Creating Reports

Making it Work Together

The Report Creation Process

Designing reports on your desktop PC for use on a mobile computing device, using the database schema and data stored in a Microsoft SQL Server CE database requires that the reporting and printing solution have special functionality to support this report creation process.

Using the SQL Server CE Database

The print4mobile solution allows you to extract the SQL Server CE database schema directly from the mobile computer and generate a replica database with the same schema on your standard Microsoft SQL Server (or local MSDE).

You can also select to replicate the data stored in the Microsoft SQL Server CE database to the Microsoft SQL Server database. This process is fast and easy. It allows you to fully utilize the database fields in the Designer by inserting them as objects into a report layout, and it allows you to preview your reports with real data from your mobile software application.

Deploying Report Specifications

As you work on each report specification in the Designer you can switch between the report specification view, specification source code view, and report preview. When the design of your report is complete you can save it to a report specification file and deploy this file to your mobile computing device.

Testing Report Specifications

Report specification files loaded into a mobile computing device can be used to generate dynamic reports using the data presently available in the local Microsoft SQL Server CE database. To do this the mobile computing device must also have installed the Engine and either the Viewer application or your mobile software application. (To use report specifications and the Engine to generate reports directly from your mobile software application, please see the embedded reporting page on this web site.)

The Viewer application can be launched on the mobile computing device and used to immediately generate and output reports as per your requirements. If you need to modify a report specification based on your tests, simply change the report specification in the Designer, save and load the updated report specification file to the mobile computing device and try again to verify that everything is working correctly.

Click here to see some Sample reports.

Supporting Your Work

The print4mobile™ solution makes it easy to design, deploy and test your reports quickly.

Using print4mobile™ you can retrieve the schema and data from the Microsoft SQL Server CE database on your mobile computer and directly insert field elements into your report using the Designer on your desktop computer. You can then preview the reports on your PC, deploy them to handheld computers and begin printing.