Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Reporting Services

The Definitive Guide to Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Reporting Services

Create and deliver data-rich reports across the enterprise using this complete server-based reporting solution. Written by a member of the original Reporting Services development team, Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Reporting Services covers the entire report-building and distribution process, including data extraction, integration with desktop and Web applications, and end-user access. The book explains how to maximize all of the powerful features, including the new Tablix data format, as well as enhanced performance, scalability, and visualization capabilities.

Install, configure, and customize SQL Server 2008 Reporting Services
Create SELECT queries to extract data
Generate reports from the Report Wizard and from scratch
Add charts, images, and gauges
Build reusable report templates
Use the new Tablix data format to create reports with any structure
Export reports to Word, Excel, PDF, HTML, XML, and other formats
Enable end-user access to reports via the Report Server and its Report Manager web interface

Customer Reviews:

A book that may have really saved my job.

By Steven - June 11, 2009

What a life saver!

I'm a software developer in a small shop and our biggest client is a large law firm with LOTS of data and users hungry for easy to read reports reflecting said data. None of us have much experience with SQL Reporting Services as most of our experience for reporting is in Crystal Reports.

I've heard of SSRS but until recently I didn't have much experience using it. Our client was in great need of a simple report so I went ahead and setup a report server and decided to give SSRS a whirl. Thankfully Business Intelligence Development Studio (BIDS) was easy for me to grasp as I am a C# developer and I was already in comfortable territory (BIDS is really just a reporting solution in Visual Studio afterall).

I was able to create their report in a very short time and the users were comfortable using the Report Manager Website. Of course what happened next is predictable to anyone that has been in a similar situation - I became "The Report... read more

Another Home Run by Brian

By Keith S. Safford "CyclingFoodmanPA" - March 6, 2009

I also purchased Brian's book on SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services and moved up to 2008 and the book is an excellent step-by-step recipe book on how to create reports utilizing SQL Server 2008. It is an excellent book on stepping you through the numerous examples and examining how to create complex business reports.

Another great point is that when I was learning SSRS 2005 and had a problem, I emailed Brian, figuring I might hear back from him in a week or so. He replied to my email within the day and explained to me what I had to do to correct my problem. Best of all, it was right and I moved on.

His writing style is clear and concise and he doesn't miss any steps in his tutorials on creating the reports. This is one book that will be "dog eared" due to heavy use.

Effective for getting up to speed with Reporting Services

By Jennifer Louie - November 11, 2008

If you are just learning Reporting Services, this is a book targeted for you. It's very effective as a step-by-step tutorial, read cover to cover.

Like many said about the previous version of this book, this book is less useful as a reference. Larson writes with a clear, concise style, providing lots of examples, and doesn't assume that you know anything about reporting. For complete database novices, he even has a chapter on basic database concepts that provides probably all that the layperson needs to know to create basic reports. Having done some work with 2005 Reporting Services already, the basic/conceptual chapters were less valuable for me and I ended up skipping many sections. However, I still found the book quite useful and learned a couple of things that I didn't know Reporting Services could do.

This is a fine book for those having to get up to speed quickly with SSRS. Definitely not material you could get off of SQL Server Books Online.