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Tutorial: Creating a Quick Chart Report Offline (Report Builder 3.0)

In this tutorial, you'll create a pie chart by using a wizard, and then you'll modify it a little, just to get an idea of what's possible. You can do this tutorial two different ways. Both methods have the same outcome—a pie chart like the one in the following illustration:

"My First Pie Chart" in Run view

Prerequisites

Whether you use XML data or a Transact-SQL query, you need to have access to SQL Server 2008 R2 Report Builder 3.0. You can run the stand-alone version or the ClickOnce version available from Report Manager or a SharePoint site. Only the first step, how to open Report Builder, is different for ClickOnce versions. For more information, see Installing, Uninstalling, and Supporting Report Builder 3.0.

Two Ways To Do This Tutorial

  • Create the pie chart with XML data

  • Create the pie chart with a Transact-SQL query that contains data

Using XML data for this tutorial

You can use XML data that you copy from this topic and paste into the wizard. You don't need to be connected to a report server or a report server in SharePoint integrated mode, and you don't need access to an instance of SQL Server 2008 R2.

Create the pie chart with XML data

Using a Transact-SQL query that contains data for this tutorial

You can copy a query with data included in it from this topic and paste it into the wizard. You will need the name of an instance of SQL Server 2008 R2 and credentials sufficient for read-only access to any database. The dataset query in the tutorial uses literal data, but the query must be processed by an instance of SQL Server 2008 R2 to return the metadata that is required for a report dataset.

The advantage of using the Transact-SQL query is that all the other Report Builder 3.0 tutorials use the same method, so when you do the other tutorials, you will already know what to do.

The Transact-SQL query does require a few other prerequisites. For more information, see Prerequisites for Tutorials (Report Builder 3.0).

Create the pie chart with a Transact-SQL query that contains data

Also in This Article

After You Run the Wizard

What's Next

Creating the pie chart with XML data

To create the pie chart with XML data

  1. Click Start, point to Programs, point to Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 Report Builder, and then click Report Builder 3.0.

    The Getting Started dialog box appears.

    Note

    If the Getting Started dialog box does not appear, from the Report Builder button, click New.

  2. In the left pane, verify that Report is selected.

  3. In the right pane, click Chart Wizard, and then click Create.

  4. In the Choose a dataset page, click Create a dataset, and then click Next.

  5. In the Choose a connection to a data source page, click New.

    The Data Source Properties dialog box opens.

  6. You can name a data source anything you want. In the Name box, type MyPieChart.

  7. In the Select connection type box, click XML.

  8. Click the Credentials tab, select Use current Windows user. Kerberos delegation may be required, and then click OK.

  9. In the Choose a connection to a data source page, click MyPieChart, and then click Next.

  10. Copy the following text and paste it in the large box in the center of the Design a query page.

    <Query>
<ElementPath>Root /S  {@Sales (Integer)} /C {@FullName} </ElementPath>
<XmlData>
<Root>
<S Sales="150">
  <C FullName="Jae Pak" />
</S>
<S Sales="350">
  <C FullName="Jillian  Carson" />
</S>
<S Sales="250">
  <C FullName="Linda C Mitchell" />
</S>
<S Sales="500">
  <C FullName="Michael Blythe" />
</S>
<S Sales="450">
  <C FullName="Ranjit Varkey" />
</S>
</Root>
</XmlData>
</Query>

  11. (Optional) Click the Run button (!) to see the data your chart will be based on.

  12. Click Next.

  13. In the Choose a chart type page, click Pie, and then click Next.

  14. In the Arrange chart fields page, double-click the Sales field in the Available fields box.

    Note that it automatically moves to the Values box, because it is a numerical value.

  15. Drag the FullName field from the Available fields box to the Categories box (or double-click it; it will go to the Categories box), and then click Next.

  16. In the Choose a style page, Ocean is selected by default. Click the other styles to see what they look like.

  17. Click Finish.

    You're now looking at your new pie chart report on the design surface. What you see is representational. The legend reads Full Name 1, Full Name 2, etc., rather than the salespeople's names, and the size of the slices of pie are not accurate. This is just to give you an idea of what your report will look like.

  18. To see your actual pie chart, click Run on the Home tab of the Ribbon.

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Creating the pie chart with a Transact-SQL query

To create the pie chart with a Transact-SQL query that contains data

  1. Click Start, point to Programs, point to Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 Report Builder, and then click Report Builder 3.0.

  2. In the New report or dataset dialog box, verify that Report is selected in the left pane.

  3. In the right pane, click Chart Wizard, and then click Create.

  4. In the Choose a dataset page, click Create a dataset, and then click Next.

  5. In the Choose a connection to a data source page, select an existing data source or browse to the report server and select a data source, and then click Next. You may need to enter a user name and password.

    Note

    The data source you choose is unimportant, as long as you have adequate permissions. You will not be getting data from the data source. For more information, see Prerequisites for Tutorials (Report Builder 3.0).

  6. On the Design a Query page, click Edit as Text.

  7. Paste the following query into the query pane:

    SELECT 150 AS Sales, 'Jae Pak' AS FullName 
UNION SELECT 350 AS Sales, 'Jillian Carson' AS FullName 
UNION SELECT 250 AS Sales, 'Linda C Mitchell' AS FullName 
UNION SELECT 500 AS Sales, 'Michael Blythe' AS FullName 
UNION SELECT 450 AS Sales, 'Ranjit Varkey' AS FullName

  8. (Optional) Click the Run button (!) to see the data your chart will be based on.

  9. Click Next.

  10. In the Choose a chart type page, click Pie, and then click Next.

  11. In the Arrange chart fields page, double-click the Sales field in the Available fields box.

    Note that it automatically moves to the Values box, because it's a numerical value.

  12. Drag the FullName field from the Available fields box to the Categories box (or double-click it; it will go to the Categories box), and then click Next.

  13. In the Choose a style page, Ocean is selected by default. Click the other styles to see what they look like.

  14. Click Finish.

    You're now looking at your new pie chart report on the design surface. What you see is representational. The legend reads Full Name 1, Full Name 2, etc., rather than the salespeople's names, and the size of the slices of pie are not accurate. This is just to give you an idea of what your report will look like.

  15. To see your actual pie chart, click Run on the Home tab of the Ribbon.

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After You Run the Wizard

Now that you have your pie chart report, you can play with it. On the Run tab of the Ribbon, click Design, so you can continue modifying it.

Make the chart bigger

You may want the pie chart to be bigger. Click the chart, but not on any element in the chart, to select it and drag the lower-right corner to resize it.

Add a report title

Select the words Chart title at the top of the chart, and then type a title, such as Sales Pie Chart.

Add percentages

To display percentage values as labels on a pie chart

  1. Right-click on the pie chart and select Show Data Labels. The data labels should appear within each slice on the pie chart.

  2. Right-click on the labels and select Series Label Properties. The Series Label Properties dialog box appears.

  3. Type #PERCENT{P0} for the Label data option.

    The {P0} gives you the percentage without decimal places. If you type just #PERCENT, your numbers will have two decimal places. #PERCENT is a keyword that performs a calculation or function for you; there are many others.

For more information about customizing chart labels and legends, see How to: Display Percentage Values on a Pie Chart (Report Builder 3.0 and SSRS) and How to: Change the Text of a Legend Item (Report Builder 3.0 and SSRS).

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What's Next?

Now that you have created your first report in Report Builder, you are ready to try the other tutorials and to start creating reports from your own data. To run Report Builder, you need permission to access your data sources, such as databases, with a connection string, which actually connects you to the data source. Your system administrator will have this information and can set you up.

To work through the other tutorials, you need the name of an instance of SQL Server 2008 R2 and credentials sufficient for read-only access to any database. Your system administrator can also set that up for you.

Finally, to save your reports to a report server or a SharePoint site that is integrated with a report server, you need the URL and permissions. You can run any report you create directly from your computer, but reports have more functionality when run from the report server or SharePoint site. You need permissions to run your reports or others from the report server or SharePoint site where they are published. Talk to your system administrator to obtain access.

It may help to read about some of the concepts and terms before you get started. For more information, see Report Authoring Concepts (Report Builder 3.0 and SSRS). Also, spend some time planning, before you create your first report. It will be time well spent. For more information, see Planning a Report (Report Builder 3.0).

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