docs: add a kb on how to programmatically generate tables from scratch

knowledge-base/create-tables-programmatically.md

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+---
+title: How to Create Tables Programmatically in Telerik Reporting
+description: Learn how to create tables from scratch at runtime using Telerik Reporting.
+type: how-to
+page_title: How to Create Tables Programmatically in Telerik Reporting
+meta_title: How to Create Tables Programmatically in Telerik Reporting
+slug: generating-runtime-tables-telerik-reporting
+tags: telerik reporting, runtime report creation, programmatic report, report generation, dynamic table
+res_type: kb
+---
+
+## Environment
+
+<table>
+    <tbody>
+        <tr>
+            <td> Product </td>
+            <td> Progress® Telerik® Reporting </td>
+        </tr>
+        <tr>
+            <td> Version </td>
+            <td> 19.1.25.521 </td>
+        </tr>
+    </tbody>
+</table>
+
+## Description
+
+This article demonstrates how to create tables programmatically in Telerik Reporting. While this approach offers full control over table structure and data binding, it is generally recommended to start with a designer-generated table and modify it programmatically if needed. The Telerik Report Designer handles complex layout and grouping logic, making it easier to maintain and extend reports.
+
+## Prerequisites
+
+Before creating a table programmatically, ensure you have a valid `Telerik.Reporting.Report` object with a predefined structure and a data source ready be set to the table. If not, follow the steps below to create them programmatically.
+
+### 1. Initializing the Report
+
+Create a new report object and configure its basic settings:
+
+````csharp
+var report = new Telerik.Reporting.Report();
+report.Name = "Report1";
+report.PageSettings.Margins = new Telerik.Reporting.Drawing.MarginsU(Telerik.Reporting.Drawing.Unit.Mm(20D), Telerik.Reporting.Drawing.Unit.Mm(20D), Telerik.Reporting.Drawing.Unit.Mm(20D), Telerik.Reporting.Drawing.Unit.Mm(20D));
+report.PageSettings.PaperKind = System.Drawing.Printing.PaperKind.A4;
+report.Width = Telerik.Reporting.Drawing.Unit.Cm(17D);
+````
+
+### 2. Adding Report Sections
+
+Most reports include three main sections:
+
+- **PageHeaderSection**: Appears at the top of each page.
+- **DetailSection**: Contains the main content, such as tables or charts.
+- **PageFooterSection**: Appears at the bottom of each page.
+
+````csharp
+var pageHeaderSection = new Telerik.Reporting.PageHeaderSection();
+pageHeaderSection.Height = Telerik.Reporting.Drawing.Unit.Cm(2.5D);
+pageHeaderSection.Name = "pageHeaderSection";
+
+var detailSection = new Telerik.Reporting.DetailSection();
+detailSection.Height = Telerik.Reporting.Drawing.Unit.Cm(5D);
+detailSection.Name = "detail";
+
+var pageFooterSection = new Telerik.Reporting.PageFooterSection();
+pageFooterSection.Height = Telerik.Reporting.Drawing.Unit.Cm(2.5D);
+pageFooterSection.Name = "pageFooterSection";
+
+report.Items.AddRange(new Telerik.Reporting.ReportItemBase[] { pageHeaderSection, detailSection, pageFooterSection });
+````
+
+### 3. Preparing the Data Source
+
+Telerik Reporting supports various data sources including JSON, CSV, SQL, business objects, and others. For more information, check the article [Data Source Components at a Glance]({%slug telerikreporting/designing-reports/connecting-to-data/data-source-components/overview%}) This example uses an [SqlDataSource component]({%slug telerikreporting/designing-reports/connecting-to-data/data-source-components/sqldatasource-component/overview%}):
+
+````csharp
+string selectCommand = "SELECT * FROM production.productphoto;";
+string connectionString = "server=localhost\\sqlexpress;database=AdventureWorks2022;trusted_connection=true;";
+var sqlDataSource = new Telerik.Reporting.SqlDataSource(connectionString, selectCommand);
+sqlDataSource.Name = "sqlDataSource";
+sqlDataSource.ProviderName = "System.Data.SqlClient";
+````
+
+## Solution
+
+Once the report structure and data source are ready, you can proceed with creating the table.
+
+### 1. Create the Table
+
+Instantiate a `Telerik.Reporting.Table` object, assign the pre-created data source, and add the table to the detail section:
+
+````csharp
+var table = new Telerik.Reporting.Table();
+table.Name = "table";
+table.Location = new Telerik.Reporting.Drawing.PointU(Telerik.Reporting.Drawing.Unit.Cm(1.5D), Telerik.Reporting.Drawing.Unit.Cm(1.5D));
+table.DataSource = sqlDataSource;
+detailSection.Items.Add(table);
+````
+
+### 2. Add a Detail Row Group
+
+Add a detail row group and a body row.
+
+````csharp
+var rowGroup = new Telerik.Reporting.TableGroup();
+rowGroup.Name = "detailTableGroup";
+rowGroup.Groupings.Add(new Telerik.Reporting.Grouping(null));
+table.RowGroups.Add(rowGroup);
+table.Body.Rows.Add(new Telerik.Reporting.TableBodyRow(Telerik.Reporting.Drawing.Unit.Cm(0.609D)));
+````
+
+>note Adding a detail row group is mandatory for the table to display data. When using a report designer, this group is created automatically. To mark the group as a detail group programmatically, use a null grouping as shown above.
+
+### 3. Add Columns Dynamically Based on Data
+
+The method for obtaining field names for your table columns depends on the type of data source you are using. In this example, since an `SqlDataSource` is utilized, the code demonstrates how to extract column names directly from an SQL database. If your data source is a CSV, JSON, or another format, you will need to adjust the logic to extract field names appropriately and create the string collection named `columnNames`. Once you have the field names, the process for dynamically generating table columns remains consistent with the below code snippet.
+
+````csharp
+using (var connection = new System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection(connectionString))
+{
+    // retrieve the column names from the data source
+    var command = new System.Data.SqlClient.SqlCommand(selectCommand, connection);
+    connection.Open();
+    var reader = command.ExecuteReader();
+    var dataTable = new System.Data.DataTable();
+    dataTable.Load(reader);
+    var columnNames = dataTable.Columns.Cast<System.Data.DataColumn>().Select(c => c.ColumnName);
+
+    // for each column name
+    int colIndex = 0;
+    foreach (string columnName in columnNames)
+    {
+        // add column
+        var column = new Telerik.Reporting.TableBodyColumn(Telerik.Reporting.Drawing.Unit.Cm(2.99D));
+        table.Body.Columns.Add(column);
+
+        // add column header
+        var headerTextBox = new Telerik.Reporting.TextBox();
+        headerTextBox.Name = columnName + "TextBoxHeader";
+        headerTextBox.Value = columnName;
+        headerTextBox.Size = new Telerik.Reporting.Drawing.SizeU(Telerik.Reporting.Drawing.Unit.Cm(2.99D), Telerik.Reporting.Drawing.Unit.Cm(0.609D));
+
+        var columnGroup = new Telerik.Reporting.TableGroup();
+        columnGroup.Name = columnName;
+        columnGroup.ReportItem = headerTextBox;
+        table.ColumnGroups.Add(columnGroup);
+
+        // add column body
+        var bodyTextBox = new Telerik.Reporting.TextBox();
+        bodyTextBox.Name = columnName + "TextBoxBody";
+        bodyTextBox.Value = "= Fields." + columnName;
+        bodyTextBox.Size = new Telerik.Reporting.Drawing.SizeU(Telerik.Reporting.Drawing.Unit.Cm(2.99D), Telerik.Reporting.Drawing.Unit.Cm(0.609D));
+        table.Body.SetCellContent(0, colIndex, bodyTextBox);
+
+        colIndex++;
+    }
+}
+````
+
+## Demo
+
+You can find a sample console application that demonstrates the above approach at [reporting-samples/ProgrammaticTableGeneration](https://github.com/telerik/reporting-samples/tree/master/ProgrammaticTableGeneration).