How to create Crystal Reports featuring barcode images using Typed DataSet in ASP.NET

Neodynamic

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 5, 2005
Messages
137
Programming Experience
10+
How to create Crystal Reports featuring barcode images using Typed DataSet in ASP.NET

Prerequisites
- Neodynamic Barcode Professional 3.0 (or greater) for ASP.NET (WebControl)
- Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 (or greater)
- Microsoft Visual Studio 2005
- Microsoft SQL Server 2005 (any version) with Northwind Database sample installed
- Crystal Report for Visual Studio .NET 2005

In the following Step-By-Step Guide we're going to create a Crystal Report which features barcoding capabilities by using Barcode Professional for ASP.NET and using as data source for the report a Typed DataSet.

Follow these steps:
- Open Visual Studio and create a new ASP.NET Website naming it CrystalReportBarcodeDataSet.
- Add a new DataSet item to the project and name it Northwind.xsd

figure01Small.png

Adding a Typed DataSet

Click Add button. You will be asked if you want to place the Northwind.xsd file in the App_Code directory. Answer yes.

After that, the TableAdapter Configuration Wizard is automatically launched so please follow its steps.

In the first step, please create a connection to the Northwind SQL Server Database sample and click Next. In the second step, choose "Use SQL statements" and click Next. After that, please enter the following SQL Statement:

SELECT ProductID, ProductName, UnitPrice FROM Products

figure02Small.png

Specifying a SQL Statement that returns Northwind Product info

Click Finish to close the Wizard dialog box.

- After that, add a new custom Column to the DataTable just created and name it Barcode as is shown in the following figure

figure03.png

Adding a new Column to the DataTable for barcoding purpose

- Change the data type of the Barcode column to System.Byte[] (Array of Byte). NOTE: the System.Byte[] data type is not listed and thus why you must type it manually.

figure04Small.png

Setting up the Barcode Column to System.Byte[] data type

- Save the Northwind.xsd file.
- Now add a new Crystal Report item to the project and name it CrystalReportBarcode.rpt.

figure05Small.png

Adding a Crystal Report to the project

Click Add button. Next, choose "Blank Report" in the Crystal Report Gallery dialog box.

figure06.png

Creating a blank report

Click OK button.

- Launch Crystal Report Database Expert by going to Crystal Reports > Database > Database Expert...

figure07.png

Opening Crystal Reports Database Expert dialog box

In the Database Expert dialog box select the Products DataTable (from the left pane) so it appears in the "Selected Tables" list (right pane) as is shown in the following figure.

figure08Small.png

Choosing the Products DataTable as data source of the Crystal Report

Click OK button. After that, the Products DataTable should be available in the Field Explorer Window as is shown in the following figure. NOTE: To display the Field Explorer press Ctrl+Alt+T

figure09.png

The Products DataTable available in the Field Explorer

- Please design the report so it looks like the following figure. Just drag & drop the fields from the Field Explorer onto the report as is shown in the figure.

figure10Small.png

The barcode report layout

The most important field in our scenario is Barcode (Please DO NOT change the dimensions of such field on the report surface). Select the Barcode item on the report and right-clicking onto it select "Format Object" from the context menu to open the Format Editor dialog box. In that dialog box, please check Can Grow option and click OK button.

figure11.png

Setting up "Can Grow" option for the Barcode item in the Format Editor dialog box

- Save the report.
- Now Create/Open an ASP.NET WebForm at design time and drag & drop a CrystalReportViewer control onto it.
- After that, from the Solution Explorer, add a reference to Barcode Professional for ASP.NET assembly: Neodynamic.WebControls.Barcodeprofessional.dll
- Write the following code in the Page_Load event procedure.

Visual Basic .NET
Protected Sub Page_Load(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Me.Load

'Filling Products DataTable from DB
Dim ta As New NorthwindTableAdapters.ProductsTableAdapter()
Dim dt As New Northwind.ProductsDataTable()
ta.Fill(dt)

'Create an instance of Barcode Professional
Dim bcp As New Neodynamic.WebControls.BarcodeProfessional.BarcodeProfessional()
'Barcode settings
bcp.Symbology = Neodynamic.WebControls.BarcodeProfessional.Symbology.Code39
bcp.Extended = true
bcp.AddChecksum = false
bcp.BarHeight = 0.4f

'Append fictitious Company internal prefix
Dim prodPrefix As String = "12345"

Dim row As Northwind.ProductsRow
For Each row In dt.Rows
'Set the value to encode
bcp.Code = prodPrefix + row.ProductID.ToString()
'Generate the barcode image and store it into the Barcode Column
row.Barcode = bcp.GetBarcodeImage(System.Drawing.Imaging.ImageFormat.Png)
Next

'Create a AveryMailLabels report object
'and set its data source with the DataSet
Dim report As New CrystalDecisions.CrystalReports.Engine.ReportDocument()
Dim rptFile As String = Server.MapPath("CrystalReportBarcode.rpt")
report.Load(rptFile)
report.SetDataSource(CType(dt, DataTable))

Me.CrystalReportViewer1.ReportSource = report
End Sub


Visual C# .NET
protected void Page_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
//Filling Products DataTable from DB
NorthwindTableAdapters.ProductsTableAdapter ta = new NorthwindTableAdapters.ProductsTableAdapter();
Northwind.ProductsDataTable dt = new Northwind.ProductsDataTable();
ta.Fill(dt);

//Create an instance of Barcode Professional
Neodynamic.WebControls.BarcodeProfessional.BarcodeProfessional bcp = new Neodynamic.WebControls.BarcodeProfessional.BarcodeProfessional();
//Barcode settings
bcp.Symbology = Neodynamic.WebControls.BarcodeProfessional.Symbology.Code39;
bcp.Extended = true;
bcp.AddChecksum = false;
bcp.BarHeight = 0.4f;

//Append fictitious Company internal prefix
string prodPrefix = "12345";

//Update DataTable with barcode image
foreach (Northwind.ProductsRow row in dt.Rows)
{
//Set the value to encode
bcp.Code = prodPrefix + row.ProductID.ToString();
//Generate the barcode image and store it into the Barcode Column
row.Barcode = bcp.GetBarcodeImage(System.Drawing.Imaging.ImageFormat.Png);
}

//Create a report object
//and set its data source with the DataSet
CrystalDecisions.CrystalReports.Engine.ReportDocument report;
report = new CrystalDecisions.CrystalReports.Engine.ReportDocument();
string rptFile = Server.MapPath("CrystalReportBarcode.rpt");
report.Load(rptFile);
report.SetDataSource((DataTable)dt);

this.CrystalReportViewer1.ReportSource = report;
}

- That's it. Run your application. You should get the barcode images displayed on the report.

figure12Small.png

The Crystal Report featuring barcodes generated by Barcode Professional

CrystalReportViewer control lets you to export the displayed report to Acrobat PDF, Microsoft Excel XLS as well as other well know document formats. In all cases the barcode images are maintained.

figure13Small.png

The Crystal Repor report in Acrobat PDF format featuring barcodes generated by Barcode Professional

Links:
This Demo
More Demos
Download Barcode Professional for ASP.NET
More Information about Neodynamic Barcode Professional for ASP.NET


Neodynamic
.NET Components & Controls
Neodynamic
Neodynamic Barcode Professional for ASP.NET
 
Back
Top