Creating Client Report Definitions Using the Visual Studio Report Wizard
The Visual Studio Report Wizard is a tool within Visual Studio that you use to create the client report definitions (.rdlc) files associated with ReportViewer controls. The wizard guides you through the process of creating a report definition. In the wizard, you can use select report data, choose columns to use on pages and in groups and detail report rows of the report, and create a tabular or matrix report.
After you complete the wizard, you can modify and enhance the report in Report Designer.
Wizard Steps
When you start Report Wizard, a Welcome page appears. This page describes the basic steps you take to produce your report. You can choose not to view this page again, so that the next time you run the Report Wizard, it starts with the first step. The following sections describe the steps in Report Wizard.
Select a Data Source
The first step in creating a report is to define a data source. Report Wizard provides a list of all shared data sources in the report project, in addition to an option to create a new data source. For more information, see Creating Data Sources for a Report.
Choose a Report Type
The next step is to select the type of report you want. You can choose a tabular or matrix report. A tabular report has a fixed number of columns. A matrix, or crosstab, report has a variable number of columns based on the results of the query.
If you select a tabular report, Report Wizard steps you through the process of selecting fields by which to group and defining a layout and style for the report. For more information, see Adding Table Data Regions (Visual Studio Report Designer).
If you select a matrix report, the wizard steps you through the process of selecting fields to include in the matrix rows, columns, and data areas; and defining a layout and style for the report. For more information, see Adding Matrix Data Regions (Visual Studio Report Designer).
Choose a Style
The next step is to apply a style to the report using a style template. Select a template to apply styles such as font, color, and border style to the report. Report Designer provides four style templates: Bold, Corporate, Forest, Generic, Ocean, and Slate. You can also add additional style templates. For more information, see "Working with Style Templates" later in this topic.
Name the Report
The final step is to name the report and verify the fields that will be included in the report. When all steps are completed, Report Designer creates the report and adds it to the report server project.
Working with Style Templates
You can alter existing templates or add new ones by editing the StyleTemplates.xml file in the \Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\Common7\IDE\Private Assemblies\<language> folder. This folder is located on the computer on which Visual Studio is installed.
Note
There are language-specific copies of the StyleTemplates.xml file. To modify the styles that are applied through the Report Wizard, edit the file that is in the folder created for the language you are using (for example, if you are using the English language version of Visual Studio, the folder name is "1033").
Modifying the Client Report Definition
After you complete the wizard, you can open the report in Report Designer and enhance the report layout with visual effects such as images and lines, add advanced features such expressions and parameters, and include custom code. For more information, see Defining a Report Layout (Visual Studio Report Designer), Using Expressions in a Report (Visual Studio Report Designer), and Adding Custom Code to a Report (Visual Studio Report Designer).