Image: 1.0
Introduction
We hear this all the time, "Two birds with one stone." What if I say, "Four birds with one stone"? I am sure
four sound much better then two. So, what are my four birds and one stone?
My four birds are four distinct different outputs generated using source NorthWind->Orders (Sql Server 2000) and my stone is single physical Ms Reporting Services .rdlc file, which I am using as template to produce different outputs. This particular say is perfectly applicable to technique, which I am going to share with you.
The application of technique is not something new; we all have done same or similar while dealing with reporting of data. What is new here is the approach, which I can call it reuse of report (as we commonly reuse the code).
Let us discuss a practical scenario here. If I ask you, what kind of output you see in (image 1.0); you would probably say a simple report listing orders information. Well, you guessed it rite. What you will do if end-users want same report using data grouped by CustomerID(image 1.1)? Most cases, perhaps you will end up writing a new report. In this article, I will demonstrate the way you can avoid this and reuse the report to produce different output.
I assume the reader of this article is comfortable using Visual Studio 2005, C#, Sql Server 2000 and Windows Forms. Basic understanding of how report designer works is helpful to work with attached code.
Three button technique
Now, to make life little interesting, I added three extra buttons: Orders by Customer, Orders by City and Orders by Country to user interface. These three extra buttons on user interface do not have any built in magic; they are just helping me demonstrate the technique. So, without keeping you folks into much suspense any further:
Image: 1.1
Remember the game of "spot the difference" from childhood memories? May I ask you to play the same game with Image 1.0 and 1.1? Sure, they look different rite; first image has title "Orders List" and second image has "Orders by Customer", and so on...
If we pay a close attention then technically the difference is really the output format, the underlying data is same (orders information). By this time, I am sure most of you probably got the gist, what is my technique is and how it will help you generate multiple outputs using dynamic control of report generation.
Image: 1.2
Image: 1.3
How can one report produce four different outputs?
Imagine you have asked to develop a Sales Order System; one of the reporting requirements involved is to produce four different reports to calculate freight paid for all shipped orders.
In a typical scenario, you will create four individual reports as per the specification. Well, nothing wrong with this approach, we have done this in past and continuing to do so. However, since we do lot of code reusing, why not try to reuse a report as template and generate different output.
The quest to reuse report, led me to Ms Reporting Service. I am having a fun time doing this report reuse business. I though let me share this with my friends here with a hope that it helps you the way it helped me.
The key to make your report generate more then one output is some of the design consideration. Here is what I did to generate four different outputs from this one report.
Report designs considerations
Image: 1.4
Careful report design consolidation is required to create a single reporting template, resulting in different outputs. We will start by making use of Table Control; first, we have to identify and lay down all the details columns that are common to all outputs. Please check the repot in attached code for details of formatting etc.
Dynamic data grouping
If you notice, apart from the detail section, the fact that makes all outputs look different is the way information grouped together. Now, you would start to wonder how I could change data grouping during run time to see different output.
Well, the solution to this problem is introducing some intelligence into our report, which rendering engine can leverage on and produce the desired output. I am making use of following two parameters to pass onto report so it can act differently.
Image: 1.5
I will make use of parReportType parameter to pass following four values: O-Orders, C-Customer, S-City and T-Country. This one letter type (O,C,S,T) provided as dynamic value to group the data before producing the output.
Image: 1.6
Our dose of intelligence to report designer is nothing but following Grouping Expression, which changes data group based on information supplied through parReportType:
=iif(Parameters!parReportType.Value = "O","",
iif(Parameters!parReportType.Value = "C", Fields!CustomerID.Value,
iif(Parameters!parReportType.Value = "S",
Fields!ShipCity.Value,Fields!ShipCountry.Value)))
If you are not sure what iif() is, then not to worry, MS Reporting uses VB.NET syntax for coding expressions and custom code. If you have done any custom coding for example with Crystal Reports, then interacting with MS Reporting Services will not be a big deal.
The expression supplies instruction to rendering engine how to group and sort the data based on our choice of report selection. It starts with checking, if choice is "O" that means simple output not grouping. Subsequently, check for rest of choices and switch the behavior of report generation. We need to repeat the same expression in sorting tab of grouping and sorting properties window.
Handling of group header & footer
We are dealing with three different groups in this report and one output has no grouping required. We have to do the following to generate proper group names and handle visibility property of header & footer.
Apply following expression to group header & footer visibility property:
=IIF(Parameters!parReportType.Value = "O", True, False)
The above-mentioned expression will take care of hiding the group header & footer in case of default report "Order List" selected.
As group changes dynamically, we do have to change the output to reflect the current scenario. If user selects "Order by Customer" then we have to make sure to change the group header to "Customer: xyz" and so forth.
Following expression entered as group header title takes care of dynamically changing the header based on provided grouping criteria:
=iif(Parameters!parReportType.Value = "O","",
iif(Parameters!parReportType.Value = "C",
"Customer: " & FIRST(Fields!CustomerID.Value),
iif(Parameters!parReportType.Value = "S",
"City: " & FIRST(Fields!ShipCity.Value),
"Country: " & FIRST(Fields!ShipCountry.Value))))
Coding time
So far so good, we have put all sort of intelligence into our report template; we made sure all steps taken to achieve the desired result. However, what prompts the report to act in certain way? How does report know, should it generate report based on Customer or City or it should ignore grouping altogether and produce plaint orders list?
Now, we have done the design part of report. Now we have to provide a mechanism to collect data from Sql Server and bind it to reporting engine. Out of many different ways data can be bound to reporting engine, my favorite is using DataSet.
Image: 1.7
Make sure to have DataSet ready as per image 1.7.
I have written a method called loadReport and passing a single parameter to it as reportType. I am calling this method from all four buttons, every time passing a different argument.
Following is the code for the method:
private void loadReport(String reportType)
{
//declare connection string
string cnString = @"Data Source=(local);
Initial Catalog=northwind;" +
"User Id=northwind;Password=northwind";
//use following if you use standard security
//string cnString = @"Data Source=(local);Initial
Catalog=northwind; Integrated Security=SSPI";
//declare Connection, command and other related objects
SqlConnection conReport = new SqlConnection(cnString);
SqlCommand cmdReport = new SqlCommand();
SqlDataReader drReport;
DataSet dsReport = new dsOrders();
try
{
//open connection
conReport.Open();
//prepare connection object to get the data through reader and
populate into dataset
cmdReport.CommandType = CommandType.Text;
cmdReport.Connection = conReport;
cmdReport.CommandText = "Select * FROM Orders
Order By OrderID";
//read data from command object
drReport = cmdReport.ExecuteReader();
//new cool thing with ADO.NET... load data directly from reader
to dataset
dsReport.Tables[0].Load(drReport);
//close reader and connection
drReport.Close();
conReport.Close();
//provide local report information to viewer
reportViewer.LocalReport.ReportEmbeddedResource =
"DataGrouping.rptOrders.rdlc";
//prepare report data source
ReportDataSource rds = new ReportDataSource();
rds.Name = "dsOrders_dtOrders";
rds.Value = dsReport.Tables[0];
reportViewer.LocalReport.DataSources.Add(rds);
//add report parameters
ReportParameter[] Param = new ReportParameter[2];
//set dynamic properties based on report selection
//O-order, C-Customer, S-City, T-Country
switch (reportType)
{
case "O":
Param[0] = new ReportParameter("parReportTitle",
"Orders List");
Param[1] = new ReportParameter("parReportType", "O");
break;
case "C":
Param[0] = new ReportParameter("parReportTitle",
"Orders by Customer");
Param[1] = new ReportParameter("parReportType", "C");
break;
case "S":
Param[0] = new ReportParameter("parReportTitle",
"Orders by City");
Param[1] = new ReportParameter("parReportType", "S");
break;
case "T":
Param[0] = new ReportParameter("parReportTitle",
"Orders by Country");
Param[1] = new ReportParameter("parReportType", "T");
break;
}
reportViewer.LocalReport.SetParameters(Param);
//load report viewer
reportViewer.RefreshReport();
}
catch (Exception ex)
{
//display generic error message back to user
MessageBox.Show(ex.Message);
}
finally
{
//check if connection is still open then attempt to close it
if (conReport.State == ConnectionState.Open)
{
conReport.Close();
}
}
}
Code behind each button is as follows:
private void btnOrders_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
//orders list
loadReport("O");
}
private void btnByCustomer_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
//orders by customer
loadReport("C");
}
private void btnByCity_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
//orders by city
loadReport("S");
}
private void btnByCountry_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
//orders by country
loadReport("T");
}
Conclusion
I would love to participate in any discussion about pros and cons of this approach. To me template based approach and reusability makes more sense then anything else. Any constructive criticism is always welcome.
I would leave you with this final thought here, if you think that I was wrong in saying, "Four birds with one stone", instead I could have said, "Seven birds with one stone" then you are 100% correct my friend. I would leave it that up to you to figure it out. This is bonus exercise for you, if you end up playing with attached code.
Ok, here is the hint: Imagine end user asks you I need another three reports, but this time I do not care about details. Just give me Customer...Freight Total, same for City and Country. Therefore, the solution is, HIDE THE DETAIL!