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Which Report module? Is my understanding correct rdl, and rdlc files

Re: Which Report module? Is my understanding correct rdl, and rdlc files

Bruce L-C [MVP]
3/24/2006 10:12:41 AM

sql server reporting services:

RS 2005 Designer creates rdl files. The best way in my opinion to create
reports for use with the VS report control is to create and test the report
using the RS 2005 designer. You can preview the report and make sure it
works. The designer is better than trying to design reports using just the
VS control. Once it works, all you do is rename the RS 2005 report from a
..rdl extension to .rdlc extension and bring it into your application.

True that you can use the controls in local mode but note that it is more
work than using it in server mode. Start off with something simple. Where it
gets more complicated is when you have jump to reports (linking within your
report to other reports) and subreports.

--
Bruce Loehle-Conger
MVP SQL Server Reporting Services

[quoted text, click to view]

Which Report module? Is my understanding correct rdl, and rdlc files

Rob Dob
3/24/2006 10:12:59 AM

Hi,

I'm hoping someone can shed some light on my confusion.. I am using vs2005
and I am trying to make use of some existing reports within my application.
the problem is that the existing reports within my application are access
reports and my application is c# SQL Server 2000 based, I read some
documents about a "Import Reports" option being displayed within the Project
menu when using the Report Viewer, I could never find out how to get this
to show, so I installed the SQL Server Reporting Services 2005 and then
through creating a new project using the "Business Intelligence Projects"
templates was able to create a project in which when highlighted the "Import
Report" appeared. Anyway from there I figured I would do the following,

-1- use the SQL Server Reporting Services within SQL 2005 and import the
access reports, they will be sitting as .rdl versions.
-2- convert these from .rdl. to rdlc. versions so that I will be able to
make use of them within the report viewer of vs2005

My understanding of the Report Viewer is that .rdlc files do not require the
sql server2005 and SQL Server Reporting Services in order to run, therefore
my application running within a sql server 2000 WITHOUT SQL Server Reporting
Services 2000 will be able to print reports just fine..

Any interjection would be greatly appreciated, am I going about this the
incorrect way?

Re: Which Report module? Is my understanding correct rdl, and rdlc files

Rob Dob
3/24/2006 11:56:08 AM

Hello,

Thank you for taking the time to answer my question.

Where do I get this RS 2005 designer?, Is this the same "SQL Server
Business Intelligence Development Studio" that got installed with the SQL
Server?

Also what do you mean by more work using the controls in local mode?
aswell, will SQL server express 2005, offer support for "SQL Server
Reporting Services"

thanks.

[quoted text, click to view]

Re: Which Report module? Is my understanding correct rdl, and rdlc files

Rob Dob
3/24/2006 12:18:29 PM

k,

I think I found it.. Just out of interest why do I need to be within a
"Report Project", in order to make use of the RS 2005 Designer?, I guess
what you mean is for me to edit the report within the RS 2005 designer and
the copy the rdc files into my other project and rename them to rdlc, prior
to attaching them to my report viewer. My only question is that I would
like to bind these reports to already existing datasets, and/or
BindingSource within my existing project, the only option I can see for
this within the RS 2005 designer is under Shared Data Sources, Remember
that my access reports are currently being bound to a access database and I
will need them to read from my SQL Server database.,

Anyway any advice is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

[quoted text, click to view]

Re: Which Report module? Is my understanding correct rdl, and rdlc files

Bruce L-C [MVP]
3/24/2006 12:24:09 PM

You need to understand the architecture a little. Reporting Services is an
asp.net application. The report can go against many different data sources
but the application (Reporting Services) is a server application. RS ships
with another application called Report Manager that is also an asp.net
application. It is a portal to the reports. Using this portal is optional.
You can use your own app (asp.net or winform). You can integrate with URL
integration, web services OR with RS 2005, you can use one of the new
controls in VS 2005. These controls operate in either server mode (it
integates with RS server) or it operates in local mode. In local mode you
give it the data and the report and the control renders it to the requested
format.

I thought that is what you wanted to do (local mode).

The fact that your data is in Access doesn't mean anything. You can connect
to that data from either RS or from the control in local mode.

Now, SQL Server Express 2005 currently does not come with BI tools but it
will be with a service pack. However, this version of BI will be limited in
where it can get data from. It specifically expects the data to be in SQL
Server Express. It might be able to get data from Access, I don't know.
However, regardless, if you use the server product you do not give it the
data, you give it the query to retrieve the data.

If you use the new controls then you can give it the data BUT the fact that
you have data in Access does not mean anything as far as your decision on
whether to use RS Server or the new controls.

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/sql/2005/2005ssrs.mspx

http://msdn.microsoft.com/sql/bi/reporting/default.aspx?pull=/library/en-us/dnsql90/html/integratrsapp.asp

--
Bruce Loehle-Conger
MVP SQL Server Reporting Services

[quoted text, click to view]

Re: Which Report module? Is my understanding correct rdl, and rdlc files

Rob Dob
3/24/2006 1:56:00 PM

Thank you, you comments have been both informative and very helpful

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