SQL Server Reporting Services Best Practices for Report Design

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Problem

I have read the previous tip SSRS Best Practices for Performance and Maintenance, but I was wondering what best practices should I follow for report development?

Solution

This tip assumes that you have read the previous tip from SQL Server Reporting Services Best Practices for Performance and Maintenance, if not I recommend you that tip first. In this tip I will discuss 15 more best practices a developer should follow while working on SSRS report development.

1: Display parameter selection

It is always recommended to display the parameter values which are used to filter the data in the report. If a report is exported and shared without displaying the parameter values it will be a little difficult for the end user to understand the data.

For detailed explanation please read this tip.

2: Don't wrap number and date data fields

Number and Date data fields are very important in reports. When number or date data fields wrap into two or more lines it is difficult to read the data, so always make sure your report has enough space to display the numbers and dates without wrapping.

3: Use NoDataMessage property field

"NoRowsMessage" property is applicable to Table, Matrix, List data regions, Subreports and Charts. When your dataset doesn't return any records the data region will not display anything and it will be empty. It is recommended to display text instead of displaying an empty data region. Use the NoDataMessage property field to display a customized message for an empty dataset.

4: Use proper textbox orientation

Proper orientation of a Textbox saves a lot of space in the report layout, which may help to display all of the data in a single page. It is recommended to use proper textbox orientation.

For detailed explanation please read this tip.

5: Display date and time for last refreshed data

If your database is getting refreshed frequently by ETL or some other job, it is recommended to display the last refresh date and time in the report. This will help the user understand how current the data is that they are viewing.

6: Use uniform font type and size

Formatting is a very important part of report design. It is recommended to use a uniform font type and size for all data elements like data fields and textboxes in the report.

7: Don't make your report too colorful

Don't make your report too colorful, it may reduce visibility and lose focus on important data. If you want the users attention for a specific dataset then you should highlight only that section with different colors, fonts and styles.

8: Limit number of categories in a Pie chart

When the number of categories in the Pie Chart is too large it becomes very difficult to identify which item on the legend corresponds to which slice of the pie chart. It is recommended to have less categories when using pie charts. When the number of categories is large it is recommended to use different types of charts such as a bar chart or a line chart.

For detailed explanation please read this tip.

9: Separate smaller slices into a separate Pie chart

When you have a large number of categories and you are asked to display data using a pie chart it is recommended to group all small slices into one category and then you can separate the small slice group into a separate pie chart.

For detailed explanation please check this tip.

10: Split the report into multiple reports

In many cases you will find there are many data fields which are not so important, but the report displays the data. The first thing you should do is eliminate these extraneous data fields; it will help decrease the report size. If the report is still returns a lot of data fields it is advised to split the report into smaller chunks.

11: Alternate Row Background Color

The alternative row background color improves the readability of data in your SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) Reports. It is not a must best practice, but you can consider this if you are looking to improve readability.

For detailed explanation please read this tip.

12: Try Avoiding Lookup functions

Lookup functions are used to retrieve data from a second dataset at report time. If possible try to join two tables at the query level, because Lookup functions will be overhead on the Report Server if the call against the second dataset might be lengthy. There might be situations when you can't write the query to join the data, so you will have to use lookup functions.

If Lookup functions are used then:

  • Impact on Report Performance- High
  • Impact on Report Maintenance- Medium

For detailed information on Lookup functions, please check this tip.

13: Avoid aggregation at report time

Always do aggregation at the query level, because the database server can handle these calculations better compared to the report server.

If aggregation is done at report level

  • Impact on Report Performance- High
  • Impact on Report Maintenance- Low

14: Avoid First, Last, Previous, RunningValue functions

These functions are more expensive to calculate than other aggregates, therefore avoid if possible.

15: Export and check report readability

Once your report development is done, it is always recommend to export the report into the desired format (i.e. Excel, PDF) and check for readability. Always make sure your data fits on the page and meets user expectations.

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About the author
MSSQLTips author Ghanesh Prasad Ghanesh Prasad leads a team in Microsoft Business Intelligence and has over 5 years of experience working with SQL Server.

This author pledges the content of this article is based on professional experience and not AI generated.

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Comments For This Article




Monday, October 12, 2015 - 2:45:06 PM - ken Back To Top (38863)

Good food for thought.

 I might not agree with #13, and your details explain why.

I was taught in school, and I certainly have found it to be true in my career over the last 20 years, that the cost of maintenance for information systems applications/solutions far exceeds the cost of development, over the useful life of said app/solution.

So I would basically _always_ optomize a solution to reduce the cost of maintenance vs. almost any other characteristic, including report execution time (assuming any reasonable amount of time).

 

best,

ken















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