sql server reporting services: Hi,

The RDL spec
http://download.microsoft.com/download/c/2/0/c2091a26-d7bf-4464-8535-dbc31fb45d3c/rdlNov05.pdf
states that "RDL is an open schema" (page 7) but on page 2 the "Technical
Documentation License Agreement" contains lots of legalese saying you are not
allowed use the RDL format.

So, is RDL open or closed? Is there any offical Microsoft webpage or
document that says RDL can be used by others without fear of the Microsoft
patent police? Has Microsoft submitted RDL to any open standards body, or
should we consider it proprietary?

Regards,

On May 16, 11:11 am, Eamon O'Tuathail <Eamon
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As far as I know, creating a custom RDL file should not cause
copyright/etc infringement. I believe that MS is referring to the RDL/
SSRS architecture and software tools themselves. I wouldn't think that
MS would suggest creating RDL files in an application (http://
msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms170667.aspx) if infringement were
the case. Hope this helps.

Regards,

Enrique Martinez
Sr. Software Consultant

Eamon,

RDL is "open and extensible" by MS's definition. It has not been submitted
to a standards body, as far as I know -- but that doesn't mean it hasn't, or
won't be. (It's to MS's advantage to do it but they generally make sure
something is fully-baked first...)

RDL provides a known quantity that writers of report descriptions can use
and be assured that a wide variety of tools *will* understand it. It is not
(so far) "open" or a "standard" in that AFAIK nobody but MS can propose and
submit an extension to be accepted into the RDL and its namespace to an
external, neutral body.

From my point of view, it is "open and extensible" AFAICS in the following
significant senses:

1) the XSD itself gives you a lot of lattitude (<xsd:any namespace="##other"
processContents="skip"/>)

2) the tools (such as Report Designer) that MS provides don't barf if you
actually *take* those latitudes -- you never know with these things <g>.

The legalese that you are talking about (in spite of what you have already
been told here) has nothing to do with MS tools or SSRS architecture. That
license is specific to the document you are reading you read it (ie, it is a
license for a PDF which discusses and documents/describes RDL -- if I
remember correctly that document doesn't even contain the full XSD).

If you want to look at the license for the RDL itself, it is embedded in the
XSD as an xsd:documentation node. I don't think you will have any trouble
with it.

HTH,

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"Eamon O'Tuathail" <Eamon O'Tuathail@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in
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