Add or Modify Static Elements in Your Report

In a report, static and dynamic information is displayed using appropriate controls.

Dynamic Information changes through a report, such as values from a database (which comprise the main report data) or service information (such as current user name or page numbers). Approaches to embed dynamic information to your report are detailed in the following document: see "Display Values from a Database (Bind Report Elements to Data)".

Static information is text or images that aren't obtained from a data source, and therefore don't change through the report, and don't depend on the current computer. Static information can be printed only once (e.g., in a report header), can repeat on each page (e.g., in a page header), or can repeat with every entry into your report's data source (a data-bound label, which is placed onto the detail band).

Static information can be either edited in-place or loaded from an external file.

Change Static Information

Text elements (e.g., labels and rich text boxes) allow in-place editing of their content. Simply double-click an element and activate the editor.

Note: For in-place editing, you can use the formatting toolbar.

Another way to change a control's static information, is by clicking its smart tag. Then, the invoked actions list will contain a link (or, a button) allowing you to edit this control's content.

Load Static Information to Your Report

To load static information to your report from an external file, drop an appropriate control from the control toolbar (e.g., label, rich text box, or picture box). After it is properly positioned, edit its content using the Smart Tag.

For instance, the following instructions describe how to display a rich text (a formatted text with embedded images) into your report.

  1. Drop the rich text control from the toolbox onto the Detail band.
  2. To load content from an external RTF or TXT file, select he created control and click its Smart Tag. In the invoked actions list, click the Load File... link. Then, in the invoked dialog, locate the required file and click Open.