Bug 120215 BPS 40 - DE changes
1. all report elements' properties will be overidable with an expression. The binding expression will have access to report parameter, and static BIRT report objects only. 2) DE will provide api to get property binding expression for a given property on a report element handle. It's up to the engine to evaluate the property binding expression when the report gets executed. DE API changes -------------------------- a) DesignElementHandle will support the following two methods. - String (expression) GetPropertyBinding ( propertyName ) - void SetPropertyBinding( propertyName , String (expression) ) // Note get and set property methods are wrapper classes which actually use reportDesignHandle methods to retrive and set the property binding. b) rom.def changes Property bindings contains a list of binding expressions. ReportDesign element will be enhanced to support a new property called. <Property canInherit="false" detailType="propertyBinding" displayNameID="Element.Module.propertyBindings" isList="true" name="propertyBindings" type="structure"/> A new datatype - <Structure name="propertybinding"> <Member name="name" since="2.0" type="name"/> <Member name="id" returnType="any" since="2.0" type="string"/> // Use the unique id used to identify an element. <Member name="value" returnType="string" since="2.0" type="expression"/> </Structure>
model/org.eclipse.birt.report.model/src/org/eclipse/birt/report/model/core/DesignElement.java
* visitor to an element, and the element then calls its specific "visit" method
 * in the visitor. For example, the design engine uses a visitor to write the
 * design to an XML file.
 * 
 * <h3>API Handles</h3>
 * 
 * This class, and its subclasses, are low-level classes that maintain the state
 * of the design. Property and slot methods are generic so that they work for
 * all elements. Modifications must be done through commands. The application,
 * however, wants to work with a simpler set of objects, and wants to work with
 * specific "getter" methods to get properties. The application also simply
 * wants to call a "setter" method to make a change.
 * <p>
 * The API handle package provides a set of "facade" classes that give this
 * high-level view. Therefore, the application will seldom work with this class
 * directly. Instead, it will work with the handle produced by calling the
 * {@link #getHandle( Module module )}method.
 * 
 * <h3>Semantic State</h3>
 * 
 * Design elements maintain a wide variety of relationships to other parts of
 * the design. An element refers to its parent element or its shared style.
 * Expressions reference elements, parameters and data set columns. Many
 * elements reference data sources or data sets.
 * <p>
 * <em>Semantic processing</em> resolves name references to the actual
 * elements or other objects. Semantic processing is done incrementally for most
 * operations. However, batch processing is needed when reading a design file
 * and for certain other operations.
 * <p>