FastReport is a flexible and powerful reporting tool. It allows users to access data sources in various formats and present them visually. Reports created with FastReport can be easily designed using drag-and-drop logic in the user interface and converted to different formats (PDF, Excel, Word, etc.).
Reporting is a critical need in data-driven applications. FastReport allows users to visualize and analyze their data. Suitable for both desktop and web applications, this tool provides fast results with minimal coding.
FastReport works perfectly with .NET applications. When integrated with the powerful development ecosystem offered by .NET, report creation processes can be automated, dynamic reports can be generated, and large data sets can be processed quickly. Additionally, using the flexibility offered by .NET, it is easy to integrate reports with the rest of your application.
This article aims to explain step by step how to install FastReport on .NET 8.0 and how to create a simple report. Taking the reporting process from the beginning, it will show how to connect, design, and view reports.
Before you begin, you need to make sure the following requirements are met:
The easiest way to add FastReport to a project is to use the NuGet package manager.
Install-Package FastReport.OpenSource
This will include the latest version of FastReport in your project.
To start using FastReport, it is important to follow the licensing steps correctly:
Note: The free version has some limitations, for example, the full list of export formats may not be available.
Since I will explain the reporting tool using the trial version in this article, I downloaded the program from the FastReport installation link.
You can proceed directly as the welcome screen provides convenience for automatic installation.
Once the user agreement is approved, you can continue the process.
Here we mark which type of source we will use. For this article, I will only use .NET Trial.
After the installation is completed, the application is ready to use.
FastReport is renowned for its powerful, professional-grade reporting tools and offers two main options based on users' needs: a commercial version and FastReport.OpenSource. FastReport.OpenSource is an ideal choice for developers seeking a fast, cost-free, and customizable reporting solution in small to medium-scale projects. Its open-source nature grants users complete control over the code, enabling them to make in-depth customizations tailored to specific project requirements.
FastReport.OpenSource includes many core functions of reporting tools: it allows you to design reports, create data connections, visualize data, and generate report outputs efficiently and quickly. For small-scale projects or budget-constrained initiatives, its open-source format offers access to powerful reporting capabilities without licensing fees. Additionally, its community-driven structure provides developers with a continuously growing pool of resources and up-to-date knowledge.
With FastReport.OpenSource’s open-source structure, developers can create tailored customizations suited to their projects. This flexibility allows you to build custom report formats or make specific adjustments to existing features. The ability to customize gives developers the advantage of aligning reports with the functional and visual requirements of their projects.
One of the key advantages of FastReport.OpenSource is its strong community support. Along with the source code accessible on GitHub, users share their experiences and developments, creating a constant flow of insights. Community support is highly beneficial for troubleshooting and generating new ideas. FastReport’s development team also provides regular updates, ensuring the platform continues to evolve.
FastReport.OpenSource is an excellent solution for educational projects, personal applications, or startup projects. It is particularly suitable for projects that require essential reporting capabilities, such as financial statements, customer reports, inventory lists, and analysis reports. Its open-source nature makes it fully customizable and adaptable to meet the needs of your specific project.
FastReport Designer is a visual tool that simplifies report design.
After opening a blank report design, you can connect your database here by selecting New Data Source from the Actions box.
FastReport does not require us to use only MS SQL. If you wish, you can define your data in formats such as JSON and XML and create your reports.
You can flexibly use all the options in your database during import. In addition to tables, procedures and views can also be imported into FastReport and used in reports.
In a simple design, after adding the data source, the entire report can be created by adding only text. In the modal where the texts to be added are opened, there are System Variables and Data Source variables for convenience. By selecting these, the entire report can be created with the drag-and-drop feature.
You can see a preview of the report you are working on via File-Preview or Report-Preview.
After saving the report we just created as .frx, we can transfer it to our .net project as a file and call the report from this file. In reports prepared with a mssql db connection, you must install the "FastReport.Data.Mssql" package.
We are ready to call the report we just prepared from the project. We save our frx file via FastReport and add it to our “BasicFastReportDotnet8” project, which we opened as a .net8 console app.
The packages we will use in this operation are:
Let's open our .frx extension file and take a look;
In fact, we can almost update the report from here. The elements we use in the file are presented in XML format and our data source connections are nicely defined. Great!
Now, since we used mssql connection in this report, we need to go and specify it:
In this way, we indicate that the report has ready data and there is no need for a preparation process. The rest is child's play!
Yep, that's all!
Let's see how our report turned out:
These operations can also be performed using an empty template. We can repeat the same operation with the desired objects by giving the "report.RegisterData" command to the report object just before the prepared operation.
FastReport offers a fast and effective reporting solution for both small projects and large-scale applications. Thanks to its user-friendly interface and .NET integration, report design and management can be easily performed. In addition, being able to pull records from the DB at any time increases the speed of report analysis by separating server-side and DB operations.
Seamless integration with .NET applications, multiple data source support, and flexible design options make FastReport an attractive choice.
To explore FastReport’s advanced features, you can browse its official documentation and work with templates, charts, and more complex reporting techniques.
If you’re using the commercial version of FastReport, you can set up a private NuGet server to access FastReport packages specifically for internal or private projects. This method is especially useful for corporate users who need to maintain control over access management and updates. The flexibility FastReport offers allows you to access NuGet packages in a more secure and manageable way.
For more details, refer to the Private NuGet Server Setup article.
The article is written by Liubou Patskevich from Softacom.