# Shape

ActiveReports allows you to use available shape types on a report such as rectangle, ellipse etc. Learn to set the border and background color for the shape.

## Content



The Shape report control is used to display one of the available shape types on a report. You can add a shape report control to a report by dragging it from the toolbox and dropping it onto the report design surface.

In the **ShapeStyle** property of the Shape report control, you can select **Rectangle**, **RoundRect** or **Ellipse**, or you can use an expression to assign fields, datasets, parameters, constants, operations or common values to it.

You can highlight different sections or parts of a report using a shape report control. For example, you can use a Rectangle as border around different report controls or the entire page or you can use an Ellipse to highlight a note on your report.

## Important Properties

By clicking on the Shape control, you can set its properties in the Properties window.

| **Property** | **Description** |
| --- | --- |
| AccessibleDescription | Enter the alternative description of the control for use by accessibility client application. The property on exporting the report adds the ‘alternative text’ in PDF and ‘alt’ attribute in HTML. |
| BackgroundColor | Choose a color for the background from the Color Picker. |
| BackgroundImage | Add a background image from External, Embedded, or Database as Source. You can also select the MIME type of the image. |
| BorderColor | Choose a color for the border from the Color Picker. |
| BorderStyle | Select a style for the border. |
| BorderWidth | Enter a value to set the width of the border. |
| RoundingRadius | Enter a value in points to round the corner of the outer border edge of the RoundRect shape style. |
| ShapeStyle | Choose a shape style from Rectangle, RoundRect, or Ellipse. |
| Size | Enter the Width and Height of the shape. |

## Shape Dialog Properties

You can set the Shape properties in the Shape dialog. To open it, with the Shape selected on the report, under the Properties window, click the **Property dialog** link.

### General

**Name**: Enter a name for the image that is unique within the report. This name can be called in code. You can only use underscore (\_) as a special character in the Name field. Other special characters such as period (.), space ( ), forward slash (/), backslash (\\), exclamation (!), and hyphen (-) are not supported.

**Shape Style**: Choose **Rectangle**, **RoundRect** or **Ellipse** from the dropdown list, or select the **<Expression...>** option to open the Expression Editor.

| **Rectangle** | **RoundRect** | **Ellipse** |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ![Rectangle Shape style](https://cdn.mescius.io/document-site-files/images/b298aea2-8cb8-4a0f-be88-4f54aa263ebd/images/shapestyle-rectangle.png) | ![Rounded Rectangle Shape style](https://cdn.mescius.io/document-site-files/images/b298aea2-8cb8-4a0f-be88-4f54aa263ebd/images/shapestyle-rectrect.png) | ![Ellipse Shape style](https://cdn.mescius.io/document-site-files/images/b298aea2-8cb8-4a0f-be88-4f54aa263ebd/images/ellipse.png) |

**Rounded Rectangle**: When the Shape type is set to **RoundRect**, you can specify the radius for each corner of the shape independently. Drag the handlers ![Handler](https://cdn.mescius.io/document-site-files/images/b298aea2-8cb8-4a0f-be88-4f54aa263ebd/images/roundedrect_handler.png)available at each corner of the shape to set the value of the radius at each corner.


> type=note
> **Note**: To enable specific corners, select the checkbox available near each corner of the Shape control.

### Appearance

**Background**

**Color**: Select a color to use for the background of the Shape, or select the **<Expression...>** option to open the Expression Editor.

**Image**: Specify the background image of shape using Expression or Data Visualizer, or directly open the image file on your system.


> type=note
> **Note**: If the Hatch and Gradient background styles are set using Data Visualizers, these are not displayed at design time.**Image Source**: Select the location of the image for the background from External, Embedded, Database or select the **<Expression...>** option to open the Expression Editor.

**MIME Type**: Select the MIME type of the image.

**Background repeat**: Specify how the background image fills the space of the shape.

**Border**

**Style**: Select a style for the border.

**Width**: Enter a value in points to set the width of the border or select the **<Expression...>** option to open the Expression Editor.

**Color**: Select a color to use for the border, or select the **<Expression...>** option to open the Expression Editor and create an expression that evaluates to a .NET color.

### Visibility

**Initial visibility**

*   **Visible**: The shape is visible when the report runs.
*   **Hidden**: The shape is hidden when the report runs.
*   **Expression**: Use an expression with a Boolean result to decide whether the shape is visible. True for hidden, false for visible.

**Visibility can be toggled by another report item**: Select this check box to display a toggle shape next to another report item. This enables the drop-down box where you can specify the TextBox control which, if clicked, toggles the visibility of the shape.

### Navigation

**Document map label**: Enter an expression to use as a label to represent this item in the table of contents (document map).

**Bookmark ID**: Enter an expression to use as a locator for this shape. You will then be able to provide a bookmark link to this item from another report control using a **Jump to bookmark** action.

### Data Output

**Element Name**: Enter a name to be used in the XML output for this shape report control.

**Output**: Choose **Auto**, **Yes**, **No,** or **Contents only** to decide whether to include this Shape in the XML output. Choosing **Auto** exports the contents of the Shape report control.

## See Also

[Shape Control for Enhanced Report Appearance](/activereportsnet/docs/v19.2/report-authors/design-reports/design-page-rdl-reports/tutorials-page-rdl/enhance-report-appearance-with-shape-control)