CODEWITHSUNDEEP
reporting-servicesssrs-2012
Joshylad
Joshylad

Reputation: 133

SSRS repeating text within a textbox expression

Is it possible to write an expression that will repeat some text over and over either for a specified number of repetitions or until it runs out of space in a textbox?

The text that needs to be displayed is coming from a field within a shared data set and can change depending on which database the user is connected to.

What I need to loop is 

="~~"&First(Fields!SchemaText.Value,"Selection") &"~~"

What I would like as a output if possible is

~~Text~~~~Text~~~~Text~~~~Text~~~~Text~~

Basically is it possible to loop expressions in SSRS?

Upvotes: 0

Views: 1349

Answers (3)

TimC
TimC

Reputation: 1

SSRS has a text function called StrDup. I don't know when the function was available or if the function has always been available.

Syntax: StrDup(integer, (char | object | string))

EX: =StrDup(3,"The end...") Output: The end...The end...The end...

EX: =StrDup(3, Chr(149)) & "Text" Output: •••Text

Look here: https://www.mssqltips.com/sqlservertip/4093/sql-server-reporting-services-string-manipulation/

Or just search the internet for "SSRS StrDup"

Upvotes: 0

Hannover Fist
Hannover Fist

Reputation: 10860

I don't see a way to wirite in an expression.

I think the easiest way would be to create a function in VB.

Function RepeatText(ByVal Text As String, ByVal Loops AS Integer) As String 

Dim F AS Integer

RepeatText = ""

For F = 1 to Loops 

    RepeatText = RepeatText & "~~" & Text  & "~~"

Next F

End Function

The your text box expression would be something like: 

=CODE.RepeatText(Fields!SchemaText.Value, 4)

You'd want to replace the 4 with some code to determine the number of times you want the text to repeat or you can change the code so it figure out how many based on another field.

=CODE.RepeatText(Fields!SchemaText.Value, Fields!SOME_OTHER_FIELD.Value)

And then have the code figure it out: 

Function RepeatText(ByVal Text As String, ByVal Type AS String) As String 

Dim F AS Integer
Dim END AS Integer

If Type = "DB1" then END = 1 
If Type = "DB2" then END = 2 
If Type = "DB3" then END = 3 

RepeatText = ""

For F = 1 to END

    RepeatText = RepeatText & "~~" & Text  & "~~"

Next F

End Function

Upvotes: 2

NickNick
NickNick

Reputation: 233

I'm not sure you can write it directly to an expression..

If I were you, I'd try to write a new 1 column dataset with the number of row you want containing the text value. Then, in the textbox expression, I'll try to get the result with a join().

I didn't test it, sorry, maybe I'm wrong.

Upvotes: 0

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