SQL Server 2016 Database Reporting

Populating the Select the Data Source Screen in the Report Wizard.

The user is given a choice of pressing the "Query Builder…" button or entering their query in the "Query string:" textbox.

The report type we choose is heavily dependent upon the query and the type of information we are trying to convey in the report.

The Report Wizard's Design the Table screen will save much time and effort when creating new tabular and matrix reports.       

The Choose the Deployment Location screen of the Report Wizard only appears the first time a report is created in a new SSRS project. The deployment settings can be changed by selecting the Project properties in Visual Studio.

I need to add a column to an existing report, but I don't want to recreate it through the wizard. 

The Report Wizard will not automatically format the column width to fit the header or the data. 

SSRS provides a mechanism to change the data from the sort order provided by the report query.

Within the report, fields can be calculated using the data returned from the query, using SSRS built-in fields, using Expressions or a combination of all three. Expressions will allow for greater flexibility in the display of data and formatting. 

The formatting of cells in SSRS is similar to formatting cells in Excel. Most of the terminology is the same. 

Your organization's report server should be controlled by your database administrator and quite possibly by your network administrator.

Just because the report displays nicely on the screen does not mean the report is formatted properly on paper.

The Report Wizard does not automatically add a header and footer to the report. We will add them manually.

There are numerous built-in fields that come with SSRS which we can add to the header or footer which can help the viewer to navigate the report.

Adding query-defined fields to a report can be tricky, especially if more than one row is returned.

An organization's logo in the header of the report makes a report look official.

Printed reports still remain a security issue when confidential information is contained within these reports. For printed reports, metadata can be used to identify who accessed the data, when the data on the report was last updated, and when they accessed the data.

It is important to write queries that take advantage of the database server's processing power, especially for drill-down reports. 

With a well-written query, the Report Wizard can efficiently create a drill-down report that will minimize the development effort. 

The symbols on the left side of the tablix relates to the row groups below the report in Design mode.

By default, groups are collapsed.       

Grand total rows and columns can be added to drill-down reports.

The different parameter types affect the behavior of the report and the way in which the user interacts with the report.

Setting available parameter values and default values reduces the likelihood of a user creating a report with unintended data. As report developers, building this robustness into the report is beneficial to the user and us.

Parameters can allow the user to change the data displayed in the report without changing the report query. Defining a parameter alone will not impact what data is displayed on the report. Filters can be created that utilize the defined parameters. 

If we export the report to a PDF or print the report, the parameter value is not displayed. We need to display the parameter value so that the user will know what parameter value was used to generate the report. 

Drill-through reporting requires a parent report and a child report. The child report contains additional details about an item found in the parent report. 

The child report needs to display only the data associated with the item in the parent report. Report parameters can be used in the report query's WHERE clause. In SQL Server Reporting Services, a report parameter is a separate entity from a query parameter. 

The text box of the item of interest in the parent report must be enabled to allow drill-through actions to occur. The child report for drill-through purposes must already exist. 

Both the parent and the child reports in drill-through reporting must be deployed together for the proper operation of the reports.

Pie chart queries need to return labels, counts, and percentages. The percentages in the pie chart queries need to add up to 100 percent. Bar chart queries need to return a label and a numeric value. 

Pie charts are an excellent way to demonstrate how data is distributed by percentage across different categories. 

A bar chart is an excellent way to show two dimensional data when you have a few data points. The SSRS Bar Chart shares many properties and attributes with the Column Chart.

There are a myriad of ways to configure report legends, titles, labels, and other properties for chart objects.

SSRS report definitions are reusable objects which may be embedded into other reports as subreports.

Gauges, sparklines, and indicators are report objects in SSRS which provide an impressive way to display summarized information for presentations, documents, and web pages. Each object requires specific data elements for proper operation and to give the user the scope of the data.

Gauges are an excellent way to show progress towards a numeric goal.       

Sparklines can help add a historical perspective to numbers displayed in a table.

SSRS indicators are an excellent way to show progress towards a categorical goal or the current status of a process.       

Dashboards allow for online reporting of high-level information to allow management to quickly find where the business is performing well and where attention needs to be placed. 

Point, line, bubble, and polygon maps are report objects in SSRS, which provide an impressive way to display information about a particular geographic area. Each object requires specific data elements for proper operation and to give the user the scope of the data.

Points are an excellent way to show the location of objects on a map.

Analytical line maps allow for the visualization of data that relates to two points on a map.       

Bubble maps allow us to compare the sizes of data values that exists among various points on a map. process.

Polygon maps can be created from a variety of ESRI shape files.