Here's a diagram of the Query Designer in SSRS.
![report builder tool report builder tool](https://www.boldreports.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Banner-1024x485.png)
The way this is done in both SSRS and Report Builder is using something called Query Designer, but don't assume that because they have the same name that they'll work in the same way. Query Deisgnerįor every database report you have to specify which tables and which fields it will include, and how. A great idea - so where are they in SSRS?ġ-0 to the Report Builder, but keep reading, as I have a feeling that SSRS might come from behind to sneak victory. The tooltip above pretty much explains what report parts do, and how they work. In Report Builder you can save this as a report part: You now want to use this in other reports. They allow you to save part of a report for reuse.įor example, suppose that you have lovingly spent ages designing your perfect chart: Of far more interest are the functional differences between the two products: the things that work in different ways. Personally, I don't like them: they have a tendency to get you from A to B without explaining either the journey taken or how you could modify it in the future. While on the subject of cosmetic differences, Report Builder contains several extra wizards: Notice any similarities? It turns out that the Report Builder ribbon and toolbox in SSRS contain the same tools which do the same things! Here, by contrast, is how you do the same thing in Report Builder: Here's how you add a control (except they're called Report Items, for some strange reason) in Reporting Services: Cosmetic DifferencesĪt first sight, Reporting Services and Report Builder look very different. Let's start with a look at the cosmetic differences. Buggy differences (features which just shouldn't be there in one version, and aren't in the other).Functional differences (the most important category for most users).Cosmetic differences, which don't really affect the functionality of the software.However, there are some discrepancies (this wouldn't be much of an article otherwise), and we'll look at them under 3 headings: Remember the Parent Trap, with Lindsey Lohan in? Well, Annie and Hallie have more differences between them than do RB and SSRS. Before we continue, it's worth stressing here that Report Builder 3.0 and SSRS 2008 R2 are virtually identical. With the above preamble in mind, let's look at the differences between the two products. You can create reports - and that's about it! Differences between RB and SSRS Here's what you see when you start Report Builder: Report Builder, by contrast, doesn't pretend to be any better than it is - a standalone application for creating reports.
REPORT BUILDER TOOL WINDOWS
What this shows is that Visual Studios is much more than just a tool for creating reports (you can use it to create ASP.NET webistes, Windows applications and much more). Here's what you see when you try to create a new project in Visual Studio 2008:
![report builder tool report builder tool](https://i1.wp.com/www.jrevell.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/ETL-Tools-Report-Designer.png)
Strangely, as of now you can't use the latest version of Visual Studio (2010) to develop SSRS reports, having instead to use Visual Studio 2008. I'm not actually convinced this exists I think it's just a subset of Visual Studio. Most people developing SSRS reports will do so using a tool which Microsoft call BIDS, or Business Intelligence Development Studio. Let's look at each of these products in more detail. Recognising this dichotomy (a posh word, I grant you), Microsoft created SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) for the first group of people, and Report Builder for the second. End-users, who just want to report on their data, and certainly don't want to be intimidated by complicated software.Geeks (that's most readers of this site, I suspect), who perhaps already develop in Visual Studio and who certainly aren't afraid to do a bit of programming.However, Microsoft are aware that there are two types of people who'll want to build reports: Microsoft experimented with data access pages in Access, but seem to have settled on SQL Server Reporting Services (currently on version 2008 R2, although SSRS 2012 is at release candidate stage).
![report builder tool report builder tool](https://www.btactic.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Screenshot_20180814_093719.png)
Some BackgroundĪ common need in business is to publish reports based on corporate data onto a company's website. This article will explain how these two products are almost identical, and then give details on the differences. Are you a geek? Sorry to be personal, but that's the question you should be asking yourself when choosing between Reporting Services and Report Builder.