Editing RDL Reports with SSDT (SQL Server Data Tools)

3
votes

I have a few RDL reports hosted on my SharePoint 2010 website. I recently installed SSDT tools for VS 2012, and I can create a new reporting project to mess around with some report data sources and such, but what I'd really like to do is use edit my existing reports that are hosted out on SharePoint. If I try to "open" the RDL file, I only get the "behind the scenes" report schema information, but no design time support.

I'm running SharePoint 2010, with SQL Server Reporting Services 2012. Any assistance is appreciated.

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reporting-servicessharepoint-2010sql-server-data-tools
have you tried to open it in Report Builder 2.0 to see if it can be shown in design mode? – aweis
Hi @aweis, yes I have tried that, and it works, but I was hoping to get that same functionality in SSDT, so I can get programming and publishing support as well, rather than just want report builder provides me – ewitkows

1 Answers

0
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SQL Server 2012 SSRS works best with 'Business Intelligence Development Studio', which is an add on to Visual Studio 2010 for SQL Server 2012. I believe what you call it SQL Server Development Tools is the same thing now as under 'All programs' it changed it's name there but NOT when you create project. Good ole MS changing things to make it more confusing for people. You get it from Installing the advanced tools version of SQL 2012 or Enterprise or Developer edition. Everything else for developing RDL's is just a watered down version of what BIDS can do. I have no idea why at MS they did not make SQL 2012 go with VS 2012, but they did not. Every other version of SQL Server BIDS matches up with that year of VS, but 2012.

When you have BIDS, you can merely put your 'RDL' files in a location that you save to. Then say: "Add Existing" and point to the location and get all your data from them to code. If you are familiar with Report Builder that is basically a watered down version of BIDS. BIDS however maintains memory better as it is an IDE specifically created for designing SSIS, SSRS, or SSAS applications.

So if you don't have a solution, create a 'Report Project'. Make a datasource up (you need to know the database and how to connect to it or other datasource). Then go to the reports folder and choose 'Add existing' and do what I stated above. You merely find your RDL files and they will appear there.