Wednesday, September 2, 2015

September 8: Toni Feltman on SQL Server Reporting Services plus pizza!



Our next meeting will be on Tuesday, September 8. We'll be providing a pizza dinner (or bring your own). Please email Tamar Granor or Jim Connolly if you plan to eat pizza, so we can make sure there’s enough.

Toni Feltman will do a Southwest Fox preview of her session “SQL Server Reporting Services.” The session will be a three-hour precon at the conference; this meeting features a shortened version.

Abstract: SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) is the Microsoft answer to reporting tools like Crystal Reports. The really nice thing about SSRS is that a version is now included with SQL Server Express which is FREE. Free is good, right? SQL Server Reporting Services is a quick and inexpensive way for developers to create and deploy reports when using SQL Server as the database engine. It is not difficult to use and is similar to other reporting tools that may already be in your toolbox. There are benefits to having a language-agnostic reporting tool such as the ability to share reports between different applications and platforms. It also makes really good sense to have a reporting tool tightly coupled with the data used for reporting.

Desktop applications need reporting. These applications are being extended through other technologies such as the web and mobile. Even if your development environment has its own reporting engine, SQL Server Reporting Services is a great way to get query and reporting capabilities that are available on the desktop, web and mobile device all from one code base.

You will learn:
             Where to find and how to install SQL Server Express and SQL Server Reporting Services
             How to use Report Designer
             Ways to tie data to reports
             About the native Report Output Options
             Differences between SSRS "express" and paid versions
             Ways to "centralize" reporting services to be used by more than one type of client
             Ways to render SSRS reports in Visual FoxPro
             Methods for integrating existing report technology with SSRS reporting to create a common look and feel between reports

Also, be sure to mark your calendar for the return of Christof Wollenhaupt on October 13.