Getting data from web service????

[Jason Maronge]

Does anyone know how to bind a report to a webservice and have it call that service each time the parameters change or the report is refreshed?  I have not seen any answers to this.  I have tried to override the OnNeedDataSource in a base class, handling the NeedDataSource event and according to all the other post this only gets called when the datasource is null which is only once.  Something does not seem right here.  I should be able to update my datasource any time the report needs to be refreshed, or at least have the option.  So if anyone has a complete example how to bind a report to a webservice and send parameters please post a solution.  I am trying to do something like this in the NeedDataSource is my base report:

if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(this.StoredProcedureName))
{
    base.OnNeedDataSource(sender, e);
    return;
}

object[] parameters = new object[this.ReportParameters.Count];
for (int index = 0; index < this.ReportParameters.Count; index++)
{
    Telerik.Reporting.ReportParameter trp = this.ReportParameters[index];
    parameters[index] = new object[] { "@" + trp.Name, trp.Value };
}

this.DataSource = WebServiceProxy.Execute(StoredProcedureName, parameters);

Thanks for your help,

Jason

[Jason Maronge]

I went ahead and used an object datasource to accomplish my needs.

[Peter]

Hello Jason Maronge,

We are not sure that we have correctly understood the issue you are experiencing generally our suggestion is to use an ObjectDataSource for report's DataSource and let it automatically refresh when a report parameter is changed or the viewer is refreshed. Check out the attached sample that shows how we have used the service with an ObjectdDataSource.

Greetings,
Peter
the Telerik team

[Chris @ Intrinsic]

So, how exactly did you do that?  There is no examples anywhere on how to use a webservice and bind the dataset programatically to the report. 

[Paul]

Hi,

I must admit I'm having the same problem.  In VS2005 I'm trying to bind a ObjectDataSource to a web service method that returns a dataset - however when  using the ObjectDataSource I can't see a reference to the web service to allow me to bind to it.  

Have I missed something fundamental?  

The web service is available within the project solution and returns data so I'm hoping I can use it a design time?

Thanks,

Paul.

[Steve]

Hello Paul,

You should create a method that returns the dataset from your web service and bind via the ObjectDataSource to that method.

Best wishes,
Steve
the Telerik team

[Paul]

Thanks,  I'm getting slightly further but the "Data Explorer" window isn't behaving as I'd expect it to.  I was hoping once that I'd bound the ObjectDataSource to the correct method I would be able to use the data explorer to view the data source.

I've created a data accessing class and this is now shoing within the ObjectDataSource wizard so I can bind to this.  The code for the class is below...

namespace Test.ReportLibrary.TestReport
{
    using Test.ReportLibrary.TestReportDataSource;
    using System;
    using System.Collections.Generic;
    using System.Text;


    [System.ComponentModel.DataObject()]
    public class DataSource
    {
        public TestReportDataSource Data = new TestReportDataSource();


        [System.ComponentModel.DataObjectMethod(System.ComponentModel.DataObjectMethodType.Select)]
        public System.Data.DataTable GetKeyInformationData(string eFolderId)
        {
            return Data.GetKeyInformationData(eFolderId);
        }


    }
}

But within Visual Studio 2005 the Data Explorer is showing No Data Source and the following exception:  When I click on a field within the report it doesn't recognise any fields as being available eventhough the report itself has it's data source set as "ds [Telerik.Reporting.ObjectDataSource]" which is the name of the ObjectDataSource on the report.  When the report is actually ran though the fields do bind at runtime and are shown correctly - it's just the design time experience that's proving painful? 

Telerik.Reporting.Processing.Data.ObjectDataSourceException: An error has occurred while resolving 'ds' data source: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
   at Telerik.Reporting.Processing.Data.ObjectQueryProvider.ResolveDataSource()
   at Telerik.Reporting.Processing.Data.ObjectQueryProvider.ResolveDataSourcePropertiesFromEnumerable()
   at Telerik.Reporting.Processing.Data.ObjectQueryProvider.ResolveDataSourceProperties()
   at Telerik.Reporting.Processing.Data.ObjectSchema.FillSchema(ObjectQueryProvider queryProvider)
   at Telerik.Reporting.Processing.Data.ObjectSchema..ctor(ObjectQueryProvider queryProvider)
   at Telerik.Reporting.Processing.Data.ObjectQueryProvider.CreateSchema()
   at Telerik.Reporting.Processing.Data.MultidimensionalQueryProvider.GetSchema()
   at Telerik.Reporting.Design.DataSourceService.GetCurrentDataSourceSchema(Boolean throwOnError)
   at Telerik.Reporting.Design.DataExplorerControl.RefreshDataSource()

I'm using the Q1 2011 Telerik Reporting.dll

Can you provide more assistance?

[Steve]

Hello Paul,

The only way for the report designer to show you any data source related information (incl. data source schema) is to have a valid data source available at design time. As far as the Visual Studio designer is concerned a valid data source means:

• a data source object that is instantiated and initialized in the InitializeComponent() method of the designed object class -- this is the only part of the class that VS designer respects;
• the data source object should be be operational at design time; this means that VS (through the report designer) should be able to use this object and even instantiate it correctly. The tricky part here is that these objects become part of the VS application (devenv.exe) and not your application (your application from the VS' point of view is just a couple of work items - projects and files and not an executable).

Generally speaking the existing data source objects cover most of the scenarios; in the rare cases when they do not work you can always mock your data just to enable the report designer to show any data schema.

Best wishes,
Steve
the Telerik team

[Paul]

So should I check that the object is initialized correctly within the generated InitializeComponent() function?

I can copy the web service from the project to an IIS server so it's hosted and available - would that allow the designer to view it correctly?

[Lars]

It wot be nice if tare whose a WinformServiceClient like the one to Silverlight so you create the report on the server and send it to the client :-) my english is warily bad so i hope you understand me :-)