Aspose.Words LINQ Reporting Engine for .NET

The Aspose.Words LINQ Reporting Engine for .NET lets developers create rich, data-driven reports by combining a plain-text tag syntax with LINQ queries. Reports can bind to collections, databases, JSON, XML, or custom objects, with filtering, grouping, and aggregation performed directly inside the template. The result is a fully populated report in DOCX, PDF, HTML, or any other format supported by Aspose.Words.

Installation and Setup

  1. Install the NuGet package Aspose.Words.
  2. Apply your license ( Metered Licensing ).
  3. Add a reference to Aspose.Words and ensure dependencies are included.
  4. For full steps, see the Installation Guide .

Supported Platforms: Windows, Linux, macOS, and mobile OS with .NET Framework, .NET Core, .NET 5/6+, or Mono. IDEs: Visual Studio 2010–2022, Xamarin, MonoDevelop.

Quick Start: Build a Report from XML 

using Aspose.Words;
using Aspose.Words.Reporting;

var doc = new Document("ReportTemplate.docx");
var dataSource = new XmlDataSource("Data.xml");

var engine = new ReportingEngine();
engine.BuildReport(doc, dataSource, "data");

doc.Save("Report.Output.docx");

Features and Functionality

Template Syntax

  • Tags like <<Name>>, <<foreach:Orders>>, <<if:Condition>> are human-readable.
  • Supported in paragraphs, tables, headers, and footers.

LINQ Data Binding

  • Bind to collections, DataTables, EF queries, JSON, XML, or custom objects.
  • Inline LINQ: Where, OrderBy, GroupBy, projections.

Filtering, Grouping & Sorting

  • Conditional blocks with <<if:…>> / <<endif>>.
  • Group data with <<groupby:Property>>.
  • Inline ordering with orderby clauses.

Aggregation Functions

  • Built-in tags: <<sum:>>, <<avg:>>, <<count>>, <<min:>>, <<max:>>.
  • Auto-updates when datasets change.

Conditional & Switch Logic

  • Use <<switch:Expression>>, <<case:Value>>, <<default>> for multiple scenarios.
  • Simplifies templates with different layouts.

Nested & Hierarchical Data

  • Navigate object graphs (e.g., <<foreach:Order.Items>>).
  • Build nested tables/lists with grouping + conditions.

Custom Functions & Extensibility

  • Register extension methods or handlers for custom logic.
  • Perform specialized formatting and transformations.

Template Inheritance

  • Define base templates and reuse them across child templates.
  • Maintain consistent branding and styles.

Events & Callbacks

  • Hook into ReportBuildStarted, TagProcessed, ReportBuildFinished.
  • Add logging, inject charts/images, or modify output dynamically.

Localization & Internationalization

  • Format dates, numbers, currencies by culture.
  • Integrate resource files for multilingual reports.

FAQ

How does this differ from Mail Merge? LINQ Reporting uses text tags and supports LINQ expressions, unlike traditional mail merge fields.

What data sources are supported? XML, JSON, CSV, DataTables, Entity Framework, and custom .NET objects.

Can I embed charts and images? Yes. Templates can include charts, barcodes, and images populated from data.

Which formats can I output? DOCX, PDF, HTML, RTF, ODT, and all formats supported by Aspose.Words.

Does it support localization? Yes. Culture-aware formatting and resource integration are supported.