Preview: JSON Support in MailMerge Version X14 (24.0)
MailMerge X14 (24.0) adds a Merge method overload that accepts JSON strings as a data source alongside DataTable and DataSet inputs. JSON data supports nested objects for relational structures and Base64-encoded images. Web.TextControl also gains JSON merge field population.
JSON, the acronym for JavaScript Object Notation, is a data format used in modern, web-based applications. It became the de facto standard format to transfer data in web-based applications.
In the current version of MailMerge, the Merge method accepts a DataTable and a DataSet. The MergeObject and MergeObjects methods merge an object or collections of objects into a loaded template.
In version X14 (no release date known yet), the MailMerge class accepts a JSON object as the data source:
void MailMerge.MergeJsonData(string json, bool append)The JSON strings should contain an array of objects, very similar to XML files serialized from a DataSet. Relations are built based on nested objects in the hierarchy of the JSON string. The JSON object can contain strings, integers and even images encoded as Base64 strings.
According to this new data source type support, the HTML5 based editor Web.TextControl will also accept a JSON string to fill the merge field drop-downs.
Stay tuned for more!
Reporting
The Text Control Reporting Framework combines powerful reporting features with an easy-to-use, MS Word compatible word processor. Users can create documents and templates using ordinary Microsoft Word skills. The Reporting Framework is included in all .NET based TX Text Control products including ASP.NET, Windows Forms and WPF.
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