[2005 Express] Reports

[Bruce Fox]

Hey Guys,

I have been losing hair (what I have left) at a great rate trying to impliment a Report function in VB.Net Express.
I think I now have a workable solution, and figured I'd put my 2 cents in as others may benifit.


History:
Crystal Reports
I have toiled with CR just in a effort to frustate myself.
Had done the Repot, and couldn't get the code to access the 'logon' correctly - I gave up.

SQL Server Express
Loaded up Express with the Advanced Services - Then every other download in a effort to be able to build a Report. Poking my eyes out with a sharp stick would have been less painless.

Long story short - both methods above suck for anyone wanting to generate and view a (simple) Report!


Suggestion:
I stumbled accross 'fyiReporting RDL Project 3.0' - I'm loving life.

Using this tool, you can create Reports (with graphs too) and link your Apps DB (something CR was having a fit over).

There is also a set of dlls you can add to your App to view the Report.
(I'm in the process of testing the Report against ReportViewer)


So, for the low end, if you need to build a Report (SQL or Access etc) then this can do that, and provide a .Net Viewer too.
There are other features I haven't mentioned.


Posted in the interest so others dont have to feel the same pain


I would be interested if any else has had experience with the tool and would like to provide feedback.

[jmcilhinney]

Well, Microsoft and Business Objects are under no obligation to provide free solutions to everyone. They already provide a fair bit for nothing. VWD Express does support an add-in that will allow you to create SQL Server reports. Why they chose to support VWD and not VB I don't know, but if you're not prepared to shell out for an IDE that does support reporting out of the box then you make do.

[Bruce Fox]

...... then you make do

Hence my post

[jmcilhinney]

By "make do" I meant create your reports in VWD instead of having it integrated into VB. An SQL Server report is an SQL Server report, regardless of which IDE it's created in. Nothing wrong with what you're suggesting. I'm just saying that there was no need to go outside VS.

[Bruce Fox]

Yep, understand.

In my (original) case the DB is an mdb as a hangover.

If I redo, which i probably will, I'll do the DB as an MDF.

[jmcilhinney]

The name is misleading. SQL Server Reporting Services is not restricted to SQL Server at all. The actual Reporting Server is a component of SQL Server but used in simple scenarios there's no connection. An SQL Server report cares nothing for where the data comes from. You pass it a DataSet. How that dataSet was populated is immaterial.