Dynamic Table Columns

[Ryan]

I have a report with a table in it.  The table has four columns I know at design time, but there are a unknown number of dynamic columns that I want to display at run time to the right of the four design time/static columns.  Basically I am trying to replicate a Gantt chart and the first four columns are task names and key dates and the dynamic columns are the days I am going to eventually fill in with a background color if the task lands on the dynamic column representing the day.

I have found a couple samples in the forums for creating dynamic columns, but in all of the examples I get the following exception when I try to apply it to my code.

[NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.]
   Telerik.Reporting.Processing.Table.CalculateColumns() +328
   Telerik.Reporting.Processing.Table.Measure(MeasureDirection dir, Graphics graphics) +786
   Telerik.Reporting.Processing.ProcessingElement.MeasureElement(MeasureDirection dir, Graphics graphics) +181
   Telerik.Reporting.Processing.ProcessingElement.Measure(MeasureDirection dir, Graphics graphics) +1509
   Telerik.Reporting.Processing.ReportSectionBase.Measure(MeasureDirection dir, Graphics graphics) +48
   Telerik.Reporting.Processing.ProcessingElement.MeasureElement(MeasureDirection dir, Graphics graphics) +181
   Telerik.Reporting.Processing.Group.MeasureElement(MeasureDirection dir, Graphics graphics) +286
   Telerik.Reporting.Processing.Report.MeasureElement(MeasureDirection dir, Graphics graphics) +471
   Telerik.Reporting.Processing.Report.MeasureElement(ProcessingElement elementToMeasure) +220
   Telerik.Reporting.Processing.Report.OnItemProcessed() +79
   Telerik.Reporting.Processing.ReportItemBase.Process(DataMember data) +823
   Telerik.Reporting.Processing.Report.Process(DataMember data, DataItemState state, Boolean interactivityEnabled, Boolean documentMapEnabled) +124
   Telerik.Reporting.Processing.ReportProcessor.ProcessReport(IReportDocument reportDocument, IDictionary processingContext) +1313
   Telerik.Reporting.Processing.ReportProcessor.RenderReport(String format, IReportDocument reportDocument, Hashtable deviceInfo, Hashtable renderingContext, CreateStream createStreamCallback) +579
   Telerik.Reporting.Processing.ReportProcessor.RenderReportStateless(String format, IReportDocument reportDocument, Hashtable deviceInfo, Hashtable renderingContext, CreateStream createStreamCallback) +94
   Telerik.Reporting.Processing.ReportProcessor.RenderReport(String format, IReportDocument reportDocument, Hashtable deviceInfo) +195
   TaskReportPage.ExportToPDF(Report reportToExport) in c:\SourceControl\Phenomblue\Websites\WorkamajigAPI\Website\TaskReportPage.aspx.cs:105
   TaskReportPage.btnGenerateGanttReport_Click(Object sender, EventArgs e) in c:\SourceControl\Phenomblue\Websites\WorkamajigAPI\Website\TaskReportPage.aspx.cs:99
   System.Web.UI.WebControls.Button.OnClick(EventArgs e) +118
   System.Web.UI.WebControls.Button.RaisePostBackEvent(String eventArgument) +112
   System.Web.UI.WebControls.Button.System.Web.UI.IPostBackEventHandler.RaisePostBackEvent(String eventArgument) +10
   System.Web.UI.Page.RaisePostBackEvent(IPostBackEventHandler sourceControl, String eventArgument) +13
   System.Web.UI.Page.RaisePostBackEvent(NameValueCollection postData) +36
   System.Web.UI.Page.ProcessRequestMain(Boolean includeStagesBeforeAsyncPoint, Boolean includeStagesAfterAsyncPoint) +5563

Below is report code that is generating the above error.

namespace SOW.Reports
{
    using System;
    using System.ComponentModel;
    using System.Drawing;
    using System.Linq;
    using System.Windows.Forms;
    using Telerik.Reporting;
    using Telerik.Reporting.Drawing;
    using SOW.DataAccess;

    public partial class GanttReport : Telerik.Reporting.Report
    {
        SOWEntities sowContext = null;

        public GanttReport(int projectKey)
        {
            InitializeComponent();

            sowContext = new SOWEntities();

            vListing_Project project = sowContext.vListing_Project.FirstOrDefault(x => x.ProjectKey == projectKey);

            /******************** Task Report **********************/
            var tasks = (from task in sowContext.pvTaskReports
                         where task.ProjectKey == projectKey
                         select new
                         {
                             task.Task_Level,
                             task.Task_Name,
                             task.Task_ID,
                             task.Task_Days,
                             task.Plan_Start_Date,
                             task.Plan_Completion_Date,
                             task.Track_Schedules,
                             task.Task_Line_Number,
                             task.Task_Type
                         }).ToList();


            tblTaskDetails.DataSource = tasks;
        }

        private void tblTaskDetails_ItemDataBinding(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {

            for (int i = 0; i < 10; i++)
            {
                TableGroup tableGroupColumn = new TableGroup();
                tblTaskDetails.ColumnGroups.Add(tableGroupColumn);
                tblTaskDetails.Body.Columns.Add(new TableBodyColumn(Unit.Inch(.2)));

                Telerik.Reporting.TextBox textBoxGroup = new Telerik.Reporting.TextBox();
                textBoxGroup.Value = "x" + i.ToString();
                textBoxGroup.Size = new SizeU(Unit.Inch(.2), Unit.Inch(.2));
                tableGroupColumn.ReportItem = textBoxGroup;


                Telerik.Reporting.TextBox textBoxTable = new Telerik.Reporting.TextBox();
                textBoxTable.Value = "";
                textBoxTable.Size = new SizeU(Unit.Inch(.2), Unit.Inch(.2));
                tblTaskDetails.Body.SetCellContent(0, i++, textBoxTable);
                tblTaskDetails.Items.AddRange(new ReportItemBase[] { textBoxTable, textBoxGroup });
            }

        }
    }
}

If anyone can provide a better example of how to dynamically add columns to a table that already has columns that would be great!

[Steve]

Hello Ryan,

Looking at the stack trace, this error can occur if you have a row/column group with Size=0. I've attached a sample project that shows you how to create table dynamically correctly.
Give it a spin and let us know how it goes.

All the best,
Steve
the Telerik team

[Travis]

I have a table with four columns set in the designer and I want to add a dynamic number of columns at the end of the table.  Is this possible? I'm setting my datasource via the designer as well.  I tried using the above code but am getting the same error as above.  The column I'm trying to add will be the 5th column in the table.  Here's my code:

private void table1_ItemDataBinding(object sender, EventArgs e)
       {
           TableGroup tableGroupColumn = new TableGroup();
           table1.ColumnGroups.Add(tableGroupColumn);
           table1.Body.Columns.Add(new Telerik.Reporting.TableBodyColumn(Unit.Inch(1)));
           Telerik.Reporting.HtmlTextBox textboxGroup = new Telerik.Reporting.HtmlTextBox();
           textboxGroup.Style.BorderColor.Default = Color.Black;
           textboxGroup.Style.BorderStyle.Default = BorderType.Solid;
           textboxGroup.Value = "My Dynamic Column";
           textboxGroup.Size = new SizeU(Unit.Inch(1.1), Unit.Inch(0.3));
           tableGroupColumn.ReportItem = textboxGroup;
           Telerik.Reporting.HtmlTextBox textBoxTable = new Telerik.Reporting.HtmlTextBox();
           textBoxTable.Style.BorderColor.Default = Color.Black;
           textBoxTable.Style.BorderStyle.Default = BorderType.Solid;
           textBoxTable.Value = "=\"test value\"";
           textBoxTable.Size = new SizeU(Unit.Inch(1.1), Unit.Inch(0.3));
           this.table1.Body.SetCellContent(0, 4, textBoxTable);
           this.table1.Items.AddRange(new ReportItemBase[] { textBoxTable, textboxGroup });
       }

[Steve]

Hi Travis,

It would be best to open a support ticket and attach a runnable sample project that exhibits the problem.

Best wishes,
Steve
the Telerik team

[Andrey]

Is there a solution to the problem described in this thread?

[Benin]

This sample code is no longer working for a webapplication or website project. Can you please provide a fix?