Chapter 3 - Report Items

Chapter 3 - Report Items

3.1 What are Report Items?

The standard report items (strictly speaking they should be called ReportItems) that you can add to a report from the toolbox:

The following pages give examples of each type of Report Item (hereafter often called items).

Notes for Users of Access, Excel and Other Software

Two things in particular are different about designing reports in SSRS:

Difference / Notes
A ReportItem is not called a control! / When you stick something on a form in Access, VBA and most other Microsoft software applications, it’s called a control. In SSRS it’s called a ReportItem. The author will try hard to remember to use the correct term!
Labels don’t exist / Again, in most Microsoft software applications you can add free-format text which isn’t bound to any underlying data source using a label:
The label tool in Microsoft Access, for example
In the SSRS report designer you can only add text using a textbox report item.

3.2 The Report Items Available

Tablix Report Items (Data Regions)

Tablix is Microsoft-speak for a table, list or matrix; these report items are also called data regions. Below is an example of each:

Non-Data Report Items

Some report items don’t show data at all:

Gauges and Indicators

An indicator is a specific example of the more general gauge – here are examples of each:

Maps

Maps are … maps!

Subreports

A subreport allows you to embed one report within another:

Charts, Data Bars and Sparklines

Data bars and sparklines are specific examples of charts:

3.3 Adding, Moving and Resizing Report Items

Adding Report Items

To add report items to a report, follow these steps:

Moving and Resizing Report Items

To move or resize report item(s), click and drag with the left mouse button:

3.4 Selecting Report Items

In order to be able to do anything to items in a report, you must first know how to select them. The methods available are as follows:

Selecting / Method
A single report item (using the mouse) /

A single item (using the Properties window) /
Several report items (using the mouse) /

Several report items (using the keyboard) /

3.5 Three Ways to Edit Report Items

You can format report items using the SSRS toolbars, in the general Properties window or via the report-item-specific properties window.

Formatting using the Toolbar(s)

When designing a report, make sure that you have the Layout, Report Borders and Report Formatting toolbars visible:

Formatting Using the Properties Window

You have a much wider range of formatting options in the Properties window. To display this, do one of:

The properties window always shows the properties of the report item you currently have selected.

Formatting Using the Report Item’s Properties Window

Many (most) report items have their own specific properties window – you can get to this by right-clicking on the report item:

3.6 Changing Fonts and Colours

This manual would be 1,000 pages long if it included all of the font and background changes that you could make! Here’s a summary:

When choosing colours, there is more choice available than there may at first seem:

Some of the specific report items property dialog boxes give truly awesome power!

3.7 Aligning and Sizing

You can align a report item horizontally or vertically, either relative to the report it belongs to or relative to other items on the report, as well as sizing and spacing report items.

Changing the Horizontal Alignment of Report Items

To align the text within a report item, change the TextAlign property (as already shown):

Alternatively, just use the alignment tools on the toolbar:

Centring Report Items on a Form

You can automatically centre a report item in the middle of a report:

To centre report item(s), select it/them and then:

1) Choose to centre the items on the report: / Tool / Top Menu
/ Format è Center in Form

2) Choose how to centre them:

Vertically Aligning Report Items

There isn’t a standard tool for vertical alignment, so you’ll need to use one of the property windows:

Aligning Report Items to Each Other

To align report items, select them and align them as shown below:

1) Select the report items you want to align, choosing the control you want to dominate first:

2) Choose the alignment: / Tools / Top Menu / Right Menu
/ Format Align / Layout

3) If you’ve chosen one of the menus, choose by which edge you want to align:

Changing the Dominant Report Item

When you align, size or distribute report items relative to each other, the first one you click on is always dominant (it’s shown with white handles). Here are some before and after examples:

Before aligning tops / After aligning tops

Sizing Report Items to Each Other

To make two or more report items the same width or height as each other:

1) Select the report items:

2) Choose to make them the same size: / Tools / Top Menu / Right Mouse
/ Format è Make same size / Layout

3) Choose to match them by width, height or both:

3.8 Padding

How Padding Works

You can use padding to space out items in a report:

Changing Padding

You can change the padding for any report item using the Properties window:

3.9 Borders

The easiest way to change borders is using the formatting toolbar, but you have to be careful to do things in the right order!

Setting a Border

To put a border round a report item, follow these steps in this order:

1) Select the report item:

2) Choose the border style, thickness and colour:

3) Choose the borders that you want:

Removing a Border

Removing a border is much easier – regardless of what other border settings you have selected, just choose No Border, as shown on the right.