Entity Framework Core as a data source for XtraReports is missing from Report Design Wizard in .Net Core console project

Thanks. This clarifies things.

In the meantime i tried to use the "Object Binding" approach.
And this is where i have problems.

Here is how i defined my object:

C#
public class ExpertData  
{  
    private readonly ExpertDbContext _expertDbContext;  
    public IQueryable<Invoices> Invoices { get; private set; }  

    public ExpertData(ExpertDbContext expertDbContext)  
    {  
        _expertDbContext = expertDbContext;  
    }  

    public void PrepareData(Guid invoice)  
    {  
        Invoices = _expertDbContext.Invoices  
            .Where(i => i.Id == invoice);  
    }  
}  

It connects well in designer and i can use the required fields to create a report (without actual data at this stage).
Now in code i do this to generate the real report:

C#
var options = new DbContextOptionsBuilder<ExpertDbContext>()  
    .UseSqlServer(config.GetConnectionString("Expert"));  

using (var context = new ExpertDbContext(options.Options))  
{  
    var expertData = new ExpertData(context);  
    expertData.PrepareData(invoice);  

    using (var report = new InvoiceRegistry())  
    {  
        report.DataSource = expertData;  
        report.ExportToPdf("path_to_file");  
    }  
}  

This code generates exception on this line:
report.DataSource = expertData;

C#
An object assigned to the DataSource property cannot be used as a report's datasource, because it does not implement any of supported interfaces.  

What am i missing?
I just thought that i could "wrap" my context in another class and supply data from it.

At its core, our reporting library is completely data agnostic, You get this message because your datasource does not implement any of the interfaces listed in this help topic: Binding Data to Reports | List Object. The correct data assignment code should look like this:
report.DataSource = expertData.Invoices.ToList();
or this:
(report.DataSource as ObjectDataSource).DataSource = expertData.Invoices.ToList();

Let me know if it helps.

You are probably right, but what should if i need to bind multiple data sources?
The details band should use one of them and other bands use other sources.
The " Bind a Report to Multiple Data Tables" describes something like this, but regarding only SQL Data Source.
The " Bind a Report to Multiple Data Sources" describes a case with multiple detail bands.
But what i need is something like DbContext - one class with multiple IQueryable members, which i can use in design time and fill with data at runtime.
How should i properly approach to this task?

Also, the mentioned topics describe usage of Unbound details band.
And i need to use multiple sources not only for multiple details, but for other types of bands too.
For example the Report Header band should use "Invoices ".
The Report Footer band should use "Clients".
The Page Header should use "InvoicesContacts" and so on.

Hi Kasbolat,
>>but what should if i need to bind multiple data sources?
In our reporting library, one report can be bound only to one datasource because there is only one XtraReport.DataSource property. If you'd like to visualize a different table, you're supposed to create a report embedded in the form of DetailReportBand. If you have a master-detail relationship, reflect its name in DetailReportBand.DataMember.

>>Also, the mentioned topics describe usage of Unbound details band.
If you drop a table field onto an unbound DetailReportBand, it will create a binding in the [TableName].[FieldName] format. Switching to the preview will visualize only the first record from this table. The same is true if you bind to one table, but drop a field from another.

>>But what i need is something like DbContext - one class with multiple IQueryable members, which i can use in design time and fill with data at runtime.
The approach remains the same until the following conditions are met:
- Your navigation properties are virtual: EFDataSource Not Bringing Children or Related Entities.
- You have the "Lazy Loading" feature enabled
OR
- You forcibly load all nested collections that are used by the target report in your IQuerable expression with .Include()

Regards,
Yaroslav

Sorry, but i'm not sure i understand you correctly.
I'll try to explain my needs in more details.

When using Entity Framework as a datasource, i get something like a "one main class, with multiple enumerables/queryables" and use it's properties in any band i need.

Now i wanted to use another Object as a data source .
So i need something like a " one main class, with multiple enumerables/queryables" which i could prepare as i see fit and bind to my report.
Something like this:

C#
public class ReportData  
{  
    public IEnumerable<Invoice> Invoices { get; private set; }  
    public IEnumerable<Ticket> Tickets { get; private set; }  
    public IEnumerable<Order> Orders { get; private set; }  
}  

And an easy to use this for report.
Essentially this is same as DbContext, except it's not a DbContext, but just a regular class with properties.

After searching through docs i came to a conclusion, that Object Data Source can only be used if this "object" is a list itself (derived from one of "enumerable" classes) .
I couldn't find a way to use some arbitrary class with "lists" as properties to act as a DataSource.

And so the question boils down to:
How can i use my ReportData class (like defined above) as a Data source in a report?
So i could access all it's multiple separate enumerables and properties in any bands.

>>I couldn't find a way to use some arbitrary class with "lists" as properties to act as a DataSource.
Do you use it at runtime or at design time? In the Report Designer, every object you select and operate with is a System.ComponentModel.Component descendant. The Component defines it name, state and other properties — something an arbitrary class or Enumerable<T> collection does not have. All components are listed in the Report Explorer window. The datasource should be a Component too.

>>After searching through docs i came to a conclusion, that Object Data Source can only be used if this "object" is a list itself
ObjectDataSource is the component that you use to populate the Field List with the properties of a particular class. If you ever done any WinForms development, you can think of it as a replacement for the stock BindingSource. Of course, you can still define all binding expressions without having any schema, but this approach is counter-productive.

>>Now i wanted to use another Object as a data source.
It is possible to create as many datasource components as necessary. At runtime, you'll be able to replace the datasource of each ObjectDataSource as follows:

C#
UniqueDataSourceEnumerator enumerator = new UniqueDataSourceEnumerator();
var datasources = enumerator.EnumerateDataSources(report, false);
foreach (var datasource in datasources) {
    if (datasource is ObjectDataSource ods) {
    ods.DataSource =...; //assuming that each ObjectDataSource is originally used in "schema" mode
        }
    }
}

This code is not required though if you use ObjectDataSource in "data" mode, meaning you bind to a static method or to a constructor of some class. Examples of such ObjectDataSource initialization can be found here: How to create Data Access Library data sources at runtime.

Note: as for now, ObjectDataSource does not support the Dependency Injection system that is built into ASP.NET Core.

Regards,
Yaroslav

Thank you for such detailed explanation.
It helps a lot.

I think i found the root cause of my problems - it's the property name confusion.
Perhaps i wasn't reading the docs carefully and tried to do this:

C#
using (var report = new InvoiceRegistry())  
{  
    report.DataSource = reportDataSource;  
    report.ExportToPdf("path_to_report");  
}  

Instead of doing this:

C#
using (var report = new InvoiceRegistry())  
{  
    var objectDataSource = new ObjectDataSource();  
    objectDataSource.DataSource = reportDataSource;  
    report.DataSource = objectDataSource;  

    report.ExportToPdf("path_to_report");  
}  

The "DataSource" property of the report instance confused me.
I didn't pay attention to the fact that it has to be "ObjectDataSource" since at design time wizard just picked my class without any problems.

Thank you for your time.
Everything works as expected now.

Apparently i was in a hurry when wrote that. Didn't fully tested.
Current situation:

A ReportData class that i want to bind to my report:

C#
public class ReportData  
{  
    public Invoice Invoice { get; set; }  
    public Document Document { get; set; }  
    public IEnumerable<Case> Cases { get; set; }  
}  

It binds successfully in design time (schema only).
At runtime i bind it like this:

C#
using var report = new XtraReport1  
{  
    DataSource = new ObjectDataSource  
    {  
        DataSource = reportData  
    }  
};  

The report generates fine.
I can see the fields values (invoice and document).
However, the details (which use "Cases" property fields) contains only one row.
While debugging i see that the "Cases" property contains at least 14 of them in the real project.

I've seen you've mentioned something like this in your previous comments, but don't know what to do now.
All fields are mapped and displayed correctly at runtime. But not details. Only one record is shown.

I'll try to summarize this:
How to display single properties along with lists in a report?
An example above shows this case.
Some single properties, like names, dates and other info.
And also a list of data to display.
How to do this in a best manner?