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SQL Reporting Services

I'm currently testing SQL Reporting Services... so far I'm impressed. This product is waaaay better than Crystal Reports.NET. However, there are a few things to note:

  • Requirements: SQL + IIS (no biggie)
  • VS.NET get's a Report Definition Language (RDL) designer, but the reports must be in a separate "Report" project instead of your existing VB/C# project.
  • The release versions help file is wrong and out of date, get the update.
  • SP1 has already been released due to some severe issues with publishing a report from VS.NET. (SP2 is currently in beta).

I've stumbled along and figured how to setup a header and footer in the designer, as well as how to configure alternating row colors. So far the hardest thing to do (because of poor documentation) is to figure out how to run (Render) a report in a browser without the aid of the Report Manager site. To do this you need to understand that their are TWO virtual roots created in IIS during install: Reports (Report Manager) and ReportServer (Reports). It would have made more sense if they called the Report Manager root ReportManager, and the reports root Reports... but once you figure this out your halfway there. Next you have to figure out how to turn off the toolbar and pass parameters:

    http://server/ReportServer/?%2f + report name (where %2f aka / is required before your report name)
  • &ParamName=ParamValue
  • &rs:Format= [HTML4.0, PDF, EXCEL]
  • &rc:Toolbar=false
  • &rs:Command=Render

As I discover more I just might post it. ;)

posted @ Tuesday, December 28, 2004 5:41 PM

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Comments on this entry:

# re: SQL Reporting Services

Left by Jerry at 2/28/2005 12:51 PM
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Create your Reports Programmatically using the RDL Writer Component specially designed for SQL Reporting Services. The first RDL writer in the market. Generate the XML-RDL (Report Definition Language) file on the fly, programmatically in any .NET application with 100% managed code, with out any knowlegment of the RDL/XML format


http://www.rdlcomponents.com

Thanks
Jerry

# re: SQL Reporting Services

Left by Steve Hartzog at 2/28/2005 7:29 PM
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What country is your company based out of (it matters to my customer)?

Also, I perused your site and it seems like you build the DataSource, DataSet's, and DataTables from *within* the RDLWriter (I assume that its inheriting the ADO.NET equivalents). Unfortunatly, I'm looking for something that I can feed a standard ADO.NET dataset.

It looks like I'll have to build my own. Besides, I'd prefer if I could you the same RDL for all my reports... and just pass the dataset via RPC/WS or somesuch to the report server to render in the appropriate format.

# re: SQL Reporting Services

Left by Jerry at 3/2/2005 1:08 PM
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The company is based in US.

We will add the support of ADO.NET to the Data's objects for the next release.

http://www.rdlcomponents.com/ASPExamples/default.aspx

Thanks
Jerry

# re: SQL Reporting Services

Left by Phil Doucette at 4/11/2005 9:32 AM
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It is hard to belive that Microsoft would release a reporting engine that cannot actually print a report! I have spent weeks setting up this turkey, only to discover that users can see the report on the screen but cannot print it. Exporting into yet another application is a super kludge. The Render method is very very slow. I spent a lot of time on my T-SQL to get it to blink to the screen, only to have the Render method grind away for 10 min. and produce a crappy looking output. Now my project is weeks behind schedule and the president of the company is hovering outside my door wondering why my done day came and went so long ago. Well at least I still have Crystal Reports in my VS. It may just save my job.

# re: SQL Reporting Services

Left by Steven Hartzog at 4/12/2005 10:28 AM
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Phil, you're right RS needs some work. But I'm shocked that you would actually say (let alone think) that CR.NET is an acceptable alternative! Universally, everyone else I've discussed this with agrees - CR.NET is CRAP. PERIOD.

There are plenty of reporting solutions that work infinitely better... and if you are lucky enough to get CR.NET to work - more power to you. You'll be one of the few, I can assure you.

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