Lesson 3: Defining a Dataset for the Table Report (Reporting Services)

After you define the data source, you need to define a dataset. In Reporting Services, data that you use in reports is contained in a dataset. A dataset includes a pointer to a data source and a query to be used by the report, as well as calculated fields and variables.

You can use the query designer in Report Designer to design the query. For this tutorial, you will create a query that retrieves sales order information from the AdventureWorks20122008 database.

To define a Transact-SQL query for report data

1. In the Report Data pane, click New, and then click Dataset.... The Dataset Properties dialog box opens.

2. In the Name box, type AdventureWorksDataset.

3. Click Use a dataset embedded in my report.

4. Make sure the name of your data source, AdventureWorks2012, is in the Data source text box, and that the Query type is Text.

5. Type, or copy and paste, the following Transact-SQL query into the Query box.

   SELECT   
      soh.OrderDate AS [Date],   
      soh.SalesOrderNumber AS [Order],   
      pps.Name AS Subcat, pp.Name as Product,    
      SUM(sd.OrderQty) AS Qty,  
      SUM(sd.LineTotal) AS LineTotal  
   FROM Sales.SalesPerson sp   
      INNER JOIN Sales.SalesOrderHeader AS soh   
         ON sp.BusinessEntityID = soh.SalesPersonID  
      INNER JOIN Sales.SalesOrderDetail AS sd   
         ON sd.SalesOrderID = soh.SalesOrderID  
      INNER JOIN Production.Product AS pp   
         ON sd.ProductID = pp.ProductID  
      INNER JOIN Production.ProductSubcategory AS pps   
         ON pp.ProductSubcategoryID = pps.ProductSubcategoryID  
      INNER JOIN Production.ProductCategory AS ppc   
         ON ppc.ProductCategoryID = pps.ProductCategoryID  
   GROUP BY ppc.Name, soh.OrderDate, soh.SalesOrderNumber, pps.Name, pp.Name,   
      soh.SalesPersonID  
   HAVING ppc.Name = 'Clothing'  
   

6. (Optional) Click the Query Designer button. The query is displayed in the text-based query designer. You can toggle to the graphical query designer by clicking Edit As Text. View the results of the query by clicking the run (!) button on the query designer toolbar.

   You see the data from six fields from four different tables in the AdventureWorks2012 database. The query makes use of Transact-SQL functionality such as aliases. For example, the SalesOrderHeader table is called soh.

   Click OK to exit the query designer.

7. Click OK to exit the Dataset Properties dialog box.

   Your AdventureWorksDataset dataset and fields appear in the Report Data pane.

Next Task

You have successfully specified a query that retrieves data for your report. Next, you will create the report layout. See Lesson 4: Adding a Table to the Report (Reporting Services).

See Also

Query Design Tools in Report Designer SQL Server Data Tools (SSRS)
SQL Server Connection Type (SSRS)
Tutorial: Writing Transact-SQL Statements