> that sounds like a good solution. So let's see if a have this

correct.

>
> 1. Use Dream Co Dream Designer
> 2. Have a stock form or Data Module that contains a report and I
> suppose a designer

I have a curious arrangement of base classes for my forms. One of
which is specialised for use as a reporting form - it creates its own
RB designer instance when required.

> 3. the user (or programmer) then executes an action which

dynamically

> adds a tdataset (or IB_ Native dataset) and a datapipeline with
> the dataset property of the pipeline component set to the dataset.
> 4. then somehow the SQL is built.

The designer gives a Delphi like interface if you want to give the end
user this capability. (I have that interface restricted to a special
version of my program to be used only by qualified persons - me :-)

However it should be equally possible to setup a
specialised/restricted interface for adding a query/pipeline to a form
(along with whatever SQL etc). Then use the dream designer streaming
functions to save the changed form definition for future use.

> 5. The report is designed.
> 6. The whole data module is then "saved" by being streamed to a
> database or file

I actually save the actual report design to a separate location, so
that the form/module design and the report design are two separate
steps - saved to two separate locations. However I dont see any
reason why you could not simply stream the entire module (new report
design and all) to a single blob.

> 7. The report can then be run and you may optionally first show some
> kind of filtering mechanism (Where Clause)

Various possibilities exist. I use some specialised classes to prompt
for parameters on the form itself but this gets into a long story
about how my interface operates.

> And of course forms may be read from file or the database.
>
> Do I have it correct?

Pretty much. I have various customisations to IBO, RB and DreamCo
components to have everything interact the way I want, I start to
forget what is built into the standard and what I have added.


HTH

Geoff Worboys
Telesis Computing