test of graphic field for null
I am trying to convert an old application that now uses QuickReport. In one of its reports, the dataset contains string fields and one graphic field; the graphic field is empty in many records. The QR-based report prints a line of text for every record, but then prints a child band of up to 6 images when it has accumulated six non-null images, or when it has at least one accumulated image and is running out of room on the page.
This is straightforward in QuickReport, using the BeforePrint event of the detail band to gather information for buffering in a global array. The pivotal operations are
- checking the graphic field for emptiness (.IsNull in Delphi), and
- saving the image.
I don't see how to do either of these things in FastReport, because the image field seems to have less than first-class status. That is, I can connect such a field to a Picture component on the report, but that is about all that I know how to do with it. I could get around the IsNull problem by adding a calculated boolean field to the dataset, but I don't see how to save the graphic contents in a FastReport event handler. What am I missing?
This is straightforward in QuickReport, using the BeforePrint event of the detail band to gather information for buffering in a global array. The pivotal operations are
- checking the graphic field for emptiness (.IsNull in Delphi), and
- saving the image.
I don't see how to do either of these things in FastReport, because the image field seems to have less than first-class status. That is, I can connect such a field to a Picture component on the report, but that is about all that I know how to do with it. I could get around the IsNull problem by adding a calculated boolean field to the dataset, but I don't see how to save the graphic contents in a FastReport event handler. What am I missing?