vcl-405469-expressreports-vcl-reports.md
DevExpress VCL Reports (ExpressReports or Report Generator for Delphi & C++Builder) is an AI-powered Report Platform solution designed to generate customizable reports. You can design report templates using the fully-functional Report Designer tool at design time and runtime, as well as generate documents based on data from a relational database, a memory-based dataset, or a VCL-compatible dataset (TDataSet descendant).
Tip
ExpressReports requires the purchase of our new VCL Subscription+ or an existing active VCL Subscription with any .NET subscription that includes DevExpress Reporting for ASP.NET Core/JavaScript (relevant subscription SKUs include Reporting, ASP.NET and Blazor (includes DevExtreme), DXperience, and Universal). A 30-day trial is also available for ExpressReports.
Review the following sections to get started with the TdxReport component:
Create a Table Report Using the Report WizardCreate a table report and display it in a VCL application: load JSON data from a remote source, define a table report layout, and bind it to data using the Report Wizard dialog at design time.
Refer to the following topic for a complete list of public GitHub repositories that demonstrate VCL Report Generator usage scenarios: Sample GitHub Projects for VCL Reports.
To see the TdxReport component in action, run the Report Designer/Viewer demo in the VCL Demo Center :
Ensure that your development environment meets ExpressDashboards and ExpressReports prerequisites:
Tip
Refer to the following topic for detailed information: VCL Reports/Dashboards App Deployment.
The ExpressReports Suite ships with the AI-powered TdxReport component (Report Generator). It includes fully-functional Report Designer and Report Viewer dialogs available at both design time and runtime.
TdxBackendDataConnectionManagerAn auxiliary component designed to manage data connection components available as sources for TdxDashboard/TdxDashboardControl and TdxReport components.
TdxBackendDataSetJSONConnection
A component designed to work with data in one or multiple VCL-compatible datasets (TDataSet descendants).
Use the TdxBackendDataSetJSONConnection component if you need to use TdxDashboardControl/TdxDashboard and TdxReport components together with VCL-compatible data sources.
Refer to the following help topic for step-by-step instructions on using the TdxBackendDataSetJSONConnection component in your project:
VCL Reports/Dashboards: How to Use Data Source and Data Set Components
TdxBackendInMemoryJSONConnection
A component designed for interaction with local (in-memory) or remote JSON data accessible through a Web API service endpoint.
Refer to the following help topic for step-by-step instructions on using the TdxBackendInMemoryJSONConnection component as a data source for TdxDashboard/TdxDashboardControl and TdxReport:
VCL Reports/Dashboards: How to Use Memory-Based or Remote API Data Sources
TdxBackendDatabaseSQLConnection
A DevExpress XPO-based component designed to fetch data from the following relational databases:
SQLite | Microsoft SQL Server/Azure SQL | PostgreSQL | Oracle Database | MySQL | Firebird
Tip
This component is based on the DevExpress XPO ORM engine (powered by ADO.NET).
TdxBackendDatabaseSQLConnection has built-in support for Microsoft SQL/Azure SQL and SQLite engines (you can use them without additional dependencies and extra configuration).
Refer to the following topic for a complete list of supported database engines and corresponding connection string examples:
VCL Reports/Dashboards: Supported Database Engines
The Report Designer dialog allows users to design and configure the current report template, including placeholder positions, source dataset fields, appearance settings, etc.
Tip
Refer to the following topic for detailed information on report layout customization options: Reports for Web — Report Designer.
The TdxReport component supports the same AI-powered extensions available for DevExpress Web Reports – Summarize , Translate , Preview Generation , etc.
Refer to the following topic for detailed information in this regard: AI-powered Extensions for DevExpress Reporting.
You can enable DevExpress AI-powered Extensions in your ExpressReports-based application in the Project Settings dialog (the Reports tab).
Note
DevExpress AI-powered Extensions follow the bring your own key principle. DevExpress does not offer a REST API and does not ship any built-in LLMs/SLMs. You need an active Azure/OpenAI subscription to obtain the REST API endpoint, key, and model deployment name.
You can localize both UI and report templates using AI-powered extensions and the DevExpress Localization Service.
Refer to the following topics for detailed information in this regard:
Subreports allow you to embed a report into a parent report (to enhance modularity and flexibility of your report design). Each subreport is an independent/reusable report template layout you can use to design recurring document sections, such as headers, footers, and cover pages. Subreports are particularly useful for building master-detail structures, merged reports, side-by-side reports, etc.
Report Parameters allow users to filter report data dynamically using a straightforward/intuitive interface.
See Also
Backend for VCL Reports/Dashboards
VCL Dashboards (BI Dashboard Designer & Viewer) for Delphi/C++Builder