CODEWITHSUNDEEP
sqlms-accessreporting-services
Elias
Elias

Reputation: 2632

Generate And Load SSRS Report From Within Access 2003

I am currently in the process of converting reports to a new data structure, and have the opportunity to move away from Access reports.

I believe that SSRS would be a step in the correct direction, although I have to be able to send data from Access, generate an SSRS report based on that data, and then return it to Access or the user in some way.

The reports will require many in-report calculations and text boxes that use those calculations hierarchically.

I have next to no SSRS experience and I am wondering if this is a situation I should pursue, because it is possible to use SSRS in this manner, or if this is something that is impossible and I should just stick to Access(begrudgingly).

Upvotes: 1

Views: 1207

Answers (1)

Kyle Hale
Kyle Hale

Reputation: 8120

So you can build your SSRS reports off many data sources including an Access database. Building them isn't the problem (if you've built Access reports, you can definitely pick it up), it's displaying them to the user that will be your chief issue (or possibly not one at all, if they're willing to embrace a little change and prefer your new reports' functionality.)

Two different ways of bringing SSRS reports to your user via Access, in decreasing order of elegance:

  1. When user clicks a link on an Access form, use a macro to open a browser that points to the report's URL.
  2. Add the ActiveX control for the IE browser to a form, so you can display the report inside the form.

The first one is ideal because SSRS is ultimately a browser-based tool and it gives them the most freedom to continue on in their analysis, like for example sorting records differently or adding additional filters via report parameters.

The second one keeps them in Access, so if that's paramount, that's what you've got, and they still technically have a full browser at their disposal, but by windowing them, you've limited the report's ability to essentially do just that - report the data. People have to scroll, it's harder to manipulate, and you can't really freely navigate to other reports or use it as a browser tab for a truly unfettered user experience.

Upvotes: 1

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