How to create large report?

Hi,

I have been tasked with trying to re-create out in-house reporting solution, based-on powerpoint and SQL Server, using Reporting Services 2005.

However when trying to create a demo report I find a number of problems:

1) I cannot make the page layout long enough or insert extra pages in order to caointain all of the test, charts and tables that we have in our reports (typically around 100 powerpoint slides)

2) I cannot find a way to set any global report styles for text or charts

3) I cannot find a way to have a flow layout instead of a grid layout - which does not allow me to insert items into the middle of a report

Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated,

Thanks,

Denham

1) Click on the Body band and set the Size property accordingly.

2) Currently, SSRS doesn't support styles or templates.

3) The List region allows you to create freeflowing reports.

|||

Hi Denham,

please forgive me if I have not understood you correctly...

1) I cannot make the page layout long enough or insert extra pages in order to caointain all of the test, charts and tables that we have in our reports (typically around 100 powerpoint slides)

This sounds like you are trying to create a 100 page report (?). If so, I would question the business value of such a report. May be better to suggest an alternative, such as using exception reports in a web page (BI style, which you can do in report designer), or cutting up the report into smaller chunks. Personally, I haven't had the need to create a report more than 30-odd pages long - which I thought was rather extravagant.

2) I cannot find a way to set any global report styles for text or charts

I don't know of any either. I tend to copy a graph/table/matrix and then change the dataset & values.

3) I cannot find a way to have a flow layout instead of a grid layout - which does not allow me to insert items into the middle of a report.

The only way I know of is to move everything on the page downwards to insert something in between. The layout can take quite a bit of getting used to, especially if you are familiar with banded report designers, such as Crystal. However, once you have been using it for a while, it becomes reasonably easy.

Hope that has been of some help to you.

NinetyNine

|||

Thanks for your reply.

1) Unfortunately our business needs to create these large reports in order to support the many different types of analyses that are used. However it may be possible to break them up into sub-reports in order for us to use Reporting Services

2) Shame about the lack of styles. Our current reporting solution is based on Powerpoint for which we can use templates.

3) Again, shame!