ComponentOne WPF Edition
Working with the C1Document Object / Creating Documents and Reports
Creating Documents and Reports

To illustrate the process of creating a C1Document, we will walk through the steps required to implement a simple assembly documentation utility. In the following section learn how to implement create documents and reports in .NET Framework and .NET versions.

To start, create a new project and add a reference to the C1.WPF and C1.WPF.RichTextBox assemblies. Then edit the page constructor as follows:

Visual Basic
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Imports C1.WPF
Imports C1.WPF.RichTextBox
Imports C1.WPF.RichTextBox.Documents
Public Partial Class MainPage
    Inherits UserControl
    ' C1RichTextBox that will display the C1Document
    Private _rtb As C1RichTextBox
    Public Sub New()
        ' Default initialization
        InitializeComponent()
        ' Create the C1RichTextBox and add it to the page
        _rtb = New C1RichTextBox()
        LayoutRoot.Children.Add(_rtb)
        ' Create document and show it in the C1RichTextBox
        _rtb.Document = DocumentAssembly(GetType(C1RichTextBox).Assembly)
        _rtb.IsReadOnly = True
    End Sub
End Class
C#
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using C1.WPF;
using C1.WPF.RichTextBox;
using C1.WPF.RichTextBox.Documents;
public partial class MainPage : UserControl
{
  // C1RichTextBox that will display the C1Document
  C1RichTextBox _rtb;
  public MainPage()
  {
    // Default initialization
    InitializeComponent();
    // Create the C1RichTextBox and add it to the page
    _rtb = new C1RichTextBox();
    LayoutRoot.Children.Add(_rtb);
    // Create document and show it in the C1RichTextBox
    _rtb.Document = DocumentAssembly(typeof(C1RichTextBox).Assembly);
    _rtb.IsReadOnly = true;
  }
}

The code creates the C1RichTextBox and assigns its C1RichTextBox.Document property to the result of a call to the DocumentAssembly method. It then makes the control read-only so users can't change the report.

The DocumentAssembly method takes an Assembly as argument and builds a C1Document containing the assembly documentation. Here is the implementation:

Visual Basic
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Private Function DocumentAssembly(asm As Assembly) As C1Document
    ' Create document
    Dim doc As New C1Document()
    doc.FontFamily = New FontFamily("Tahoma")
    ' Assembly
    doc.Blocks.Add(New Heading1("Assembly" & vbCr & vbLf + asm.FullName.Split(","C)(0)))
    ' Types
    For Each t As Type In asm.GetTypes()
        DocumentType(doc, t)
    Next
    ' Done
    Return doc
End Function
C#
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C1Document DocumentAssembly(Assembly asm)
{
  // Create document
  C1Document doc = new C1Document();
  doc.FontFamily = new FontFamily("Tahoma");
  // Assembly
  doc.Blocks.Add(new Heading1("Assembly\r\n" + asm.FullName.Split(',')[0]));
  // Types
  foreach (Type t in asm.GetTypes())
    DocumentType(doc, t);
  // Done
  return doc;
}

The method starts by creating a new C1Document object and setting its C1TextElement.FontFamily property. This will be the default value for all text elements added to the document.

Next, the method adds a Heading1 paragraph containing the assembly name to the new document's Blocks collection. Blocks are elements such as paragraphs and list items that flow down the document. They are similar to "div" elements in HTML. Some document elements contain an Inlines collection instead. These collections contain elements that flow horizontally, similar to "span" elements in HTML.

The Heading1 class inherits from C1Paragraph and adds some formatting. We will add several such classes to the project, for normal paragraphs and headings 1 through 4.

The Normal paragraph is a C1Paragraph that takes a content string in its constructor:

Visual Basic
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Class Normal
    Inherits C1Paragraph
    Public Sub New(text As String)
        Me.Inlines.Add(New C1Run() With { _
            Key .Text = text _
        })
        Me.Padding = New Thickness(30, 0, 0, 0)
        Me.Margin = New Thickness(0)
    End Sub
End Class
C#
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class Normal : C1Paragraph
{
  public Normal(string text)
  {
    this.Inlines.Add(new C1Run() { Text = text });
    this.Padding = new Thickness(30, 0, 0, 0);
    this.Margin = new Thickness(0);
  }
}

The Heading paragraph extends Normal and makes the text bold:

Visual Basic
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Class Heading
    Inherits Normal
    Public Sub New(text As String)
        MyBase.New(text)
        Me.FontWeight = FontWeights.Bold
    End Sub
End Class
C#
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class Heading : Normal
{
  public Heading(string text) : base(text)
  {
    this.FontWeight = FontWeights.Bold;
  }
}

Heading1 through Heading4 extend Heading to specify font sizes, padding, borders, and colors:

Visual Basic
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Class Heading1
    Inherits Heading
    Public Sub New(text As String)
        MyBase.New(text)
        Me.Background = New SolidColorBrush(Colors.Yellow)
        Me.FontSize = 24
        Me.Padding = New Thickness(0, 10, 0, 10)
        Me.BorderBrush = New SolidColorBrush(Colors.Black)
        Me.BorderThickness = New Thickness(3, 1, 1, 0)
    End Sub
End Class
Class Heading2
    Inherits Heading
    Public Sub New(text As String)
        MyBase.New(text)
        Me.FontSize = 18
        Me.FontStyle = FontStyles.Italic
        Me.Background = New SolidColorBrush(Colors.Yellow)
        Me.Padding = New Thickness(10, 5, 0, 5)
        Me.BorderBrush = New SolidColorBrush(Colors.Black)
        Me.BorderThickness = New Thickness(3, 1, 1, 1)
    End Sub
End Class
Class Heading3
    Inherits Heading
    Public Sub New(text As String)
        MyBase.New(text)
        Me.FontSize = 14
        Me.Background = New SolidColorBrush(Colors.LightGray)
        Me.Padding = New Thickness(20, 3, 0, 0)
    End Sub
End Class
Class Heading4
    Inherits Heading
    Public Sub New(text As String)
        MyBase.New(text)
        Me.FontSize = 14
        Me.Padding = New Thickness(30, 0, 0, 0)
    End Sub
End Class
C#
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class Heading1 : Heading
{
  public Heading1(string text) : base(text)
  {
    this.Background = new SolidColorBrush(Colors.Yellow);
    this.FontSize = 24;
    this.Padding = new Thickness(0, 10, 0, 10);
    this.BorderBrush = new SolidColorBrush(Colors.Black);
    this.BorderThickness = new Thickness(3, 1, 1, 0);
  }
}
class Heading2 : Heading
{
  public Heading2(string text): base(text)
  {
    this.FontSize = 18;
    this.FontStyle = FontStyles.Italic;
    this.Background = new SolidColorBrush(Colors.Yellow);
    this.Padding = new Thickness(10, 5, 0, 5);
    this.BorderBrush = new SolidColorBrush(Colors.Black);
    this.BorderThickness = new Thickness(3, 1, 1, 1);
  }
}
class Heading3 : Heading
{
  public Heading3(string text) : base(text)
  {
    this.FontSize = 14;
    this.Background = new SolidColorBrush(Colors.LightGray);
    this.Padding = new Thickness(20, 3, 0, 0);
  }
}
class Heading4 : Heading
{
  public Heading4(string text): base(text)
  {
    this.FontSize = 14;
    this.Padding = new Thickness(30, 0, 0, 0);
  }
}

Now that we have classes for all paragraph types in the document, it's time to add the content. Recall that we used a DocumentType method in the first code block. Here is the implementation for that method:

Visual Basic
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Private Sub DocumentType(doc As C1Document, t As Type)
    ' Skip non-public/generic
    If Not t.IsPublic OrElse t.ContainsGenericParameters Then
        Return
    End If
    ' Type
    doc.Blocks.Add(New Heading2("Class " & Convert.ToString(t.Name)))
    ' Properties
    doc.Blocks.Add(New Heading3("Properties"))
    For Each pi As PropertyInfo In t.GetProperties()
        If pi.DeclaringType = t Then
            DocumentProperty(doc, pi)
        End If
    Next
      ' Methods
        doc.Blocks.Add(New Heading3("Methods"))
    For Each mi As MethodInfo In t.GetMethods()
        If mi.DeclaringType = t Then
            DocumentMethod(doc, mi)
        End If
    Next
        ' Events
        doc.Blocks.Add(New Heading3("Events"))
        For Each ei As EventInfo In t.GetEvents()
        If ei.DeclaringType = t Then
            DocumentEvent(doc, ei)
        End If
    Next
End Sub
C#
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void DocumentType(C1Document doc, Type t)
{
  // Skip non-public/generic
  if (!t.IsPublic || t.ContainsGenericParameters)
    return;
  // Type
  doc.Blocks.Add(new Heading2("Class " + t.Name));
  // Properties
  doc.Blocks.Add(new Heading3("Properties"));
  foreach (PropertyInfo pi in t.GetProperties())
  {
    if (pi.DeclaringType == t)
      DocumentProperty(doc, pi);
  }
  // Methods
  doc.Blocks.Add(new Heading3("Methods"));
  foreach (MethodInfo mi in t.GetMethods())
  {
    if (mi.DeclaringType == t)
      DocumentMethod(doc, mi);
  }
  // Events
  doc.Blocks.Add(new Heading3("Events"));
  foreach (EventInfo ei in t.GetEvents())
  {
    if (ei.DeclaringType == t)
      DocumentEvent(doc, ei);
  }
}

The method adds a Heading2 paragraph with the class name and then uses reflection to enumerate all the public properties, events, and methods in the type. The code for these methods is simple:

Visual Basic
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Private Sub DocumentProperty(doc As C1Document, pi As PropertyInfo)
    If pi.PropertyType.ContainsGenericParameters Then
        Return
    End If
    doc.Blocks.Add(New Heading4(pi.Name))
    Dim text = String.Format("public {0} {1} {{ {2}{3} }}", pi.PropertyType.Name, pi.Name, If(pi.CanRead, "get; ", String.Empty), If(pi.CanWrite, "set; ", String.Empty))
    doc.Blocks.Add(New Normal(text))
End Sub
C#
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void DocumentProperty(C1Document doc, PropertyInfo pi)
{
  if (pi.PropertyType.ContainsGenericParameters)
    return;
  doc.Blocks.Add(new Heading4(pi.Name));
  var text = string.Format("public {0} {1} {{ {2}{3} }}",
    pi.PropertyType.Name,
    pi.Name,
    pi.CanRead ? "get; " : string.Empty,
    pi.CanWrite ? "set; " : string.Empty);
  doc.Blocks.Add(new Normal(text));
}

The method adds a Heading4 paragraph containing the property name, then some Normal text containing the property type, name, and accessors.

The methods used for documenting events and properties are analogous:

Visual Basic
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Private Sub DocumentMethod(doc As C1Document, mi As MethodInfo)
    If mi.IsSpecialName Then
        Return
    End If
    doc.Blocks.Add(New Heading4(mi.Name))
    Dim parms = New StringBuilder()
    For Each parm As var In mi.GetParameters()
        If parms.Length > 0 Then
            parms.Append(", ")
        End If
        parms.AppendFormat("{0} {1}", parm.ParameterType.Name, parm.Name)
    Next
    Dim text = String.Format("public {0} {1}({2})", mi.ReturnType.Name, mi.Name, parms.ToString())
    doc.Blocks.Add(New Normal(text))
End Sub
Private Sub DocumentEvent(doc As C1Document, ei As EventInfo)
    doc.Blocks.Add(New Heading4(ei.Name))
    Dim text = String.Format("public {0} {1}", ei.EventHandlerType.Name, ei.Name)
    doc.Blocks.Add(New Normal(text))
End Sub
C#
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void DocumentMethod(C1Document doc, MethodInfo mi)
{
  if (mi.IsSpecialName)
    return;
  doc.Blocks.Add(new Heading4(mi.Name));
  var parms = new StringBuilder();
  foreach (var parm in mi.GetParameters())
  {
    if (parms.Length > 0)
      parms.Append(", ");
    parms.AppendFormat("{0} {1}", parm.ParameterType.Name, parm.Name);
  }
  var text = string.Format("public {0} {1}({2})",
    mi.ReturnType.Name,
    mi.Name,
    parms.ToString());
  doc.Blocks.Add(new Normal(text));
}
void DocumentEvent(C1Document doc, EventInfo ei)
{
  doc.Blocks.Add(new Heading4(ei.Name));
  var text = string.Format("public {0} {1}",
    ei.EventHandlerType.Name,
    ei.Name);
  doc.Blocks.Add(new Normal(text));
}

If you run the project now, you will see a window like the one shown below:

Appearance of the image after running the project

The resulting document can be viewed and edited in the C1RichTextBox like any other. It can also be exported to HTML using the C1RichTextBox.Html property in the C1RichTextBox, or copied through the clipboard to applications such as Microsoft Word or Excel.

You could use the same technique to create reports based on data from a database. In addition to formatted text, the C1Document object model supports the following features:        

  • Lists
    Lists are created by adding C1List objects to the document. The C1List object has a C1List.ListItems property that contains C1ListItem objects, which are also blocks.
  • Hyperlinks
    Hyperlinks are created by adding C1Hyperlink objects to the document. The C1Hyperlink object has an C1Span.Inlines property that contains a collection of runs (typically C1Run elements that contain text), and a NavigateUrl property that determines the action to be taken when the hyperlink is clicked.
  • Images
    Images and other FrameworkElement objects are created by adding C1BlockUIContainer objects to the document. The C1BlockUIContainer object has a C1BlockUIContainer.Child property that can be set to any FrameworkElement object.
    Note that not all objects can be exported to HTML. Images are a special case that the HTML filter knows how to handle.