CHAPTER 4 LAYING OUT A REPORTFigure 4-10. Plain text date formatting for the textbox placeholder
Back on the Design tab, click below the placeholder we just added to go to the next line in the
Textbox. Type the word “Dear” directly into the textbox and follow it with a space. This will serve as the
greeting for the letter. Now, right-click the location directly after the space you typed, and select Create
Placeholder again. For the label, type “Patient Name.” For the expression, open the expression builder
by clicking the expression button to the right of the value field. Click DataSets in the Category box and in
the Item box select Pro_SSRS_DS. In the Values box select First(Patient_Name). Notice, as in Figure 4-11,
that the value is expanded to be =First(Fields!Patient_Name.Value, "Pro_SSRS_DS"). You will notice
here, and throughout the book, that in SSRS 2012, full expression values for fields have been condensed
for ease of use and clarity. Fields!Patient_Name.Value, for example, will often be displayed as simply
[Patient_Name] in design mode.