Microsoft® SQL Server® 2012 Bible

1242

Part IX: Business Intelligence

The Report Data pane contains the elements necessary for working with the data in

each report. In this pane you can fi nd the Built-In Fields, Images, Parameters, Data

Sources, and Datasets for the report. Dataset fi elds, which compose the data in the

report, are found here and can be dragged from here onto the report. Built-In Fields are

canned values, particularly useful when placed in the report header and footer. They

are items, such as the page number, name of the report, and total number of pages.

Parameters enable the report user to fi lter the results of a report by changing the val-

ues of confi gured fi elds.

The Report Items toolbox contains all the available objects that can be used on the report.

Table 55-1 explains all the objects.

TABLE 55 -1 Report Objects Available in the Toolbox

Report Item Description

Textbox Adds report content not located within a table or matrix. The textbox can

contain static text or an expression, or can be bound to a data fi eld.

Line,

Rectangle

Adds visual separation and formatting to a report. Rectangles can also be

used to group other items, enabling them to be treated as a group for place-

ment and visibility. They also enable multiple controls to be placed where, by

default, you can place only a textbox.

Image Places an image in the report. The image source can be Embedded, Project,

Database, or the web.

Table Renders the dataset in a Tablix with a fi xed set of columns. The item contains

many options to control how the data is grouped, sorted, exported, and pre-

sented. A report can contain multiple tables, providing the capability to

include data from multiple datasets and data sources in a single report. Begin

with a Table instead of a Matrix if the data will be presented primarily as fi xed

columns.

Matrix Renders a dataset as a crosstab. For example, the Matrix report item could

show total sales by region as row headers, and periods as column headers,

enabling the column headers to change over time based on the underlying

dataset. Multiple column, row, and detail criteria can be added to the Matrix

report item. Begin with a Matrix instead of a Table when the data will be pre-

sented primarily with variable column headers.

List The list is bound to a dataset. The content of a list is repeated for each row in

the dataset or for each grouped row if group criteria are specifi ed. The body

of the list represents the template for the report items to be displayed. The

report author places items within the template, free-form, without the spatial

constraints of a table.

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