List & Label
Last updated
Last updated
List & Label is a reporting component of combit GmbH, Germany (see https://www.combit.com). The first version supported is 14, which is currently the baseline for porting against List & Label. Previous versions are not supported while future versions will be supported as they come along.
List & Label is a developer-oriented tool targeted to equip applications with reports, forms, lists, diagrams, labels, serial mails, export functionalities etc. The designer is embedded in the component and can be distributed royalty-free to end users. It is available in more than 15 languages while the developer tool can be purchased in German or English. The component's first version has been released in 1992, now it is marketed worldwide and has won several awards.
The product’s core is a database independent API allowing to transfer any kind of data to reports. In recent years it has been enhanced to provide .NET wrappers with integrated data binding to ease report creation and runtime support. However, the roots are in a developer-centric perspective as for example the report designer is not available as a stand-alone tool but can only be used through a number of API calls.
List & Label can handle different project types: label and file card projects on the one hand, and list projects on the other. Label and file card projects in principle differ only in their initial workspace (design-) size and file extension. This difference was introduced in order to enable the file open dialog to distinguish these logically different types. Label projects consist of an arrangement of objects, which are printed once or multiple times (in columns or rows) per page. The objects can hold variables, which take on different values during printing, depending on the data.
Lists, on the other hand, consist of objects with variables, which are printed once per page, and one or more list objects, in which the fields with varying contents depending on the data records are printed. The table/report container object is only available in this mode.
This Designer can be used by the end user so that the end user can define individual projects or adapt the projects offered by you to personal requirements. Single objects of a project can be locked so that the user does not have access to these objects (for example, so that the user cannot delete a logo which you always want on the print-out). Additionally, the usage of the layout dialog can be limited by hiding menu items and consequently making these functions inaccessible to the user.
As List & Label works database-independently, the Designer cannot "know" which fields and variables should be available to your users without being integrated into an application. Thus, PPJ Framework has to pass all variables and fields before the Designer can be called.
The print module supports preview and printing, as well as exporting to Excel, XPS, PDF, HTML, RTF, TIFF, JPEG, Plaintext, bitmap and others. An optional dialog is available in which the user can determine the print configurations required, e.g. output medium, number of pages, etc.
List & Label comes with a personal license key for each developer in a project. It is necessary to provide the license key at runtime. In the root folder of the List & Label installation is a file called perslic.txt that contains the key and additional information for setting up the license. There are two options for doing this with the PPJ Framework:
Use the static property license...
Use the app.config configuration file located in the same folder as the compiled assembly of your application. In there, please add the following fragment:
<appSettings>
<add key="ListLabel.LicenseInfo" value="########"/>
</appSettings>
Replace the value string with the license key found in perslic.txt.
