Getting Started with Web Report Designer

This is a simple walkthrough to get started with Web Report Designer application. An AdventureWorks and Northwind database is used to demonstrate each of the features in the Web Report Designer.

Start Web Report Designer

Launch the Report Server application from installed location (C:\Program Files (x86)\Syncfusion\Report Server\Infrastructure\StartReportServerIISExpress\ReportServerIISExpress.exe).

The Report Server application can also be launched using the apps list.

App start

Note: The Syncfusion Web Report Designer is installed along with the Syncfusion Report Server Installer.

The Report Server application opens with the following view:

Server start

Now, click on the report icon to view available reports.

Report icon

Create report

Click on the Create button in the menu and select Report to create a report.

Create button

Connecting to data

Add a new data source by establishing a data connection with any of the supported data connection types like below:

Setting up connection

RDL dataset contains the information that is needed to retrieve a specific set of data from a data source.

Click the Data icon in the configuration panel to launch a Data configuration.

Datasource start

Click the Add DataSet button in Data panel.

Dataset create wizard

Click Create New in the context menu, it will launch connection type panel. In the connection type panel, click on the data source type that you want to connect. Here, SQL connection type is used to demonstrate.

SQL connect

In the new data source configuration panel, fill the server name and related details.

Datasource create wizard

Click the Connect button. Now the following view will be displayed.

Dataset design view

You can enter the query directly in the Query Editor or use the Query Designer to interactively build the query and view the result of the query. Here, the data is created with the help of the Query Designer.

  1. Build query using the Query Editor.

    • To switch over to Query Editor, click the switcher icon in the designer toolbar.

      Enter the query directly with Query Editor

      Editor view

  2. Build query using the Query Designer.

    The left pane holds the tables and views associated with the connected database. Drag your preferred table or view from the left pane and drop into the center pane labeled with Drag and Drop table here like below:

    Drag action

    Dataset drag drop table

The dropped tables will be tick marked before the name of table in the left pane like below:

Table tick

The primary key defined in the connected database table will be marked like below:

Primary key

The data type of the each column is represented with visual icons as shown below:

Datatype icon

Add more than one table by following the same drag and drop procedure as mentioned in above steps, if required.

To rename columns refer Rename Columns.

You can filter specific data out of huge database by using Data Filters.

Note: At present, you can experience full fledged query design for SQL datasource only.

Execute query

You can visualize the data by using Execute option from the tools pane in data design view.

Execute query

Now the data will be retrieved based on the specified query.

Execute preview

Click the Finish button in the tools pane to add the data with the report.

Dataset Designer Finish

Now, the table fields will be listed in Data panel like below.

Report Designer DesignView

Adding a report item to design view

The item panel at left consists of Basic Items, Data Visualization, Data Regions and SubReport
that you can utilize to design a report.

Widgets Pane

You can drag and drop report items into the Header, Footer, and Design area.

Note: You can only drag and drop Basic Items category into the Header and Footer area.

You can enable and disable header/footer by clicking the below icons from the designer toolbar pane.

Header

Footer

Click and drag the preferable report item from the toolbox by holding the mouse left button and drop into the design panel like below:

Chart Drag

Widgets Sample

After you drop the report item, you can resize it by placing the focus over the report item and dragging its corner like below, if required.

Resize Chart Widget

Assigning data to report item

Note: This step is applicable only for report items other than basic items category.

To bind the data to a report item that is placed in the design area, focus on that report item.

Focus Widget

Click the Properties icon in the configuration panel.

Properties Icon

Now, the report item properties panel displayed like below:

Properties Window

Click the Data Assign tab in the properties panel. Now, the data assign tab switches like below:

DataAssign Window

Data assign panel shows the data configuration view. The numeric columns are listed under the Measures section; other type columns are listed under the Dimensions section.

Measures Dimensions

Select and drag the numeric column (measure element) from the Measures section that you want to visualize the data and drop into the Y Value(s) section.

Gripper AssignData

Now, the report item preview will look like below:

Column Chart Data Assign

Click the Settings icon (highlighted below) to open the aggregation type drop-down list.

Settings Icon

You can set the aggregation type by which you can compute the selected column.

Aggregation Type

Select and drag the dimension element from the Dimensions section to measure against any of the selected numeric column(s) in Y Value(s) section, and drop into the Column(s) section.

Drag Column Section

Now, the report item preview will look like below:

Column Chart

To group the added column element with another column, add the respective dimension element into Row(s) section.

Row drag Column

Now, the report item design will look like below.

Column Chart

To filter the data from getting bounded to report item, apply filters to the selected measure type or dimension type column(s).

Configuring report item

Note: This step is applicable only for report items other than basic items category.

Navigate to the properties pane in the properties tab.

Properties Tab Chart

This pane holds some general settings and some specific settings to the report item.

You can add more report items by following the above procedure.

Preview report

Preview the changes made in the report item by clicking the Preview in the top-right corner of the Report Server menu.

Preview Button

Now, the report preview can be visualized through the built-in report viewer like below:

Preview Data

To launch design area, click the Design button in the top-right corner of the Report Server menu.

Close Preview

Save report

To Save report refer Save Report.