Recommendations for folding your own SQL reports?

Question

I spent the last part of my day looking at Google for good links / information / documentation / best practices for migrating your own C # reports (IIS 7.5) from the SQL 2012 backend and come up empty-handed.

I want to avoid using SQL Reporting Services, as I ran into problems associated with this utility.

In particular, I want to create various management type reports for monthly and reporting reports.

Here is an example of the type of reporting I'm looking for.

Here's the trick, due to company policy, I'm not allowed to use open source software / utilities, and I'm not looking to pay third-party reporting software.

Answer 1

I want to avoid using SQL Reporting Services, as I ran into problems associated with this utility.

What problems? I used SSRS extensively, like everything that it has some negatives here and there, but with experience you will know what it is and how to avoid them.

I would say that you are using SSRS for this project, this is not a problem. You get it for free, and it does everything you ask for, and much more.

The approach that I used in the past is to carefully analyze the business requirements for each report and identify common features in the layout and parameters between them, and then create a template report with common functions and themes, which are then adapted for each specific report. The thumb rule that I use takes an average of three days to fully develop one comprehensive report (this includes searching and generating data, as well as the actual layout of the report).

With SSRS, you can also implement the ReportBuilder feature, which allows users to create their own reports - a great selling point for management. SSRS can also be used for reporting Analysis Services, as well as standard OLTP databases.

Answer 2

Id give SSRS a try first and foremost, especially if these are simple reports.

Another alternative is to develop your own simple reporting system. Depending on how many reports you need and how often they will be changed, you can start with something very simple, for example, create a web application where each page will be for one specific report.

Just encapsulate all the SQL code in a stored procedure, add parameters to the page and show the results in a grid.

Now that you have hundreds of reports, you will probably need something more complex.