External types in a BIRT report-layout event handler

• columnNumber is of type INT and contains the column number of the cell being created
• columnSpan is of type INT and contains the number of table or grid columns occupied by the cell
• rowSpan is of type INT and contains the number of table or grid rows occupied by the cell

function myFunction( myCell CellInstance, myContext ReportContext ) 
   { eventType = onCreate, elementName = "myTable", rowNumber = 2 }
   if (myCell.columnNumber == 1)
      ;
   end
end

• value is of type ANY and contains the value of the bound expression associated with the element

function myFunction( myData DataInstance, myContext ReportContext ) 
   { eventType = onCreate, elementName = "DepartmentName"}
   if (myData.value == "Sales")
      ;
   end 
end

• text is of type STRING and contains the report text

function myFunction( myText DynamicTextInstance, myContext ReportContext ) 
   { eventType = onCreate, elementName = "resultOfEvaluation" }
   if (myText.text == "<b>Promote!</b>";
      ;
   end
end

function myFunction( myGridInstance GridInstance, myContext ReportContext ) 
   { eventType = onCreate, elementName = "myGrid" }
   ;
end

• A web or file address in the form of a Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) such as http://www.example.com/myImage.gif or file:///c:/myImage.gif. In this case, the BIRT designer considers the image to be of type URI.
• A file name, in which case the file is assumed to be in the BIRT resource folder. (You establish a reference to that folder by clicking Windows -> Preferences ->Report Design -> Resource and then specifying the folder.) In this case, the BIRT designer considers the image to be of type File.
• The design file itself. In this case, the BIRT designer considers the image to be of type Embedded.
• A column of type BLOB (binary large object) in a data set, in which case the BIRT designer considers the image is to be of type Dynamic.

• altText is of type STRING and contains the alternate text, which is the text to display if the output is in HTML and a particular web browser cannot display the image.
• dynamicImageData is of type BLOB and contains the content of an image of type Dynamic.

  The Java-code getter and setter methods are getData and setData.

• embeddedImageName is of type STRING and contains the name of an image of type Embedded. That name is specified in the report design file and is distinct from the element name for the image.

  The Java-code getter and setter methods are getImageName and setImageName.

• imageURI is of type STRING and contains the web or file address that refers to an image of type URI.

  The Java-code getter and setter methods are getURL and setURL.

• linkedImageURI is of type STRING and contains the web or file address that refers to a linked image (that is, to an image of type URI or File). You cannot assign a value to this variable.

  The Java-code getter method is getURI.

• mimeType is of type STRING and contains the media type such as "image/gif", "image/jpeg", "image/png", and "image/tiff".

  The Java-code getter and setter methods are getMimeType and setMimeType.

• resourceFolderImageFile is of type STRING and contains the name of an image of type File.

  The Java-code getter and setter methods are getFile and setFile.

function changeImage( theImage ImageInstance, myContext ReportContext )  
   { eventType = onCreate, elementName = "salesGraphic" }
   theImage.imageURI == "file:///c:/images/myGraphic01.bmp";
end

function changeImage( theImage ImageInstance, myContext ReportContext )
   { eventType = onCreate, elementName = "salesGraphic02" }
   theImage.embeddedImageName = "myGraphic02.bmp";
end

• text is of type STRING and contains the label text

function myLabelFunction( theLabel LabelInstance, myContext ReportContext )  
   { eventType = onCreate, elementName = "remark_label" }
   balance float = theLabel.getRowData().getColumnValue("account_balance");
   if( balance > 0 )
      theLabel.text = "Balance Due";
      theLabel.getStyle().color = "red";
   end
end

function myFunction( myList ListInstance, myContext ReportContext )
    { eventType = onCreate, elementName = "employeeList" }
    ;
end

• setParameterValue sets the value of a report parameter, which is identified by name:

   reportContext.setParameterValue
   ( parameterName STRING in, parameterValue ANY in ) 

• Similarly, getParameterValue gets the value of a report parameter:

   reportContext.getParameterValue
   ( parameterName STRING in) returns (ANY)  

• height is of type STRING, contains the height of the element being created, and includes a unit of measurement, as mentioned earlier. The string has no spaces; for example, "12pc".
• width ;is of type STRING, contains the width of the element being created, and includes a unit of measurement, as mentioned earlier. The string has no spaces; for example, "12pc".

• getParent returns the parent element. This function returns a cell element, for example, if the qualifier used in the invocation refers to a label element within the cell.

  element.getParent()returns (ReportElementInstance)

  As shown, the function returns an element of type ReportElementInstance. If the function returns an element of type CellInstance and you wish to access the field columnNumber in that element, you must cast the returned value. Here is an example:

  function myLabelFunction( theLabel LabelInstance, myContext ReportContext  ) 
     { eventType = onCreate, elementName = "remark_label" }
     myReportInstance ReportElementInstance = theLabel.getParent();
     if (myReportInstance isa CellInstance )
        myCellInstance CellInstance = 
           myReportElementInstance as CellInstance;
        if (myCellInstance.columnNumber == 1)
           ;
        end
    end
  end

• getRowData returns an object of type RowData. The returned object contains a set of column bindings as listed in the BIRT Report Designer, in the Property Editor view for the report. (The bindings are listed in the Bindings tab of that view). You use the object to invoke the function getColumnValue, which retrieves the value of a given column binding. For details on that function, see the section on RowData.

  element.getRowData() returns (RowData)

• getStyle returns an object of type Style, which contains the values that reflect the CSS style in use. For details on accessing those values, see the section on Style.

  element.getStyle() returns (Style)

• getNamedExpressionValue returns the value of the specified named expression. The named expressions are listed in the BIRT Report Designer, in the Property Editor view for the report.

  element.getNamedExpressionValue 
       (expressionName STRING in) returns (ANY)

  You can use this function to access JavaScript™ expressions defined in the report design. For example, for a label named total, you can define an expression named BalanceTotal as Total.sum(row["account_balance"]); and in the onCreate event, you can set the label text as follows:

  function onTotalLabel( l LabelInstance, c ReportContext )
     { eventType = onCreate, elementName = "total" }
     l.text = "Total balance = " + l.getNamedExpressionValue("BalanceTotal");
  end

• helpText is of type STRING and contains the help text associated with the element

• getColumnCount returns the number of column bindings:

    element.getRowData().getColumnCount() returns (INT)

• getColumnName returns the name of a column binding, which is identified by an index number:

    element.getRowData().getColumnName( columnNumber INT in )returns (STRING)

  The first column is number 1, not 0.

• One form of getColumnValue returns the value of a column binding, which is identified by name:

    element.getRowData().getColumnValue( columnName STRING in )returns (ANY)

• A second form of getColumnValue returns the value of a column binding, which is identified by an index number:

    element.getRowData().getColumnValue( columnNumber INT in ) returns (ANY)

  The first column is number 1, not 0.

function myFunction( myRow RowInstance, myContext ReportContext ) 
   { eventType = onCreate, elementName = "myTable", rowType = detail, rowNumber = 2 }
   ;
end

   myElement.getStyle().backgroundColor = "red";

   myColor STRING;
   myColor = myElement.getStyle().backgroundColor;

• caption is of type STRING and contains the table caption.
• repeatHeader is of type BOOLEAN and indicates whether to repeat the table headers on pages after the first page. Valid values are true (the default) and false.

function myFunction( myTable TableInstance, myContext ReportContext ) 
   { eventType = onCreate, elementName = "myTable" }
   ;
end

• text is of type STRING and contains the report text

function myFunction( myText TextInstance, myContext ReportContext ) 
   { eventType = onCreate, elementName = "conclusion" }
   if (myText.text == "<b>Promote!</b>";
      ;
   end
end