Data Dynamics Reports has all of the features found in RDL and has added several enhancements:

• Master Reports - Master Reports allow developers (or the end-user) to define a template that can then be filled in by other reports
• Additional Chart Types - RDL defines several chart types that should be implemented, Data Dynamics Reports provides 10 more types: Gantt, Candlestick, Hi-Lo, Hi-Lo Open-Close, Kagi, Renko, Three-Line-Break, Point and Figure, Pyramid, and Funnel. These chart types are in addition to the standard: Column, Bar, Area, Line, Scatter, Bubble
• Banded List data region -Using the standard data regions the only way to get multiple group levels is to either nest many lists together or use a table region, both have severe drawbacks. The lists can be difficult to work with and the table makes it difficult to position things that aren't in a column. This is where the Banded List comes in, it makes it easy to group data and allows the report author to place report items freely within it. The Banded List is available for report authors to use, but it is also used by the Access, ActiveReports, and Crystal import utilities.
• Barcode Report Item - The included Barcode report item supports 23 of the most popular barcode symbologies, from Code39 to UPC, PostNET, and JapanesePostal
• Formatted Text Report Item -The formatted text report item allows the report author to include XHTML + CSS content into their reports
• Themes - Themes make it easier for all of the reports you create to have a common look. Themes allow you to define a set of colors, two sets of fonts, and package any common images that may be used on many reports. The theme file format is also easy to understand so new themes can be created and existing ones replaced, easily.
• Data Visualizers - Data bar, color scales, icon sets, and range bars all help explain your data at a glance

Rendering extensions are more than just an export, they render the report using the underlying layout of the report. This means that each report item can be rendered in a way that makes sense for that rendering extension. Rendering extensions available:

• Image - The image rendering extension takes the report and converts it into an image. Formats supported: EMF, JPEG, GIF, BMP, TIFF and PNG
• HTML - The HTML rendering extension renders a report in the XHTML 1.1 and CSS 2.1 formats. Supports both an interactive mode and disconnected mode, suitable for offline viewing or e-mailing
• Word - With the included Word rendering extension, you and your users can export reports to the Word document format directly from the viewer without purchasing costly components
• PDF - The PDF rendering extension outputs a PDF version of the report, supporting the encryption and password protection options available in later versions of PDF
• XML - The XML rendering extension takes the dynamic content of the report and outputs it into an XML format. Report authors can control how the XML is formed by modifying properties found on the Data Output smart panel of each of the report items

Data Dynamics Reports includes several controls that you can ship with your applications:

• Viewer for Windows Forms - The windows forms viewer control allows developers to include the ability to view reports within their own applications
• Viewer for ASP.NET - The web forms viewer control allows developers to include the ability to view reports within their own ASP.NET applications
• User Designer - The included designer control lets your users design reports from within your own windows forms application

Data Dynamics Reports is not a replacement for ActiveReports for .NET. The goal behind creating Data Dynamics Reports is to create a reporting product in which users need not write code to create most basic reports.

What are the main differences between Data Dynamics Reports and Active Reports for .NET? Briefly, Data Dynamics Reports supports multiple data sources, data sets, and several different data regions. It also supports the use of VB.NET expressions to set properties. These expressions control the entire report generation process and replace the event handlers fired from within ActiveReports for .NET.

Expressions - With ActiveReports for .NET, if you want to set the color of a TextBox at run time based on its value, you have to write an event handler like the following:

private void detail_Format(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
if ( ( (double) textbox.Value) < 0.0 ) {
textbox.ForeColor = Color.Red;
}
else {
textbox.ForeColor = Color.Black;
}
}

In Data Dynamics Reports you instead use expressions- snippets of inline VB.NET code that when executed return the value desired. The expression to duplicate the event handler earlier would be written like so:

=IIF( Fields!field.Value < 0, “Red”, “Black” )

Multiple Data Sources/Data Sets - Each report can have multiple data sources and data sets associated with it. A data region and its children can only be associated with a single dataset. If multiple data sets are needed within a data region a subreport can still be used to link in the second data set. However, in most cases a data set that contains the join of both sets of data could be used.

Drilldown - Data Dynamics Reports has true drilldown support, that allows report authors to hide data conditionally in the report and expose it when requested. This is done by setting a report item to be hidden and then setting its ToggleItem property to the name of a textbox or image report item in the report.

Data Regions - A data region is a how a set of data is manipulated to be output by various report items (if needed). The List data region outputs itself once for every row of data in the data set or unique set of grouping expressions. The Banded List functions very similar to how a report in ActiveReports for .NET works. The Chart data region contains the same charting technology used in ActiveReports, but it has been updated to work with the Data Dynamics Reports ideas of a data set and expressions.

Nested Data Regions - In ActiveReports for .NET it is possible to add a chart to any section of the report, but that is the limit of nesting a data region. In Data Dynamics Reports data regions can also be added within data regions that accept report tiems, as long as the data is grouped. The ability to nest data regions means that report

authors don’t have to resort to using subreports which incur additional processing overhead that should be avoided if possible. A standard usage is to nest another data region within the List data region when it has detail grouping set. This set up allows the summary data to be output in the outer List while details are output in the inner List. Another usage is to take advantage of the grouping construct of the Matrix data region. This allows the report author to create a trellis display of charts, tables, or lists.

Matrix (Crosstab) - Data Dynamics Reports also features a matrix data region – sometimes called a crosstab or pivot table. This data region consists of a grid that adds columns and rows for distinct sets of field values in the data set. Many products exist for the same premise, to group data in n-ways and look at the data comes out. Each row or column group in a matrix can optionally have a subtotal column/row as well. This works by taking the same expression in the data cell and expanding its scope to include all of the data in that group.

Table - Data Dynamics Reports offers a Table data region which simplifies the positioning and sizing of report items in a grid format. The designer makes it easy to set gridlines on the table as well.

Data Dynamics Reports Frequently Asked Questions

Question: What are the differences between Data Dynamics Reports and ActiveReports for .NET 3.0?

Answer: Data Dynamics Reports targets reporting as a function of business intelligence applications while ActiveReports for .NET focuses on providing the most flexible object model that gives developers the freedom to customize and create complex reports with ease.

Data Dynamics Reports is designed to require less code "behind" the report and instead to use Visual Basic .NET expressions within report item properties to evaluate values. ActiveReports for .NET on the other hand, is a very developer-oriented system that features events for complete run-time customization of the report.

Both Data Dynamics Reports and ActiveReports for .NET include WebForms report preview controls, however ActiveReports also includes an ActiveX-based viewer that renders the report graphically instead of through HTML and CSS. Both products also include Windows Forms report preview controls and end-user designer components. Data Dynamics Reports ships with pre-built applications for report viewing and creation.

Data Dynamics Reports supports different data regions. In ActiveReports for .NET, a report is created in a series of bands, each band displaying its data in certain parts of the report. Data Dynamics Reports supports this data region, called the Banded List, and also supports Table, Chart, Matrix (crosstab), and List data regions.

Features available only in Data Dynamics Reports include:

• Less code (no code-behind events; uses VB.NET expressions)
• Data Visualization functions
• Report Drilldown
• Matrix (crosstab)
• FormattedText report item that displays XHTML and CSS content
• Multiple Datasets or Data Sources in a report
• Pre-built report viewer and designer applications
• Advanced aggregate functions
• Master reports that act as templates for child reports
• Themes that allow you to set up common styles, colors, and images in one location.
• Word Rendering Extension
• Image Rendering Extension that renders reports to BMP, EMF, GIF, JPEG, TIFF, and PNG formats
• Layout-based reporting

Features available only in ActiveReports for .NET include:

• Code behind and an Event system for complete run-time customization
• ActiveX Report Viewer
• OLE Object and Windows Forms Controls can be used on reports
• Unbound mode events for run-time data binding to any data source
• Flexible object model
• RTF content
• Excel Export
• RTF Export
• Plain Text Export
• Graphical canvas-based reporting

Special Data Dynamics features in both products include:

• A chart that supports all of the most commonly-used chart types plus a diverse array of financial chart types
• A barcode that supports all of the most popular symbologies
• PDF Export (or Rendering Extension)
• HTML Export (or Rendering Extension)
• Royalty-free developer licensing

Question: What are the differences between Data Dynamics Reports and Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services 2005?

Answer: Both products implement the Report Definition Language (RDL) 2005 specification but from there the products differ.

Data Dynamics Reports introduces several features not found in SSRS.

• Master Reports - Master Reports are similar in design to Master Pages in ASP.NET. Reports can specify a live-template that provides a common set of report items, data sources, data sets, report theme, and report parameters
• Report Themes - Report Themes allow report authors to easily follow a consistent look for their reports by providing a set of colors, fonts, and images
• Data Visualizers - Data Visualizer functions allow the user to display a graphic based on some set of data instead of forcing the user to read individual values. A color scale selects a color from a range based on a value from that range. A data bar or range bar displays a rectangle with the length dependant on the value. An optional progress indicator can be used as well. The icon set allows the report to display one of 5 images to represent the state of some data
• FormattedText Report Item:Renders XHTML and CSS into your reports
• Barcode Report Item:Supports over 20 of the most popular barcode types
• Banded List data region: Gives report authors the freeform placement of the List data region with enhanced grouping support
• Enhanced chart control with additional chart types not found in SSRS
• Enhanced PDF support with built in security options, font embedding, and font subsetting
• Developer support
  • Report API allows developers to create and render reports programmatically without using the viewer or designer controls
  • The Designer control allows your end-users to create their own reports with the same design capabilities as found in the Visual Studio 2005 IDE
  • The Viewer controls allow the full functionality of Data Dynamics Reports; connect to any supported data source, use any of the custom report items, or custom rendering extensions

Question: What is the Report Definition Language and why do I care that Data Dynamics Reports supports it?

Answer: The Report Definition Language (RDL) sets out both a file format and how elements in a report should be rendered. It also defines a base set of functionality that should be available in a report.

Some of the features required in the RDL 2005 specification include:

• Table, Chart, List, and Matrix data regions
• Grouping, sorting, and filtering support
• Multiple Data Sources and Data Sets in a report
• Textbox, image, rectangle, and line report items

Data Dynamics Reports and Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services are just two products that implement the RDL 2005 specification.

Question: Does Data Dynamics Reports require Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services?

Answer:  No, Data Dynamics Reports does not build on Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS). Data Dynamics Reports is a self-contained reporting library that contains its own report engine, API, viewer, and designer controls. Data Dynamics Reports can read and execute the RDL files produced by SSRS because the files follow the RDL format, but that is the only connection.