Print RDLC Report without showing ReportViewer Control

Question

I was wondering if is possible to send/print data from DataGridView directly to rdlc report without binding it to ReportViewercontrol.

There are many threads about binding dgv data to report viewer control. I don't want to create another form with report viewer control, but use existing form with data on DataGridView and on print button to send the data to RDLC report and print it.

Is it possible?
Thanks

Answer 1

You can print an RDLC report programmatically by using LocalReport object and CreateStreamCallback callback function. Here is a complete Microsoft docs walkthrough which you may find useful:

• Walkthrough: Printing a Local Report without Preview

To make it easier to use, I've created a Print extension method which you can easily use it this way:

this.reportViewer1.LocalReport.Print();

Here is the extension method:

using Microsoft.Reporting.WinForms;
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Drawing;
using System.Drawing.Imaging;
using System.Drawing.Printing;
using System.IO;

public static class LocalReportExtensions
{
    public static void Print(this LocalReport report)
    {
        var pageSettings = new PageSettings();
        pageSettings.PaperSize = report.GetDefaultPageSettings().PaperSize;
        pageSettings.Landscape = report.GetDefaultPageSettings().IsLandscape;
        pageSettings.Margins = report.GetDefaultPageSettings().Margins;
        Print(report, pageSettings);
    }

    public static void Print(this LocalReport report, PageSettings pageSettings)
    {
        string deviceInfo =
            $@"<DeviceInfo>
                <OutputFormat>EMF</OutputFormat>
                <PageWidth>{pageSettings.PaperSize.Width * 100}in</PageWidth>
                <PageHeight>{pageSettings.PaperSize.Height * 100}in</PageHeight>
                <MarginTop>{pageSettings.Margins.Top * 100}in</MarginTop>
                <MarginLeft>{pageSettings.Margins.Left * 100}in</MarginLeft>
                <MarginRight>{pageSettings.Margins.Right * 100}in</MarginRight>
                <MarginBottom>{pageSettings.Margins.Bottom * 100}in</MarginBottom>
            </DeviceInfo>";

        Warning[] warnings;
        var streams = new List<Stream>();
        var currentPageIndex = 0;

        report.Render("Image", deviceInfo, 
            (name, fileNameExtension, encoding, mimeType, willSeek) => 
            {
                var stream = new MemoryStream();
                streams.Add(stream);
                return stream;
            }, out warnings);

        foreach (Stream stream in streams)
            stream.Position = 0;

        if (streams == null || streams.Count == 0)
            throw new Exception("Error: no stream to print.");

        var printDocument = new PrintDocument();
        printDocument.DefaultPageSettings = pageSettings;
        if (!printDocument.PrinterSettings.IsValid)
            throw new Exception("Error: cannot find the default printer.");
        else
        {
            printDocument.PrintPage += (sender, e) =>
            {
                Metafile pageImage = new Metafile(streams[currentPageIndex]);
                Rectangle adjustedRect = new Rectangle(
                    e.PageBounds.Left - (int)e.PageSettings.HardMarginX,
                    e.PageBounds.Top - (int)e.PageSettings.HardMarginY,
                    e.PageBounds.Width,
                    e.PageBounds.Height);
                e.Graphics.FillRectangle(Brushes.White, adjustedRect);
                e.Graphics.DrawImage(pageImage, adjustedRect);
                currentPageIndex++;
                e.HasMorePages = (currentPageIndex < streams.Count);
                e.Graphics.DrawRectangle(Pens.Red, adjustedRect);
            };
            printDocument.EndPrint += (Sender, e) =>
            {
                if (streams != null)
                {
                    foreach (Stream stream in streams)
                        stream.Close();
                    streams = null;
                }
            };
            printDocument.Print();
        }
    }
}

Print with showing Print dialog

Just in case someone wants to print with showing Print dialog, you can put a ReportViewer on form and set the Visible property of the control to false then pass data to the report and when the RenderingComplete event fired, call PrintDialog:

• ReportViewer.PrintDialog Method