In short, **No, it's not possible**.

From [SSRS 2008 Column issue when exporting to a CSV file][1]:

> For csv export, the header of a column is determined by the `DataElementName` property of the textbox which actually contains the data. If the `DataElementName` property is not explicitly set by the user, DataElementName automatically gets defaulted to the value of the `textbox.Name` property.  
>
> That being said, I believe you're getting this issue because RDL has a restriction that both a `reportItem.Name` and `reportItem.DataElementName` property must be [**CLS-compliant identifiers**][2]. The headings like `"Phone #"`, `"Other Name(s)"`, etc... are not CLS-Compliant.
>
> You can verify this by opening up the report in BIDS or RB and trying to set the DataElementName/Name property of the textbox containing the data to those names.  
>
> You will get an error which states the following: 
>
> `Property Value is not valid. Specify a valid name. The name cannot contain spaces, and it must begin with a letter followed by letters, numbers, or the underscore character (_).`

There is a Microsoft Connect Issue about this, but unfortunately it looks like it won't be acted on.  
**See**: [Use of expressions for DataElementName property (for CSV Export)][3] 

[1]: https://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/sqlserver/en-US/bc7bcae8-cce2-4626-8cb9-132a239a4ab8/#f9bd33ae-6d92-4050-94d8-92c6e26e00cc
[2]: http://www.unicode.org/unicode/reports/tr15/tr15-18.html
[3]: https://connect.microsoft.com/SQLServer/feedback/details/732034/

By default, csv takes the text box name as the csv header name for the columns. The text box does not allow a space. 

How do I make a different header than the text box for the csv?  
Is there a way to display comma in the header when exported to csv?

**Note**: The solution has to be only for one report; not global.


SSRS csv export with comma in the column header names

Implementing a SSRS ReportViewer control in MVC consists of two problems:

1. Minimally, you'll need to add the right dependencies, handlers, and **configuration for the ReportViewer control** (regardless of project type). 
2. The trickier hurdle is in **Mixing WebForms and MVC**. We need a way of rendering and routing incoming requests so they will be handled by WebForms pages, controls, and actions. 

## Problem 1 - Configuring the `ReportViewer`

If you've done a lot with setting up ReportViewer controls in the past, this might be old hat and you can skip to section 2.

1. **Add package/reference** - The [`ReportViewer`][1] control lives in the `Microsoft.ReportViewer.WebForms.dll`. You can include in your project by adding the [`Microsoft.ReportViewer.WebForms`][2] package from nuget: 

 [![Nuget - Microsoft.ReportViewer.WebForms][3]][3]

2. **Web.config Handlers** - Per this article on [Web.config Settings for ReportViewer][4], and [this SO question][5] you'll need to add the following to your `web.config`:

 
 
 <system.web>
 <httpHandlers>
 <add verb="*" path="Reserved.ReportViewerWebControl.axd" 
 type="Microsoft.Reporting.WebForms.HttpHandler,
 Microsoft.ReportViewer.WebForms, Version=10.0.0.0, Culture=neutral,
 PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a" />
 </httpHandlers>
 </system.web>
 <system.webServer>
 <handlers>
 <remove name="ReportViewerWebControlHandler" />
 <add name="ReportViewerWebControlHandler" preCondition="integratedMode"
 verb="*" path="Reserved.ReportViewerWebControl.axd" 
 type="Microsoft.Reporting.WebForms.HttpHandler, 
 Microsoft.ReportViewer.WebForms, Version=10.0.0.0, Culture=neutral,
 PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a"/>
 </handlers>
 </system.webServer>

 Per [this question on duplicate keys][6], it's typically easiest to remove and then re-add webserver configs

3. **Fix broken Image Requests** - there's a known defect in ReportViewer with [`blank.gif` images not loading][7] so you can add the following fix to your `global.asax.cs`:

 
 
 protected void Application_BeginRequest(object sender, EventArgs e)
 {
 HttpRequest req = HttpContext.Current.Request;
 if (req.Url.PathAndQuery.StartsWith("/Reserved.ReportViewerWebControl.axd") &&
 !req.Url.ToString().ToLower().Contains("iteration") &&
 !String.IsNullOrEmpty(req.QueryString["ResourceStreamID"]) &&
 req.QueryString["ResourceStreamID"].ToLower().Equals("blank.gif"))
 {
 Context.RewritePath(String.Concat(req.Url.PathAndQuery, "&IterationId=0"));
 }
 }

4. **IgnoreRoute .axd** - If it's not already there, make sure to [allow ScriptResources][8] in your `RouteConfig.cs`:

 
 
 routes.IgnoreRoute("{resource}.axd/{*pathInfo}");

5. **Add ReportViewerPage.aspx** - Add a WebForm page that will hold an instance of the ReportViewer control. In order to work, that control needs to find a `ScriptManager` control and be placed inside of a `<form runat="server" >`. 
 So your new .aspx page should look something like this:

 
 
 <%@ Page Language="C#" AutoEventWireup="true" CodeBehind="ReportViewerPage.aspx.cs" Inherits="MVCAppWithReportViewer.ReportViewerPage" %>
 <%@ Register TagPrefix="rsweb" Namespace="Microsoft.Reporting.WebForms" Assembly="Microsoft.ReportViewer.WebForms, Version=10.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a" %>
 
 <!DOCTYPE html>
 <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
 <head runat="server">
 <title>Report Viewer</title>
 </head>
 <body>
 <form id="form1" runat="server">
 <rsweb:ReportViewer ID="ReportViewer" runat="server" 
 Height="100%" Width="100%" 
 SizeToReportContent="True" ProcessingMode="Remote" />
 <asp:ScriptManager ID="ScriptManager1" runat="server" />
 </form>
 </body>
 </html>

6. **Wire up ReportViewer on `Page_Load`** - Assuming, you already have an SSRS report fully deployed to a reporting server which is available at an address like this: 

 <code>http&#58;//ReportServerName/Reports/Pages/Report.aspx?ItemPath=%2fCompany%2fClientReport</code>

 Then your code-behind in your new WebForm page should look like this:

 
 
 public partial class ReportViewerPage : System.Web.UI.Page
 {
 protected void Page_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
 {
 if (!Page.IsPostBack)
 {
 // confirm report properties (also setable in attributes)
 ReportViewer.ProcessingMode = ProcessingMode.Remote;
 
 // config variables
 var reportServer = "ReportServerName";
 var reportPath = "/Company/";
 var reportName = "ClientReport"; 
 
 // report setup
 var serverReport = new ServerReport();
 serverReport = ReportViewer.ServerReport;
 serverReport.ReportServerUrl = new Uri($@"http://{reportServer}/ReportServer");
 serverReport.ReportPath = $@"{reportPath}{reportName}";
 
 // report input
 var parameters = new List<ReportParameter>();
 parameters.Add(new ReportParameter("User_uid", "1"));
 serverReport.SetParameters(parameters);
 
 // run report
 serverReport.Refresh();
 }
 }
 }

7. **View Report** - At this point you should be able to view your report on it's own by selecting **View in Browser** or <kbd>Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>Shift</kbd> + <kbd>W</kbd>

 [![View in Browser][9]][9]

## Problem 2 - Mixing WebForms and MVC 

First, let's quickly dissect the routing differences between how these controls are loaded and subsequently updated

* **MVC** routes will look something like this `{controller}/{action}/{id}` where the routing engine will automatically find a `Controller` and `Action` with the specified name and incoming requests will be handled by that method. On any page request, whether from page load, form submit, button clicks, anchor navigation, or ajax calls, the exact method being executed is always specified in the url `{action}`.

* **WebForms** routes to code by finding the physical .aspx page address, and then uses ViewState & PostData to wire up and fire events on that page / control.

 Here's an [illustration of different routing formats in WebForms][10]. And here's a simple button click event which will submit a post back to the parent page and raise the appropriate events within the page based on the event data submitted:

 [![ASP.NET WebForms - Postback][11]][12]

This is a pretty big constraint on our solutions available. Nothing is special about the `ReportViewer` control. It's just a sophisticated set of UserControl classes that respond to click and other input events by posting back the current address along with the ViewState and Event info. So whatever assumptions were baked into the routing and navigation of the ReportViewer will need to persist into our MVC wrapper.

1. **Option 1 - Add Route for .aspx page**

 As of MVC 4.0+, you can use [URL Routing with WebForms][13]. This mixes well with MVC by adding a [<code>MapPageRoute</code>][14] *(note the **Page** part)* to map a route to a physical file. So add the following to your `RouteConfig.cs`:

 

 routes.MapPageRoute(
 routeName: "ReportViewer",
 routeUrl: "ReportViewer/{reportName}",
 physicalFile: "~/ReportViewerPage.aspx"
 );

 The report will run when you navigate to the address `~/Reports/reportName`. This will probably be invoked from inside a controller action, perhaps with some user entered parameters or web.config connection strings. There are lots of [ways to manage state in ASP.NET][19] and [Pass Values to ASP.NET Web Forms Pages][20]. One option would be to stash the info in the Session and Redirect like this in your controller:

 
 
 HttpContext.Session[reportSetup.ReportName] = new ReportSetup() {ReportName = "ClientReport"}; //reportSetup;}
 return RedirectToRoute("ReportViewer", new { reportName = reportSetup.ReportName});


 Then, inside the .aspx page, and you can grab the `reportName` from the RouteData Values and any setup params from the session:

 

 // get report name from route
 string reportName = Page.RouteData.Values["reportName"].ToString();

 // get model from session and clear
 ReportSetup setup = (ReportSetup)HttpContext.Current.Session[reportName];

 **Pros**:

 * Most of the routing seems to work by default, and AJAX controls work fine, so you can set `AyncRendering=True`

 **Cons**:

 * It's hard to [use an ASP Web Form with a Razor MVC Layout][22] so rendering will take users out of the flow of the rest of the application. 
 * Also, report values have to be exposed as part of the URL or passed indirectly via session (as opposed to hydrating directly onto the object).

2. **Option 2 - Nest `.ascx` inside `PartialView` on your Page**

 Adapted from [How can I use a ReportViewer control with Razor?][21], you can consume `.ascx` controls in PartialViews as long as they inherit from [`System.Web.Mvc.ViewUserControl`][23].


 Create a new Web Forms User Control called `ReportViewerControl.ascx` that looks like this:

 
 

 <pre><code>&lt;%@ Control Language="C#" AutoEventWireup="true" CodeBehind="ReportViewerControl.ascx.cs" Inherits="MVCAppWithReportViewer.ReportViewerControl" %&gt;
 &lt;%@ Register TagPrefix="rsweb" Namespace="Microsoft.Reporting.WebForms" Assembly="Microsoft.ReportViewer.WebForms, Version=10.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b03f5f7f11d50a3a" %&gt;
 
 &lt;form id="form1" runat="server"&gt;
 &lt;rsweb:ReportViewer ID="ReportViewer" runat="server" 
 Height="100%" Width="100%" 
 SizeToReportContent="True" ProcessingMode="Remote"
 AsyncRendering="False" /&gt;
 &lt;asp:ScriptManager ID="ScriptManager1" runat="server" 
 EnablePartialRendering="false" /&gt;
 &lt;/form&gt;
 </code></pre>

 > **Note**: You must set **`AsyncRendering="False"`** and **`EnablePartialRendering="false"`**

 In the code behind you'll need to replace the inheritance type from `System.Web.UI.UserControl` to `System.Web.Mvc.ViewUserControl`. 
 
 And on `Page_Init`, you'll need to set the [`Context.Handler`][24] to `Page` so events are registered properly. 

 So the `ReportViewerControl.ascx.cs` should look like this:

 
 
 public partial class ReportViewerControl : System.Web.Mvc.ViewUserControl
 {
 protected void Page_Init(object sender, EventArgs e)
 {
 // Required for report events to be handled properly.
 Context.Handler = Page;
 }
 
 protected void Page_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
 {
 if (!Page.IsPostBack)
 {
 /* ... report setup ... */ 
 serverReport.Refresh();
 }
 }
 }

 In order to render the report, add the following to your controller view:

 
 
 @Html.Partial("ReportViewerControl", Model)

 And then in the ReportViewerControl.ascx.cs Page_Load event, you can retrieve the passed in model from the [`ViewUserControl.Model`][26] property like this:

 
 
 ReportSetup setup = (ReportSetup)Model;

 **Pros**: 

 * Can build into master `_layout.cshtml` and consume in regular views
 * Can pass model directly

 **Cons**:

 * `AsyncRendering` must be set to false, so interactions like pagination and sorting cause full page refreshes and are sometimes wonky. Brian Hartman's has a blog just for ReportViewer and talks about [AsyncRendering and all the Baggage that Comes With It][25].


**Further Reading**:

* [How can I use a reportviewer control in an ASP.NET MVC 3 razor view?][16]
* [How do I render a remote ReportViewer aspx page in MVC 4?][17]
* [MVC 5 & SSRS ReportViewer - How to Implement?][18]


 [1]: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/Microsoft.Reporting.WebForms.ReportViewer "Microsoft.Reporting.WebForms.ReportViewer"
 [2]: https://www.nuget.org/packages/Microsoft.ReportViewer.WebForms/
 [3]: https://i.stack.imgur.com/BYva8.png
 [4]: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms251661.aspx
 [5]: https://stackoverflow.com/a/36409922/1366033
 [6]: https://stackoverflow.com/a/49011204/1366033
 [7]: https://stackoverflow.com/a/27233316/1366033
 [8]: https://stackoverflow.com/a/9016704/1366033
 [9]: https://i.stack.imgur.com/C9dCJ.png
 [10]: https://i.stack.imgur.com/xpdns.png
 [11]: https://i.stack.imgur.com/lcflt.png
 [12]: https://imgur.com/a/vp2i4ak
 [13]: http://weblogs.asp.net/scottgu/archive/2009/10/13/url-routing-with-asp-net-4-web-forms-vs-2010-and-net-4-0-series.aspx
 [14]: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/System.Web.Routing.RouteCollection.MapPageRoute "System.Web.Routing.RouteCollection.MapPageRoute"
 [16]: https://stackoverflow.com/q/6144513/1366033
[17]: https://stackoverflow.com/q/15422124/1366033
[18]: https://stackoverflow.com/q/30709782/1366033
[19]: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/75x4ha6s.aspx
[20]: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/6c3yckfw.aspx
[21]: https://stackoverflow.com/q/15208437/1366033
[22]: https://stackoverflow.com/q/30872822/1366033
[23]: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/System.Web.Mvc.ViewUserControl "System.Web.Mvc.ViewUserControl"
[24]: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/System.Web.HttpContext.Handler "System.Web.HttpContext.Handler"
[25]: https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/brianhartman/2010/01/21/asyncrendering-and-all-the-baggage-that-comes-with-it/
[26]: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/aspnet/web-frameworks/mt172252%28v%3dvs.118%29

Is there a way to put a SQL Server Reporting Services report viewer control on an ASP.net MVC view? If not...what is the best way to accomplish this? 

Viewing SSRS Reports in an ASP.net MVC Site

The various constructor overloads for [`ReportParameter`][1] only take in a string or string array as acceptable input.

[![ReportParameter Constructor][2]][1]


And the [`ReportParameter.Values`][3] property itself is actually a `StringCollection` in order to force the serialization to happen at compile time.

[![ReportParameter Properties][4]][3]

But you *can pass a null value* with string typing per this thread on [Passing NULL parameter from aspx page to Report Server][5] like this:

    var rp = new ReportParameter("ServiceType_cd", new string[] { null });

Or per this question [Report Viewer: Set null value to Report Parameters having allow null true][6], you can pass in a value like this:

    string str = null;
    var rp = new ReportParameter("ServiceType_cd", str));

  [1]: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/Microsoft.Reporting.WebForms.ReportParameter#Constructors "Microsoft.Reporting.WebForms.ReportParameter"
  [2]: https://i.stack.imgur.com/TV060.png
  [3]: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/Microsoft.Reporting.WebForms.ReportParameter#Properties "Microsoft.Reporting.WebForms.ReportParameter"
  [4]: https://i.stack.imgur.com/1QhTr.png
  [5]: https://forums.asp.net/t/1113545.aspx?Passing+NULL+parameter+from+aspx+page+to+Report+Server
  [6]: https://stackoverflow.com/q/22625842/1366033

How can I put a null value on datetime variable type?
 
I tried to make it nullable value, but I need to use it in `ReportParameter()` method to send it to my report but `ReportParameter()` constructor cannot take a nullable value and the ReportParameter() take just a string values!

passing a null datetime to reportparameter class?

### Avoid `NoRowsMessage` and build your own conditional empty row

One problem (or feature if that's what you want) with `NoRowsMessage` is that it'll literally replace the entire table with just a plain old message string. 

Which provides a relatively counter-intuitive end user experience in my opinion. Normally when no data is found by a system, we'd like to know something about what data was being looked for and what it would have looked like.

Instead, based off [how to keep the structure of the Tablix when there is no data to show][SO1], you can do the following:


1. **Insert New Header Row**, outside the group and above the details record.
 ![Insert New Header Row][2]
 
2. Right click on the side of the new row and **Set Row Visibility**
 ![Set Row Visibility][3]

3. Set **Visibility to the following expression** which will [count the rows inside the current Tablix][SO2] and only set Visibility to True if there is no data.

 
 
 =CountRows() > 0

 ![Visibility Expression][4]

4. **Optionally**, merge the cells and add your own message or just display an empty row
 ![Merge Cells][5]
 ![Custom Message][6]

### Here's a comparison of how the various options will render: (pick whichever look you think best fits your data and use case)

![Output Examples][7]

 [SO1]: https://dba.stackexchange.com/a/48846/31340
 [SO2]: https://stackoverflow.com/a/10948672/1366033
 [album]: http://imgur.com/a/UhOlg
 [2]: https://i.stack.imgur.com/IqvoM.png
 [3]: https://i.stack.imgur.com/L4Sqj.png
 [4]: https://i.stack.imgur.com/Vzwrf.png
 [5]: https://i.stack.imgur.com/Xse66.png
 [6]: https://i.stack.imgur.com/WU8ho.png
 [7]: https://i.stack.imgur.com/6W6mp.png

I am building an SSRS 2005 report using BIDS. My report filters on date. When the selected date returns no data rows the report is blank, just the title is displayed, no table or column heading.

How can I change this to display a message like *`No data available.`* or *`Report is empty.`*?


How do I display 'No data available.' when there are no rows to show on the report?

There is a native way to hide data elements sent to CSV by using `DataElementOutput=NoOutput`

1. Open the properties menu (<kbd>F4</kbd>) for the `TextBox`
2. Set the `DataElementOutput` property to `NoOutput`

 ![screenshot](http://i.imgur.com/QJI7a0x.png)

### Further Explanation

When SSRS has to render a chart, it has a couple of decisions to make. If you spent a lot of time doing some cool formatting, it will try to preserve that when going to PDF because PDF documents are full of rich formatting. For example, if you set the margins of the report, a PDF should care, but a CSV has no way to even hold that information (nor should it).

As such, there are [**different rendering engines** used by SSRS][3]:

![Render Engines](http://i.imgur.com/WsUZgSZ.png)

Each of these has their own process. The data exports, for example, will only pull information from datafields. For example, a data field is welcome to have several layers of headers, the names of which may or may not use [**CLS-compliant identifiers**][4], so it's safer to extract that information directly from the textbox name itself. 

The TextBox containing the data can be used to set other data export properties as well.

In this instance, you can remove a particular data field by using the [**DataElementOutput**][5] which: 

> Indicates whether the data point should appear in a data rendering.


### Further Reading

* [SSRS: Conditionally hiding columns based on parameter values - CSV export ignores][1]
* [Summary Data Appears in SSRS 2008R2 CSV Export][2]
* [Hide/Show Items Dependant On Export Format (SSRS)][6]

[1]: https://stackoverflow.com/q/2105220/1366033
[2]: https://stackoverflow.com/q/8122016/1366033
[3]: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd239307.aspx
[4]: https://stackoverflow.com/a/27535419/1366033
[5]: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/microsoft.reportingservices.rdlobjectmodel.chartdatapoint.dataelementoutput.aspx
[6]: http://blog.hoegaerden.be/2011/01/18/ssrs-hideshow-items-dependant-on-export-format/

I'm using SSRS 2012 trying to do the following:

Some columns should only be visible on user request, using a combo box. Visibility of the columns dependes on the selected columns on the combo. This seems to work fine!

When I export the output in any format different of .csv these columns remain invisible. But when exporting to .csv invisible coulmns are shown.

I found this:

    =iif(Globals!RenderFormat.Name="CSV", True, False)

This should be placed in the "Hidden" property of the column I'm trying to hide. But it doesn't work and when I write the expression RenderFormat is not an option as auto-complete.

Sorry for my clumsy english and thanks.

SSRS 2012 and CSV export

The current solution will mask the issue, but won't address the underlying problem, which is that when browsers besides IE are composing the request for the gif (which SSRS just uses to replace padding), they don't know to include the `IterationId` query string parameter.

As [SQL Reporting Services Viewer broken in Non-IE Browsers][1] points out, if you're using the ReportViewer, you can fix this in your application routing under `Application_BeginRequest` like this:



 protected void Application_BeginRequest(object sender, EventArgs e)
 {
 // Original fix credit to Stefan Mohr
 // Bug fix for MS SSRS Blank.gif 500 server error missing parameter IterationId
 // https://connect.microsoft.com/VisualStudio/feedback/details/556989/
 HttpRequest req = HttpContext.Current.Request;
 if (req.Url.PathAndQuery.StartsWith("/Reserved.ReportViewerWebControl.axd") &&
 !req.Url.ToString().ToLower().Contains("iteration") &&
 !String.IsNullOrEmpty(req.QueryString["ResourceStreamID"]) &&
 req.QueryString["ResourceStreamID"].ToLower().Equals("blank.gif"))
 {
 Context.RewritePath(String.Concat(req.Url.PathAndQuery, "&IterationId=0"));
 }
 }

[1]: http://coffeestain-it.blogspot.com/2011/08/sql-reporting-services-viewer-broken-in.html

I'm using `ReportViewer` 10.0. In Google Chrome, the lines come with a broken image called `blank.gif`. But IE and Firefox are working fine.

Here's an example with the images circled:

![Screnshot](http://i.imgur.com/JOV3rKR.png)

Any ideas on how to fix this?

ReportViewer showing broken images in Chrome

This is an issue reported to Microsoft Connect.  
From [SSRS 2008 How to get the best image quality possible?](https://connect.microsoft.com/SQLServer/feedback/details/493441/):

> The image behavior you see in PDF is a result of some image conversions that the PDF renderer does, based on how the PDF specification requires that serialize images into PDF.
>
>We know it's not ideal, and we classify the loss of image quality as a product issue. Therefore, it's difficult to really say what to do to get the best quality image. 
>
>**Anecdotally, I have heard that customers have good results when the original image is a BMP**

I have a report that renders images (jpg) that have been collected from various sources.  This works fine within the report viewer, and when exporting via Excel.  

However, when exporting to PDF, about 5% of the images are rendered incorrectly as can be seen below, with the original on the left, and what is rendered on the right;

![enter image description here][2] ![rendered image image][1]

**I find that if I open up one of these images in mspaint, and just click save, on the next report-run the image is now rendered correctly.**

Are there any rules as to what image properties/format are valid for SSRS to render the image correctly within a PDF?  Essentially I'd like to somehow find these images that will render incorrectly before the report is run and fix them prior...

  [1]: http://i.stack.imgur.com/jjNnU.png
  [2]: http://i.stack.imgur.com/hij8l.png

SSRS can't properly render *some* images within PDF

If you have to do it a bunch of times, you can also make a [reusable function][1] to avoid a lot of typing. Here's a solution modeled off of [SQL's ISNULL][2] function:

1. Right click on the Report Document and go to Report Properties.

 [![Report Properties][3]][3]

2. Navigate to the Code tab and add the following function:

 ```vb
 Public Function IsNull(input As Object, defaultValue As Object) As Object
 Return IIf(input Is Nothing, defaultValue, input)
 End Function
 ```

 [![Report Properties > Code][4]][4]

 **Note** - Even though the custom code is expecting valid VB.NET code, you [have to use the `IIF` Ternary operator][5].

3. Then you can use it in an expression like this: 

 ```
 =Code.IsNull(Fields!MyField.Value,0)
 ```

 [![Field Expression][6]][6]


 [1]: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/reporting-services/report-design/add-code-to-a-report-ssrs
 [2]: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms184325.aspx
 [3]: https://i.stack.imgur.com/pzswR.png
 [4]: https://i.stack.imgur.com/CId0e.png
 [5]: https://stackoverflow.com/q/27418185/1366033
 [6]: https://i.stack.imgur.com/UmKhc.png

I need to write an SSRS expression  to check and replace NULL field value with another field value. Can this be done?

SSRS expression replace NULL with another field value

This can happen when you have some SQL Services installed and running on your machine that interfere with the Report Preview. You can check your current services by going opening Sql Server Configuration Manager:

![Sql Server Configuration Manager][1]

To **fix** this you can [do the following][2]:

1. Type <kbd>WinKey</kbd> + <kbd>R</kbd>, input `services.msc` in the Run box, and press <kbd>Enter</kbd>.
2. Find the "Net.Pipe Listener Adapter" and either Restart or Disable it. 
 ![Net.Pipe Listener Adapter - Services][3]


The **workaround**, as SQLnbe mentioned, is to:

1. Right Click the RDLC file from solution explorer
2. Click "Run" from there which will open up a new window. 
 ![Run RDLC from Solution Explorer][4]


 [1]: https://i.stack.imgur.com/HJNlT.png
 [2]: https://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/38ff8d54-06aa-40c3-8916-378d5185320e/report-designer-preview-in-ssdt-throws-up-a-end-point-not-found-error?forum=sqlreportingservices
 [3]: https://i.stack.imgur.com/AztX3.png
 [4]: https://i.stack.imgur.com/NxG2X.png

I'm having a very peculiar issue with SQL Server Data Tools 2012. Whenever I attempt to launch the report previewer, I get the following exception:

> There was no endpoint listening at net.pipe://localhost/PreviewProcessingServce7324/ReportProcessing that could accept the message. This is often caused by an incorrect address or SOAP action. See InnerException, if present, for more deatils.

![Error Message][1]

As far as I can tell, nothing I did triggered the issue. It just started happening one day when I fired up SSDT. I tried the suggestion on [
Report Designer Preview in SSDT throws up a 'end point' not found error][1]. 

However, my service is up and running just fine (restarting it didn't help), and using Setspn didn't do anything for it, either. 

Anyone have any ideas?


  [1]: https://i.stack.imgur.com/XH1pA.png
  [2]: https://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/38ff8d54-06aa-40c3-8916-378d5185320e/report-designer-preview-in-ssdt-throws-up-a-end-point-not-found-error


SSDT/SSRS - Report Previewer Won't Run

You are likely getting the error message `Report Builder was unable to paste successfully` because somewhere in the grid there is a cell that uses Custom Code From the Report

> i.e. you cannot copy a textbox with this custom code: “Code.MyCustomeCode()” 
 - [Report Builder was unable to paste successfully][1] 

This has been a reported bug since SSRS 2008:

> When using Visual Studio 2008 to create new reports, we cannot copy and paste multiple textboxes in a tablix, and receive a popup error stating "Report Builder was unable to paste successfully" 
 - [Unable to copy and paste textboxes in SSRS reports with Custom Code after 2008 R2 SP2 upgrade][2]

**Workaround**:

1. **Open up the XML** view for the report, either in Visual Studio by right clicking the report and selecting *View Code*, or by editing in any text editor.
2. **Comment out `Code.`** blocks. <kbd>Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>F</kbd> your way through the document looking for `Code.`. The goal is to preserve the code in some way, while temporarily commenting out the line. Depending on your actual code, this might be different, but I here's what I like to do:
 * *Find*: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;`=Code.`
 * *Replace With*: `='Code.`
3. Go back to the Designer View and **Copy and Paste the Tablix**. You can do this by right clicking the top left corner of the tablix control: 
 ![Copy Tablix](http://i.imgur.com/iNJQuqq.png)
4. Go back to the XML View and **reverse the find and replace**
 * *Find*: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;`='Code.`
 * *Replace With*: `=Code.`

You should be all set!

> **Note**: You cannot just copy the `<tablix>` block in the XML view after step 1 because it will create elements with the same exact `name` property

[1]: http://mibuso.com/blogs/clausl/2014/09/05/report-builder-was-unable-to-paste-successfully/
[2]: https://connect.microsoft.com/SQLServer/feedback/details/767968/

I have a tablix that has data for one day, and I need to have the same data at the bottom but in 3 different lines.  I'd like to copy the main day table 3 times at the bottom, and then use different datasets for each one.

I tried copying the tablix and pasting it into the `Body` beneath the tablix, but I get the following error:

> Report Builder was unable to paste successfully.

How can I accomplish the copy and paste? Or if that isn't possible, is there another way to do what I am trying to accomplish?

Here's an animated screenshot:

![Example](http://i.imgur.com/OXmB4Zh.gif)

Copy and paste a table (tablix) in SSRS

Found the answer.  So the issue was that even though the interface functions are pretty similar to excel, cell borders are handled like individual objects with properties.

Meaning two adjacent cells don't share a common border definition between them at the boundary.

So in order to remove the bottom border on the top cell, you have to remove the bottom border on the top cell *AND* the top border on the middle cell.

![Removed Borders](http://imgur.com/TH6Y3nC.png)

What I really want to do is merge column headers vertically, but that doesn't appear possible in SSRS.  One work around presented in the quest [SSRS tablix Merging cells vertically problem][1] was to just remove the header borders.

However, when I remove the bottom border (or change the border at all for that matter), the old one still remains.

For example, here's a test case where I've removed the bottom border and add a wide red border to the top and sides:

![Tablix](http://i.imgur.com/L5suhYg.png)

And here are the properties on the top text box itself:

![Properties](http://i.imgur.com/f2OnRP9.png)

*How do I get rid of the black lines?*


[1]: https://stackoverflow.com/a/23300962/1366033

Remove header borders in Tablix

I have a tablix control with multiple header rows.  There are no groupings; the extra rows are just for the visual effect of displaying information.

I've followed the instructions for [how to add Interactive Sort to a Table or Matrix][1].

I've gone to the textbox in the header (also tried doing the same to all three) and gone to properties:

&nbsp;&nbsp;![Properties](http://i.imgur.com/diAutxC.png)

And then enabled Interactive Sorting:

&nbsp;&nbsp;![Interactive Sort](http://i.imgur.com/vnQhDeW.png)

If I only have a single header row, it works and looks like this:

&nbsp;&nbsp;![Expected](http://i.imgur.com/GM8aboc.png)

But it actually looks like this:

&nbsp;&nbsp;![Actual](http://i.imgur.com/7RoO3uY.png)

Can I add interactive sorting when there are multiple rows?

**Potential Workaround**: The only thing I thought of would be to add the sort fields as a parameter to the report and set the sorting at the Tablix level as an expression based off that.  But I like the organic look and feel of inline sorting.

[1]: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc627509.aspx

Sortable columns on Tablix with multiple header rows

They will be greyed out if they are not identical in all fields selected. This can depend on a related formatting field being different.

One workaround is to create an internal text parameter:

![FontFamily Internal Parameter][1]

With default value of the value you want to use for the property:

![FontFamily Internal Parameter Default Value][2]

Then set the property for each cell that should have the same formatting to this parameter individually:

![Textbox properties with parameter][3]

Repeat this for each of the relevant child properties, you will then be able to change formatting across the report by changing the parameters.

  [1]: http://i.stack.imgur.com/1DgFj.png
  [2]: http://i.stack.imgur.com/VscYN.png
  [3]: http://i.stack.imgur.com/ki2O4.png

This is very similar to the post on [Formatting multiple fields at once in RDL][1], but there are still issues with setting properties like `Size.Width` and `Font.FontSize` when the underlying data is different between selected cells. 

Here's the accepted answer: 

> Select all the controls in the designer and press <kbd>F4</kbd> for properties. Change the background color

But if falls short when there is a property that is made up of several child properties. Here's an example using font and size, each of which are comprised of several properties.

This is what it looks like when a single field is selected or when multiple fields are selected that all have the same value:

![Properties](http://i.imgur.com/9xBOZwy.png)

But if I highlight several cells that have different font sizes, or widths, I lose the ability to edit them all simultaneously. For example if I wanted to make consistent column widths across an entire report.

Here's what the properties look like when multiple fields are selected and any of them have a different value:

![Properties - Hidden](http://i.imgur.com/89fOdti.png)

It's not ideal, but in the case of the size property, I can enter the shorthand value which includes both width and height separated by a comma and it will apply that change to all the selected cells.

But for some reason, in the Font section, I can't even do that.

### Other things I've tried:

* **Using the Formatting Toolbar** - which seems to be always greyed out for SSRS: 
 ![Toolbar](http://i.imgur.com/6K8e03o.png)

* **Using the Formatting Menu Item** - which doesn't expose the FontSize property: 
 ![MenuBar](http://i.imgur.com/qWzqjJm.png)

* **Using the Context Menu** to enter the Properties Form, which is disabled: 
 ![ContextMenu](http://i.imgur.com/ezFXJ7B.png)

[1]: https://stackoverflow.com/q/3681397/1366033

Changing properties for multiple fields at once in SSRS Designer

Here are a couple solutions, but I prefer the second one.

### Solution 1 (okay)

As this appears to be a bug with the MVC Web Application project type itself, you can add the report to a different project type (like Class Library). As described in the post [Visual Studio 2010 Report Viewer - Object Datasource][1], just create a separate library for the project and add the rdlc file there. The data source configuration wizard should now look like this:

![data source configuration wizard][3]

### Solution 2 (better)

As figured out in [Can't see or add Website Data Sources in RDLC report in ASP.NET MVC][2], you can just add an **aspx** page anywhere to the MVC project to trick Visual Studio into pulling in the right design time libraries. 

Just do the following:

* Close all windows
* Clean & Rebuild Solution
* Add WebForm1.aspx to the Project
* Open up the RDLC file and choose a DataSource from the dropdown:

 ![DataSource Dropdown][4]


[1]: http://wraithnath.blogspot.com/2011/02/visual-studio-2010-report-viewer-object.html
[2]: https://stackoverflow.com/q/2923569/1366033
[3]: http://i.imgur.com/n44iRKu.png
[4]: http://i.imgur.com/qGkHTNu.png

I have a MVC4 application in Visual Studio 2010 which contains plenty of classes. I'm trying to use them to pass in as the DataSource for a Report Definition Language Client ([RDLC][1]) file. But I can't access the classes from my assembly anywhere in the data source designer

According to the MSDN Walkthrough on [Using a Business Object Data Source with the ReportViewer Web Server Control in Local Processing Mode][2], I should be able to do so in the Dataset Properties page

> In the **Dataset Properties** page, in the **Data source** box, select **global**.

According to this Stackoverflow question on [How to use an Object data source in report (.rdlc)][3], when in Dataset Properties page, I should be able to create a new data source like this:

>**Creating a New Data source**: 

>* Select **Object** and click Next.
* Browse the solution tree and select the class(es) you want to bind to.
* Click Finish.

**But neither of these present as options...**

When I create a new dataset, nothing shows up under Data Source:

![DataSet Properties][4]

When I click New to create a New DataSource, I just get a connection Wizard that forces me to connect to a database:

![Data Source Configuration Wizard][5]

**Where can I add classes from my assembly?**

As a trivial example, here's an example of an object I have built into the assembly that I would expect to show up:



 Public Class Employee
 Public Property Name As String
 Public Property ID As Integer
 End Class

I would eventually like to populate this information programmatically like this:



 Dim lr As New LocalReport
 lr.ReportPath = Server.MapPath("~\Reports\Report1.rdlc")
 lr.DataSources.Add(New ReportDataSource("Data", New Employee("Kyle",27)))


[1]: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms252067.aspx
[2]: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms251692(v=vs.100).aspx
[3]: https://stackoverflow.com/q/3717517/1366033
[4]: http://i.imgur.com/wJgW17y.png
[5]: http://i.imgur.com/AP58Hmx.png

Using .NET Class as the DataSource with SSRS RDLC

### Setup

Just to setup an example, let's start with the following data (you can enter this as a DataSet in SSRS)

```sql
;WITH Games (Division, Team, Wins, Loses) AS (
 SELECT 'North', 'Puffins', 2, 10 UNION
 SELECT 'North', 'Robbins', 6, 5 UNION
 SELECT 'South', 'Parrots', 9, 3
)
SELECT * FROM Games
```

We'd like to *group by* `Division` and then list out all the teams in each division, but in two different blocks. So loop through all of them once and display wins and *then* loop through all teams in each division and display losses - like this:

[![enter image description here][1]][1]


# Solution

1. Add a `List` control

 *Note*: By default, the List view should only have a single cell and that cell should have a `Rectangle` in it. The immediate child of a cell takes up the full cell size, so having a rectangle allows you to layout content within it

2. Add a dataset and apply it to the List

 You may be prompted when adding the list or right click and select properties > general > dataset

3. In the [grouping pane][2], under `Row Groups`, right click `Details` and select `Group Properties`.

 [![Group Properties][3]][3]

 *Note*: ***Do not*** *add* a new group here; instead we're adding a grouping expression to the existing details section

4. Add a group expression and select the field in your dataset you want to group by

 [![Group Expressions][4]][4]

5. Add tables to the list's cell / rectangle area. 

 The dataset should be pre-selected and read-only because we're inside of a details section:

 [![Frozen Dataset][5]][5]

6. Add any other columns or controls you'd like

 [![Design and Preview][6]][6]


**Further Reading**

* [Multi-detail reports using sub reports in SQL Server Reporting Services][21]
* [Previous version][22] of answer used subreports, but this current approach is cleaner and faster


 [1]: https://i.stack.imgur.com/40n5T.png
 [2]: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/reporting-services/report-builder/report-design-view-report-builder?view=sql-server-ver15#GroupPane
 [3]: https://i.stack.imgur.com/5rZ7U.png
 [4]: https://i.stack.imgur.com/igqcC.png
 [5]: https://i.stack.imgur.com/cwJL7.png
 [6]: https://i.stack.imgur.com/gBrj8.png
 [7]: https://i.stack.imgur.com/1TONF.png
 [8]: https://i.stack.imgur.com/B5cb5.png
 [9]: https://i.stack.imgur.com/RXvlB.png
 [10]: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/reporting-services/report-design/tables-matrices-and-lists-report-builder-and-ssrs?view=sql-server-2017
 [11]: https://stackoverflow.com/q/7800217/1366033
 [12]: https://i.stack.imgur.com/spGjD.png
 [13]: https://i.stack.imgur.com/HzjWs.png
 [14]: https://i.stack.imgur.com/bC75N.png
 [15]: https://i.stack.imgur.com/KsP4Z.png
 [16]: https://i.stack.imgur.com/y9vTA.png
 [17]: https://i.stack.imgur.com/xKXFK.png
 [18]: https://i.stack.imgur.com/ytM7E.png
 [19]: https://i.stack.imgur.com/I9dwl.png
 [20]: https://i.stack.imgur.com/lqAKM.png
 [21]: https://www.mssqltips.com/sqlservertip/5649/multidetail-reports-using-sub-reports-in-sql-server-reporting-services/
 [22]: https://stackoverflow.com/revisions/58349673/1

I have a set requirement to produce a report that looks like this (the detail grids are based on and group by a Hearing table ID, or HearingDate and CaseId):

```
Hearing Group (repeat for each hearing)

    ┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
    │ Hearing Date: [HearingDate]     Case ID: [CaseId] etc...          │
    │                                                                   │
    │ | Start Time  | Hearing Type  | etc   |                           │
    │ | [StartTime] | [HearingType] | [etc] |                           │
    │                                                                   │
    │ Participant List:                                                 │
    │                                                                   │
    │ | Role   | Participant Name  | Participant End Date |             │
    │ | [Role] | [ParticipantName] | [ParticipantEndDate] |             │
    │                                                                   │
    │ | Violation Description   | Plea Description  | Person Charged  | │
    │ | [Violation Description] | [PleaDescription] | [PersonCharged] | │
    └───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
```


I've researched this quite a bit and don't think I can use one dataset and one tablix and group it that way because of the multiple detail grids. If I had just one detail grid, sure, that's easy, but I've not seen a way to do with two levels of detail.

Apparently, SSRS limits you to one dataset if you nest two tables/tablixes, so that's out, plus there's limited flexibility with crossing columns. I'm not sure if I can accomplish this with a List (which I have no experience with), or maybe using the LookupSet function. I don't want to go down the wrong path either with my design or by choosing a route that hurts performance, because the parameters for this report allow a date range for hearing start and end dates and so this could potentially generate many records. 

Some ideas would be appreciated!
