Reports on Visual Studio... Which one is best and easiest?

Gustavo

Hello:

I am trying to decide which report builder/generator is best and easiest for me to use.

1) I have tried: Pebbles Report tool and I really like it but its too new and does not have enough options.

2) I have tried: Report Builder 3.0 and its OK, but can not get it to work correctly with VS2010. Maybe its something that I am doing incorrectly.

3) Crystal Reports 2010. I have been looking where I can download it, but have not found where.

4) MS Excel... Its nice... But: How would I execute the Excel worksheet from my forms.

7 Replies

Know the answer? Post it — somebody with the same question will find it here.

Jaish Mathews16y ago
Accepted answer
You can create excel file from the scratch. It's not like File.Create(). But using managed OLEDB class. As OLEDB is using you have advantage of using SQLQuery against created Excel sheet and fill the rows one by one from your DB. Can you check the below article?
http://www.c-sharpcorner.com/UploadFile/jaishmathews/861/
You may get some thing to play with.
Jaish Mathews16y ago
Then you need to download and install that driver. It's free
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=7554F536-8C28-4598-9B72-EF94E038C891&displaylang=en
Gustavo16y ago
Jaish:

I know I have Office 2007. I still get the error: The 'Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0' provider is not registered on the local machine."
Jaish Mathews16y ago
Hi,
If you downloaded the sourcecode attached to the mentioned article, open the app.config and you can see 2 config values like this
<add key="XLConnectionString" value="Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0;Data Source={0};Extended Properties='Excel 8.0;HDR=Yes;'"/>

<add key="XLXConnectionString" value="Provider=Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0;Data Source={0};Extended Properties='Excel 12.0 Xml;HDR=YES;'"/>

Provider=Microsoft.Jet.OLEDB.4.0 needs to be used if your machine has Excel 2003 only

Provider=Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0 needs to be used if your machine has Excel 2007

Check the Office version in your PC and do the modifications.
Gustavo16y ago
Jaish:

Thanks. I just tried to run it and I get an error at the conn.Open(). But, its something for me to play with. Thanks
System.InvalidOperationException was unhandled
Message="The 'Microsoft.ACE.OLEDB.12.0' provider is not registered on the local machine."
Source="System.Data"
StackTrace:
       at System.Data.OleDb.OleDbServicesWrapper.GetDataSource(OleDbConnectionString constr, DataSourceWrapper& datasrcWrapper)
       at System.Data.OleDb.OleDbConnectionInternal..ctor(OleDbConnectionString constr, OleDbConnection connection)
       at System.Data.OleDb.OleDbConnectionFactory.CreateConnection(DbConnectionOptions options, Object poolGroupProviderInfo, DbConnectionPool pool, DbConnection owningObject)
       at System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionFactory.CreateNonPooledConnection(DbConnection owningConnection, DbConnectionPoolGroup poolGroup)
       at System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionFactory.GetConnection(DbConnection owningConnection)
       at System.Data.ProviderBase.DbConnectionClosed.OpenConnection(DbConnection outerConnection, DbConnectionFactory connectionFactory)
       at System.Data.OleDb.OleDbConnection.Open()
       at WindowsFormsApplication1.Form1.CreateExcelFile(String filePath, String sheetName) in M:\Download\RDLProject\WindowsFormsApplication1\WindowsFormsApplication1\WindowsFormsApplication1\Form1.cs:line 82
       at WindowsFormsApplication1.Form1.xlFileButton_Click(Object sender, EventArgs e) in M:\Download\RDLProject\WindowsFormsApplication1\WindowsFormsApplication1\WindowsFormsApplication1\Form1.cs:line 55
       at System.Windows.Forms.Control.OnClick(EventArgs e)
       at System.Windows.Forms.Button.OnMouseUp(MouseEventArgs mevent)
       at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WmMouseUp(Message& m, MouseButtons button, Int32 clicks)
       at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WndProc(Message& m)
       at System.Windows.Forms.ButtonBase.WndProc(Message& m)
       at System.Windows.Forms.Button.WndProc(Message& m)
       at System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.WndProc(Message& m)
       at System.Windows.Forms.NativeWindow.DebuggableCallback(IntPtr hWnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wparam, IntPtr lparam)
       at System.Windows.Forms.UnsafeNativeMethods.DispatchMessageW(MSG& msg)
       at System.Windows.Forms.Application.ComponentManager.System.Windows.Forms.UnsafeNativeMethods.IMsoComponentManager.FPushMessageLoop(Int32 dwComponentID, Int32 reason, Int32 pvLoopData)
       at System.Windows.Forms.Application.ThreadContext.RunMessageLoopInner(Int32 reason, ApplicationContext context)
       at System.Windows.Forms.Application.ThreadContext.RunMessageLoop(Int32 reason, ApplicationContext context)
       at WindowsFormsApplication1.Program.Main() in M:\Download\RDLProject\WindowsFormsApplication1\WindowsFormsApplication1\WindowsFormsApplication1\Program.cs:line 18
InnerException:
Gustavo16y ago
Jaish:

I would like to enter the name of it in a textBox and then show it. I will save all the Excel/Reports in one place. Also I have a database populating the Excel sheet. I hope I can change the paparameters in it and refresh it.

I hope this answers your question: "But want to know how you need to execute it."
Jaish Mathews16y ago
Regarding your comment
"MS Excel... Its nice... But: How would I execute the Excel worksheet from my forms. ", I would say it may not be a problem. But want to know how you need to execute it.