FCC Reportster

Add your own Custom Designed ReportWriter to your programs! The FCC Reportster consists of Visual Basic source code which you can adapt to fit your customers' needs or leave as is and insert into your VB5 and/or VB6 applications.
  • Reads an ACCESS or SQL Server database and allows your users to easily create their own reports.
  • Allows you to keep full control of the ReportWriter, including the help screens.
  • Allows you to better customize your program to meet your customers' needs.
Why do I need it?
Since each end user has different and changing reporting needs, and it is impossible to create custom reports for all of them, it is desirable to provide report-writing capabilities with your applications. Often, other software report-writers are too complex for your users to understand; furthermore, new versions are released every 6-12 months, forcing you and your clients to buy the newer version to correct bugs, or to make use of the new technology or new platforms. In addition, many of these products have high overhead in terms of DLLs and OCXs that you must monitor...making sure that your client always has the correct copies.

Advantages for the Programmer:
Reportster does not consist of DLLs and/or OCXs; rather it is VB Source that you can insert directly into your application. If there is a bug in the source, you can locate and fix it. If you need a function, which we left out, you can add it. Most importantly, when the next version of VB arrives, you can simply convert the existing source to the newer version. You may distribute applications containing Reportster with no royalty.

Features for the End User:
Reportster allows your end users to drag and drop fields onto the report, control the font and color of the information on the report, include sub-totals and groupings, sort by any field, and create selection criteria to determine which records are included on the report. The user can send the output to a printer, display on the screen, or save to various file formats, including: text, CSV, RTF, Microsoft Word Merge, and WordPerfect Merge. The user can print mailing labels in as many different styles as you define for them, and can print on over 16 different paper sizes in landscape or portrait mode.

How do I Implement it?

DAO and SQL Server -- In the design phase, use Add Form, Add Module, and Add Class Module to add the FRM, CLS, and BAS files provided with Reportster. Next, a wizard will examine your ACCESS or SQL Server database which contains the information needed by the reportwriter. A few hours after you start, it's ready for the open road. Click here to view Reportster DAO tutorial.

ADO -- The ADO version requires a bit more work since it uses an MDI interface. It comes with a sample project which illustrates how to make the connection. You can get a sense of the complexity by reading the ReportsterADO tutorial - click here to view. The ADO version also requires 3rd party controls from Infragistics, to wit: Active Threed Plus, Active ToolBars Plus, Data Widgets Ver. 3.12, and Calendar Widgets Ver. 1.09.

Reportster has been unbundled...
The standard Reportster package, which includes a moderate amount of programmer support, costs $750.00. However, our experience over the last year has shown that very little support is required, so we now offer an unbundled version as follows:

a) Reportster Package $140.00 + $5.00 S&H includes source code, manual and tutorial.

b) Reportster phone support $90.00 per call

Call 828-697-9080 to order - MC/VISA accepted.

Or click here for order form.