How to dynamically load images in Crystal Reports using Visual Studio 2005

Introduction

If you have an image path that is stored in your database, Crystal Reports .NET in Visual Studio 2003/2005 cannot display the image file dynamically unless you use the dynamic image location feature in Crystal Report XI.

I searched in the Web, and I found how to display this using a workaround.

Using the code

We must have a field (image path) in our database. We need to create a new DataSet/XML schema (XSD) (TypedDataSet) to use as resource data in creating a report, and add an additional field that is not in the table and which is of type base64Binary:

Or add it in XML:

< name=""image_stream"" type=""xs:base64Binary"" minoccurs=""0″">

When designing a report, drag and drop the “image_stream” field in the region where you want it to appear. Add CrystalReportViewer to your ASPX page. In the code-behind of your page, add the following method to load the image:

private void LoadImage(DataRow objDataRow, string strImageField, string FilePath)
{
    try
    {
        FileStream fs = new FileStream(FilePath, 
                   System.IO.FileMode.Open, System.IO.FileAccess.Read);
        byte[] Image = new byte[fs.Length];
        fs.Read(Image, 0, Convert.ToInt32(fs.Length));
        fs.Close();
        objDataRow[strImageField] = Image;
    }
    catch (Exception ex)
    {
        Response.Write("<font color=red>" + ex.Message + "</font>");
    }
}

We need to fill the TypedDataSet, and before assigning this DataSet to the “SetDataSource” of our report, we need to add a few lines of code:

TypedDataSet ds = new TypedDataSet();

SqlConnection cn = new SqlConnection("Data Source=ServerName;" + 
                   "Initial Catalog=DataBaseName;User ID=UserName;" + 
                   "Password=UserPassWord");
SqlCommand Cmd = new SqlCommand();
SqlDataAdapter myAdapter = new SqlDataAdapter();

Cmd.CommandText = " Select * From TableName";
Cmd.Connection = cn;

myAdapter.SelectCommand = Cmd;

try
{
    cn.Open();
    myAdapter.Fill(ds.Tables[0]);
    cn.Close();
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
    throw;
}


for (int index = 0; index < ds.Tables[0].Rows.Count; index++)
{
    if (ds.Tables[0].Rows[index]["image_path"].ToString() != "")
    {
        string s = this.Server.MapPath(
                    ds.Tables[0].Rows[index]["image_path"].ToString());

        if (File.Exists(s))
        {
            LoadImage(ds.Tables[0].Rows[index], "image_stream", s);
        }
        else
        {
            LoadImage(ds.Tables[0].Rows[index], "image_stream", 
                      "DefaultPicturePath");
        }
    }
    else
    {
        LoadImage(ds.Tables[0].Rows[index], "image_stream", 
                  "DefaultPicturePath");
    }
}

try
{
    // Finally display report in crystal report viewer
    ReportDocument crDoc = new ReportDocument();
    crDoc.Load(Server.MapPath("CrystalReport.rpt"));
    crDoc.SetDataSource(ds.Tables[0]);
    CrystalReportViewer1.ReportSource = crDoc;
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
    throw;
}

Thanks

I would like to thank the CodeProject team (moderators, users, visitors...) for all their effort. Thank you everybody.