Tutorial: Customizing a report template

This demonstration walks you through the entire process of creating a reporting project, getting a report template from iMIS, editing it to add a pie chart, and getting the template back into iMIS.

1.  If needed, install the Business Intelligence Development Studio (BIDS) feature.

2.  Open your report writer and create a new solution.

□    Open BIDS: go to All Programs > Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 > SQL Server Business Intelligence Development Studio.

□    Select File > New > Project.

□    Select Report Server Project.

□    (Project name) Name: SSRS Training Project

□    (Default location) Location: C:\...\Visual Studio 2008\Projects

□    Solution Name: SSRS Training Solution

□    Click OK.

3.  Add Shared Data Source called iMIS.

□    Right-click the Shared Data Sources folder inside the SSRS Training Project within the Solution Explorer and select Add New Data Source.

□    Name the Data Source IMIS so that it will work with the RDL that you will export from iMIS.

□    Click Edit and add the connection information for your local database.

□    Select Test Connection to verify that it works.

□    Note the new connection within the Shared Data Sources folder.

4.  Create a data source and default report template (RDL) using IQA.

□    Select Manage > Intelligent Query Architect.

□    Browse to $/Samples/ReportingServices.

□    Create a new IQA that grabs the data you need for your report.

Sources: CsContact and CsMemberType business objects

Filters: CsContact.Is a Company

Display: Defaults & CsMemberType.Description

□    Go to the Report tab and click Save Report Definition to Workstation to export the default RDL file to your workstation.

□    Save the RDL to your project folder.

5.  Add the exported template to your reporting project.

□    Go back to BIDS and add the RDL to the Reports folder within the SSRS Training Project.

□    Right-click Reports and select Add, Existing Item.

□    Find the RDL you exported from IQA (note that name defaults to the name of the query).

□    Double-click on the name of the report to open it for editing. You’ll see the default template that IQA uses for all IQA report definitions which includes a header, a table to display the results set, and a footer.

6.  Change the report template into a pie chart that shows the percentage of members within a given member type.

□    Right-click on the footer and select Remove Page Footer.

□    Select the table, click the top left corner, and press the Delete button on your keyboard.

□    Drag the bottom of the report to give yourself more room to add the chart.

□    From the toolbox, drag and drop the Chart report item onto the body of the report.

□    The Select Chart Type window opens.

□    Select the exploded pie chart and click OK and expand the pie chart to fill in the area as needed.

□    Right-click on the chart itself to show its properties, which open in the Chart Data pane to the right of the chart.

■    In the Value section, select ID.

■    Change the Aggregate type from Sum to Count.

■    In the Category Groups section, select Description (which is the Member Type Description).

■    Change the title of the report by clicking the area that says Chart Title and typing.

■    Add labels that show the counts-per-member type by right-clicking on the chart and selecting Show Data Labels.

■    Click Preview to see the new report (there is a default parameter for the report title – click the View Report button on the top right to preview the report).

□    Change the chart to show percentages instead of counts.

■    Right-click on any of the labels in Design mode.

■    Select Series Label Properties.

■    Add #PERCENT to the Label data field so that the labels show the percent instead of the count.

■    When prompted, This property will not have effect unless UseValueAsLabel is set to False. Do you want to set the UseValueAsLabel to False?, click Yes.

■    Click OK.

7.  Combine all member types that have less than 5% into one pie slice called Other.

□    Go back to the Design view by clicking the Design tab.

□    If you do not see the chart properties, select View > Properties Window.

□    Click a pie slice to select the chart area (you will see the Chart Data pane at right).

□    On the Properties menu to combine all of the less than 5% member types:

□    Find the General sub menu, double-click the CustomAttributes section, and find and set two properties:

CollectedStyle = SingleSlice

CollectedThreshhold = 5

8.  Preview, adjust as needed, and Save.

9.  Add your template to your report in iMIS.

□    On your Member site, open the Document System: select Manage > Document System.

□    Browse to the location of the original template : $/Samples/ReportingServices.

□    Bring your template into iMIS as a new object: select New > Reporting Services Template.

□    Upload your RDL file: Click Select and browse to the file that you turned into a chart template:  ..\Visual Studio 2008\Projects\SSRS Training Solution\SSRS Training Project.

□    Create a report runtime  to use your template with your query: select New > Reporting Services Report.

□    On the Sources tab, use the browse buttons to select your template and your query.

□    Click Run to preview the report.

□    When you Save the new report, verify the folder to which you are saving: $/Samples/ReportingServices.

10. Publish your report using the SSRS Report iPart.

□    Edit a new or existing content record.

□    Select add content and select the SSRS Report, in the Utility gallery.

□    Select Hide the toolbar, since pagination isn’t needed.

□    Save & Publish, and view your report.