fields!ProductID.Value, Fields!ProductID.Value, Fields!Quantity.Value, "DataSet2")
    TextAlign Left

    The expression in the Value property returns the value of Quantity from Dataset2, corresponding to the related data field ProductID in Dataset1.

  5. Select TextBox3 of the Table data region and from the Properties pane, set the following properties:
    Property Name Property Value
    Value Quantity
    TextAlign Left
  6. Select the header row using the row handle to the left and in the Properties Panel, set the FontWeight property to Bold.

Preview Report

The final report is shown at the beginning of this page.

See Also