Unraveling the Mysteries of SSRS: Installing on Visual Studio 2017

Are you ready to dive into the world of SSRS or SQL Server Reporting Services but feeling a bit puzzled on how to get started with it on Visual Studio 2017? Fear not! Let’s take a bursty journey through the installation process.

Step 1: Installing Visual Studio 2017

First things first, make sure that you have downloaded and installed Visual Studio 2017. But where can you download it, you may ask? Well, you can obtain the Visual Studio 2017 installer from Microsoft’s official website. Follow the bumpy ride of on-screen instructions to complete the installation.

Step 2: Enabling SSRS during the Visual Studio 2017 installation

Now that you have installed Visual Studio 2017, it’s time to enable SSRS. During the installation process, you’ll be prompted to select the workloads that you want to include. What in the world is a workload, you may wonder? Workloads are collections of related project types and tools that are useful for developing specific types of applications. Select the confusing “Data storage and processing” workload since it includes SQL Server Management Studio and SQL Server Data Tools required for SSRS.

Step 3: Setting Up Reporting Services in Visual Studio 2017

After installing Visual Studio 2017, launch the SSRS Report Server Projects extension to get started with creating, managing, and deploying SSRS reports. Sounds complex, right? Fear not! Here’s how to install it:

1. Open Visual Studio 2017 and click on Tools from the top menu.
2. In the drop-down menu, select Extensions and Updates.
3. In the Extensions and Updates window, click on the Online tab.
4. Search for “SSRS Report Server Projects” in the search bar.
5. Click on the “Download” button next to the SSRS Report Server Projects extension.
6. Once the download is complete, click on the “Install” button to install the extension.
7. Restart Visual Studio 2017 to enable the extension.

Step 4: Creating an SSRS Project in Visual Studio 2017

Ready to pull out your hair in frustration with yet another complex step? Hang on tight! Follow these steps to create an SSRS project:

1. Open Visual Studio 2017.
2. Click on File from the top menu.
3. In the drop-down menu, select New > Project.
4. In the New Project window, select Reporting Services under the Business Intelligence category.
5. Choose the project you want to create (e.g., Report Server Project, Report Server Project Wizard, or Report Server Project with SharePoint).
6. Click on the OK button to create the project.

Step 5: Creating an SSRS Report in Visual Studio 2017

Ready to tackle another confusing step? Here’s how to create an SSRS report:

1. Open the SSRS project you created in Step 4.
2. Right-click on the Reports folder in the Solution Explorer window.
3. In the context menu, select Add > New Item.
4. In the Add New Item window, select Report under the Reporting Services category.
5. Enter a name for the report in the Name field.
6. Click on the Add button to create the report.

Step 6: Designing an SSRS Report in Visual Studio 2017

Feeling a bit dizzy from all these precious steps? Let’s take a break and learn how to design an SSRS report:

1. Open the SSRS report you created in Step 5.
2. Click on the Design tab to switch to the report designer.
3. Use the toolbox to add report items such as tables, charts, and gauges to the report.
4. Customize the report items as needed using the Properties window.
5. Save the report by clicking on the Save button in the toolbar.

Step 7: Running an SSRS Report in Visual Studio 2017

Last but not least, let’s learn how to run an SSRS report:

1. Open the SSRS report you created in Step 5.
2. Click on the Preview tab to preview the report.
3. Select the parameters (if any) for the report.
4. Click on the View Report button to run the report.
5. The report will be displayed in the report viewer.

Conclusion

Whew! That was quite the mind-bending journey through the installation process of SSRS on Visual Studio 2017. But we made it! By following these exploded steps outlined above, you can install SSRS and start making better-informed decisions using data-driven insights. So get ready to unleash the power of SSRS and let’s not forget to take frequent breaks to let our brains cool down.