SQL Server Reporting Services - Report Designer

I was at SQL Bits (the SQL) at Aston University on Saturday and as usual if I can't answer a question on the day you will find it here:

  1. Does SQL Express 2008 include Report Designer? Yes and in fact that's all you get as BIDS only comes with standard and up (details are here).
  2. Can I use CSS with Reporting Services?     There is some support for CSS in Reporting Services 2008.  You can create your own styles for the report viewer toolbar and override the way that report manager looks in Reporting Services.css. Finally you can specify your own style sheet as a parameter when calling a report:

https://localhost/reportserver?/AdventureWorksSampleReports/Product+Line+Sales&rs:

Command=Render&rc:Stylesheet=MyStyleSheet.

The details of how to do all of this are in Books on Line (local help reference)

If you didn't make my session there is a new clinic coming out in the next few days on Reporting Services 2008 here. And if you didn't make the event at all it was another resounding success with 325 attendees despite freight on the line between London and Birmingham, so well done to Tony Rogerson, Simon Sabin, Martin Bell, Alan Mitchell and the rest of the team.

Anyway keep an eye out on the UK SQL community site for the next one, and be aware they also run stuff in the evenings, in case you love of SQL Server collides with other lesser interests such as DIY, extreme sports, retail etc.

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