Report and Data File Created at the same time?

[jimss]

Hi, I'm new to reporting services but have used Acutate report writer in the past.

In Actuate, we have a report that lists employee ids and names. When the users runs this actuate web report, the report is created from a sql select and at the same time, a text data file of empl_id+firstname+lastname is also created. The single actuate report creates both outputs. I added actuate script to open and write to the data file based on the sql retrieved.

The data file is not a simple ‘export’. The file contains header/detail/trailer records in a formatted/fixed length file format.

How can this simple report/data file be created in reporting services? A stored proc or subreports or .net script or…?

Thanks

 

[RiverGuy]

The best I can think of is to create an ASP.Net application which houses a ReportViewer control. Add a button to the web page which displays the report and creates your export file. You can use the code behind the create the file. It sounds kind of like an obscure feature for Microsoft to have included this out of the box in SSRS Report Manager, so you'll probably have to roll your own solution as I described above.

 

[jimss]

Thanks for the reply.

It sounds like Actuate is more powerful than RS but the Actuate licensing fees also costs more.

 

[xlbo]

RS is very powerful but it is so because it integrates into everything else that MS provides so certain elements don;t exist natively in RS as they can be easily customised outside it (e.g. .NET apps to provide all kinds of functionality)



Rgds, Geoff

We could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names and all are different colours but they all live in the same box.

Please read FAQ222-2244 before you ask a question

 

[vbajock]

The usual way to handle something like this is to let the code that is calling your report handle it. Your code, after (or before) printing your report, would call the stored procedure that the report is based on and port it thru a datareader into a text stream as shown here:

http://www.builderau.com.au/program...iles-with-VB-NET/0,339024644,320267367,00.htm

Of course, the more complex your formatting, the more of a programming project it will be.