TFORMer SDK - Report Generator SDK

Multi-platform reporting software (report generator) with barcode support: Layouts can be directly printed or generated as PDF, HTML, PostScript®, bitmap graphic or ZPL-II. The output is based on the graphical layout.

zoomed-in report showing a table with the columns Quantity, Unit Price and Barcode

For Software Developers and Integrators

With the TFORMer reporting SDK, you can integrate the nearly unlimited output capabilities of the layout editor, TFORMer Designer, into your application.

TFORMer SDK combines your data with the designed template. Documents like reports, tables, lists, letters and labels can be printed in any kind of format as part of your application.

For All Application Areas

TFORMer Designer workflow integration

Document templates created with TFORMer Designer are completely encapsulated in the output generation. Not only the layout but also the output logic (e.g. calculations, printing conditions, paper trays) is specified in the graphical template.

The TFORMer report generator SDK can be used

  • as reporting component in conventional applications.
  • as PDF writer on the client and server (server and client side reporting).
  • for browser or AJAX applications as embedded component for direct printout.
  • as online solution for web-based PDF generation.
  • as cross-platform report writer software (also available for Linux®, UNIX® and macOS®).
  • and more...

Simple Integration

The reporting software TFORMer SDK can be easily integrated into your application. The provided sample applications shorten your development time. The following Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) are available:

  • JAVA Interface
    For integration in J2EE architectures (web applications or web services) and GUI applications (e.g. Swing, AWT).
  • .NET Interface
    For all .NET based programming languages in Microsoft® Windows and MONO in Linux®.
  • COM Interface
    Particularly for Microsoft® products like Office or Dynamics®, Navision®, Visual Basic® (VB, VBA, VBScript) and for embedding in HTML with Internet Explorer.
  • DLL Interface
    Generally for C/C++ implementations in Microsoft® Windows and all other applications using a DLL API.
  • Shared Library Interface
    For Linux® and UNIX® developers.
  • Command Line Interface (tfprint or TFPrint.exe)
    Cross-platform reporting component used as a stand-alone process (out-of-process report generator) or for integrating in batch jobs and shell scripts.

Simple Distribution

The TFORMer reporting SDK can be deployed as a stand-alone setup, as part of your installation routines (MSN, MSI) or as CAB file when required. Document templates can be provided as part of your application. In addition, TFORMer SDK offers the possibility to obtain document layouts online (e.g. as URL or stream).

Smart Data Connectivity

Data fields serve as placeholders for variable data (payload) in the report layout. These data fields can be given in your program code, imported from an external data source (e.g. file, database) or provided as stream via http/https.

The desired document layout can be specified as file name in your local system, as URL or as BASE64 coded data stream.

The support for URL (http/https) download also allows browser based client side reporting (AJAX, thin-browser-clients).

Identical Output with One Document Layout

The generated output for a single document layout is always identical and independent from the platform, printer or export format.

TFORMer supports the following output and export formats:

  • Direct Print (Microsoft Windows)
  • PDF Export
  • PostScript®
  • HTML
  • Bitmap / Graphic Formats
  • ASCII
  • ZPL-II® (for ZEBRA® thermo label printer)

Cross-Platform

The reporting software TFORMer SDK is available for all current operating systems like Microsoft® Windows®, UNIX®, Linux® and macOS®. All output formats are fully integrated, there is no need of additional licenses.

Licensing

The product combination TFORMer Designer plus TFORMer SDK offers you universal reporting capabilities and an all-in-one solution. All introduced features are directly integrated into TFORMer (no additional software or licenses required).

Windows

We offer the following licenses for TFORMer SDK. Please note that Windows and UNIX/Linux platforms are licensed separately. Contact us for more information - we would be pleased to send you a customized offer. All licenses are perpetual with a one-time license fee.

  • Workgroup
  • € 560 / $696one-time fee
  • Reporting and Label
    Printing SDK
  • 10 Installationsfor one location
  • Buy
  • Office
  • € 1120 / $1392one-time fee
  • Reporting and Label
    Printing SDK
  • 100 Installationsfor one location
  • Buy
  • Developer
  • € 2240 / $2784one-time fee
  • Reporting and Label
    Printing SDK
  • Redistributionup to 10 000 installs/users
  • Buy
  • Server
  • € 2240 / $2784one-time fee
  • Reporting and Label
    Printing SDK
  • Web or App-Serverup to 10 000 users
  • Buy

UNIX/Linux

We offer the following licenses for TFORMer SDK on UNIX/Linux platforms. Please contact us for more information - we would be pleased to send you a customized offer. All licenses are perpetual with a one-time license fee.

  • Workgroup
  • € 560 / $696one-time fee
  • Reporting and Label
    Printing SDK
  • 10 Installationsfor one location
  • Buy
  • Office
  • € 1120 / $1392one-time fee
  • Reporting and Label
    Printing SDK
  • 100 Installationsfor one location
  • Buy
  • Developer
  • € 2240 / $2784one-time fee
  • Reporting and Label
    Printing SDK
  • Redistributionup to 10 000 installs/users
  • Buy
  • Server
  • € 2240 / $2784one-time fee
  • Reporting and Label
    Printing SDK
  • Web or App-Serverup to 10 000 users
  • Buy

Microsoft® Windows

All current 32 and 64 bit Microsoft Windows systems:

  • Windows Server 2016 / 2019 / 2022
  • Windows 10 / 11
  • Ready for Terminal Server / Citrix environments

UNIX®, Linux®, macOS®

  • For more supported platforms, please refer to our download section or request a new build.

V 8.0

General Improvements

  • New Print Kernel
    The print kernel has been rewritten (preparation for future enhancements).
  • Barcode Generator Kernel
    The barcode kernel is now linked statically. TFTBarcode.dll is not required anymore (TFM-5512).
  • GDI Custom Paper Sizes
    Added support for custom paper sizes when using GDI printers (TFM-9030).
  • New Function SafeDiv
    To allow better handling of division by zero cases in IIf statements, a new function SafeDiv has been added. SafeDiv(«Numerator», «Denominator», «DivByZeroValue»), returns «DivByZeroValue» if «Denominator» is 0, otherwise the result of the division of «Numerator» by «Denominator» is returned.

TFORMer Designer

  • Quick-Format
    Added new functionality to simplify the formatting of numeric and text fields. Quickly select predefined or provide custom formats.
  • Label Design with Actual Data ("Real Data")
    Added new functionality to use real label data during the label design process. Label design is done using the data of the first record of the data source (used for label texts, barcode data and image expressions). The option can be turned on or off with a checkbox in the menu ribbon.
  • Show Element Boundaries
    Added a checkbox to hide or show element boundaries in the label design.
  • Show Grid
    Added a checkbox to hide or show the grid in the label design.
  • Design Settings
    Design settings like data view column widths and current zoom are now stored and get reapplied on loading (TFM-5474, TFM-6057).
  • ZIP-File Support
    ZIP files that include one label design (TFF file) can now be opened directly with TFORMer Designer using the file open dialog. Embedded images are supported.
  • TFZ File Extension for Save As... and Open...
    TFZ files are compressed containers that include one label design (TFF file), the default print data and images used by the layout. The TFZ file extension allows the user to start editing the file by double-clicking it. In addition, TFZ files can be directly uploaded to the online label generator (https://label.tec-it.com).
  • Other Improvements
    - Improved tooltip text for data fields with errors in expressions (TFM-8459).
    - The edit dialog for text uses the last screen-position and size within the same TFORMer Designer session.
    - Added a message bar to the design view so TFORMer Designer can provide hints and warnings to the user.

TFORMer SDK

  • New API for Printing Results
    Added new functions to retrieve detailed information and data field values after a print job was finished. See Job.GetPrintResult and Job.SetPrintResultType in the TFORMer SDK documentation for more information.
  • New API for Data Field Details
    Added a new function to retrieve data field related properties. See Datafield.GetDetails in the TFORMer SDK documentation for more information.
  • TFORMer SDK Java Wrapper
    - Made the print method nonblocking (TFM-8329).
    - Renamed the method setParameterValues to setParameterValue (TFM-5694).
    - Fixed some problems that caused the wrapper not working properly with Open JDK (TFM-9323).
  • TFORMer SDK .NET Wrapper
    • TFORMerException Changes (TFM-5519)
      - Message property will now provide a formatted error message (including Description, Information, and Reference values).
      - New property Description that stores the text previously provided in the Message property.
      - New property Reference that stores the error source provided by TFORMer SDK. Source property of the base class Exception will not be modified.
      - Removed property setters for ErrorCode and Information.
  • Other Improvements
    - Moved RecordCopyDataField from Job to JobDataCSV, JobDataXML and JobDataODBC (TFM-5478).
    - Added RecordCopyDataFieldIsXMLAttribute to JobDataXML.

Bug Fixes

  • Fixed an issue caused by splitting print areas containing resizable elements across multiple pages (TFM-9980).
  • Fixed the processing of barcode data in hexadecimal format (TFM-8540, TFM-8543).
  • Improved support of custom paper sizes on GDI printers (TFM-10050).
  • Improved support for symbol fonts (TFM-10136).
  • Fixed rendering of rotated labels with text margins (TFM-9109).
  • Corrected the label height when created by dropping a data field onto the label design (TFM-9058).
  • Fixed a crash in TFORMer Designer when pasting data fields, print settings or data sources into the design tree without a valid selection.
  • Fixed a problem that caused computed fields of type float being truncated to two decimal digits (TFM-9067).
  • Fixed a performance problem with the edit text dialog on systems with many installed fonts.

Templates

  • VDA 4994 (Automotive)
    New templates for VDA 4994 and VDA 4494 KLT were added.
  • GM 1724 Revision 2018 (Automotive)
    New templates for GM 1724 (Revision 2018) were added.

V 7.5.26

New Features

  • Highlighting Option in TFORMer Designer
    Added an option to disable mouse over highlighting of design elements (TFM-8730).
  • SDK Options
    • Locale allows the user to specify the locale when generating output (TFM-8750).
    • CupsOptions is used to hand-over CUPS printing options on Linux/UNIX systems (TFM-8771).
  • Nutrition Label Templates
    Added new label templates for nutrition labels (based on US FDA requirements).
  • Barcode SDK
    Now using the barcode kernel TBarCode V11.7.2

Bug Fixes

  • Number Format on Linux/UNIX
    Addressed an issue which caused wrong number formatting if no thousands group separator character was specified (TFM-8683, TFM-8682).
  • Non-Breaking Spaces in Expressions on Linux/UNIX
    Non-breaking spaces ( ) in expressions are now treated as spaces (TFM-8679).
  • Embedding JPEG Images in PDF and PostScript Output
    Addressed an issue with invalid meta data and output size: Meta data and thumbnails are now removed from JPEGs when embedded in PostScript and PDF output (TFM-8665).
  • Duplex Option for PostScript Output
    Addressed an issue with duplex printing (TFM-8717).
  • Custom Paper Format on Windows Printers
    Forms that use a custom paper format will now use the default paper format on Windows printers (TFM-8748).
TFORMer SDK
Download TFORMer SDK Trial Buy From €560 / $696 (one-time)

Reporting Software - TFORMer Designer Infosheet (PDF)Info Sheet (PDF)

Reporting Software - TFORMer White Paper (PDF)White Paper (PDF)

TEC-IT Label GeneratorOnline Demo: Etiketten Generator

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