Using Report Builder for SSRS Self-Service Reports
By Tom Nonmacher
Welcome to another blog post from SQLSupport.org. Today, we are going to talk about using Report Builder for SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) to create self-service reports. Report Builder is an intuitive tool for creating reports for SQL Server 2019, MySQL 8.0, DB2 11.5, Azure SQL, and Azure Synapse. It is a powerful feature of SSRS that enables users to design and publish custom reports with drag-and-drop simplicity.
The first step in using Report Builder for SSRS is to connect to a data source. The data source could be a SQL Server 2019 database, a MySQL 8.0 database, a DB2 11.5 database, an Azure SQL database, or an Azure Synapse data warehouse. Once the data source is connected, you can start creating reports.
-- Connect to a SQL Server 2019 database
USE database_name;
GO
-- Query data from the database
SELECT column_name FROM table_name;
Once you have connected to a data source and retrieved the necessary data, the next step is to design your report. This involves adding tables, charts, and other visualizations to the report. You can also add filters and parameters to allow users to customize the report to their needs.
One of the main benefits of using Report Builder for SSRS is its compatibility with various SQL technologies. For instance, if you are working with a MySQL 8.0 database, you can use the native SQL syntax of MySQL to query your data.
-- Connect to a MySQL 8.0 database
USE database_name;
-- Query data from the database
SELECT column_name FROM table_name;
Similarly, if you are working with a DB2 11.5 database, you can use the native SQL syntax of DB2 to query your data. This flexibility makes Report Builder a versatile tool for creating self-service reports from various data sources.
-- Connect to a DB2 11.5 database
CONNECT TO database_name;
-- Query data from the database
SELECT column_name FROM table_name;
The final step in using Report Builder for SSRS is to publish your report. Once you have designed your report and tested it to ensure it works correctly, you can publish it to the SSRS server. This makes the report available to other users who can view it using a web browser or a mobile device. In conclusion, Report Builder for SSRS is a powerful tool for creating self-service reports from a variety of data sources.