IJobData interface

Abstract base class for JobData.

JobData

Overview

TFORMer SDK retrieves data used for printing a Job with the help of JobData.

JobData is used to provide values for the DataFields used in a FormLayout.

Different types of JobData classes are supported:

• Importing data using JobDataCsv, JobDataXml or JobDataOdbc.
  Each of these connects to the specified file or database and reads the data Record by Record.

• Provide the data via code using JobDataRecordSet.
  This is the preferred method for passing data to TFORMer SDK from within an application. The JobDataRecordSet is constructed in memory and filled with an arbitrary number of records. Each Record contains pairs of DataField-names/DataField-values.

• A JobDataDataSource defined by the user in the FormLayout.
  Such a DataSource defines how data is retrieved (e.g. from an ODBC database), the field-mappings (see DSFieldMapping) and optional parameters (see DataSourceParameter).

Data Processing

JobData is processed record by record in the order supplied. Record processing and the need for new pages trigger the bands defined in the FormLayout:

• Report headers are processed at the start of the output, after the first record has been read.

• Detail bands are normally processed for each record.

• Group headers and footers are processed at group boundaries determined by the layout's Group By values.

• Page headers and footers are processed as pages begin and end.

• Report footers are processed after the last record.

Printing conditions and layout settings determine which bands are actually printed and where they appear.

Escape Sequences

It depends on HandleEscapeSequences whether possible escape sequences in the values are translated into their corresponding binary representation. See Escape Sequences for details.

Record Copies

Each Record of a DataSource is usually considered exactly once for generating output. Use DataSource.CopyColumnName to instruct TFORMer SDK to use a specific field of the DataSource which contains the copy counter. This feature is helpful whenever a single Record of a DataSource should be printed multiple times (e.g. if a certain number of identical labels should be printed).

Unknown DataFields in JobData

If the JobData provides more DataFields than defined (either in the stand-alone FormLayout or in the Project of the Repository), these additional fields will be ignored. For a JobDataRecordSet you have to set the option ignore-undefined-fields.

Missing DataFields in JobData

If a DataField, which is used in the FormLayout, is not present in the JobData its value depends on JobData.ReuseValues. if JobData.ReuseValues is set to

• true then the value of a DataField will be preserved between records. The last value will be reused in consecutive records until a new value is set.

• false (which is the default), then all DataFields are set to "" (empty string) or 0 (depending on the DataFieldType) between records.

Missing JobData

If no JobData is specified for a new Job, TFORMer SDK uses the DataSource selected in the FormLayout. This need not be the special _Default_ source.

The _Default_ source reads the DataField values saved by TFORMer Designer alongside the layout in its companion .xml file. The SDK also falls back to that file when no source is selected in the layout. When this companion file supplies the input, it must contain at least one record to produce output.

Identifying the Required DataFields

To iterate through the DataFields of a Project, start with Project.FirstDataField and continue with DataField.Next. Use FormLayout.GetDataFieldUsage to check whether each DataField is used in a particular FormLayout.

More Information

• JobDataRecordSet
  In-memory DataSource

• JobDataCsv
  CSV import

• JobDataXml
  XML import

• JobDataOdbc
  ODBC connectivity

• JobDataDataSource
  User-defined DataSource JobData