Working with Report Items
A report in Reporting Services uses report items to display data and graphical elements. In addition to data regions, report items also include text boxes, images, lines, rectangles, and subreports.
Text Box
Text boxes display all text data in a report. A table or a matrix cell includes a text box by default to display data. Text boxes can be placed anywhere on a report and can contain labels, fields, or calculated data. You use expressions to define data in text boxes. For information about adding a text box to a report using Report Designer, see Adding a Text Box.
Image
Images display binary image data in a report. An image report item can use a URL to display an image stored on a Web server, display embedded image data, or display an image from binary data in a database. Reporting Services supports .bmp, .jpeg, .gif, and .png files. For information about adding an image to a report using Report Designer, see Adding an Image to a Report.
Line
Lines are graphical elements that you can place anywhere on a page. A line is defined with a start and end point and can have a number of styles (for example, weight and color) assigned to it. A line has no data associated with it. For information about adding a line to a report using Report Designer, see Adding Graphical Elements.
Rectangle
Rectangles can be used in two ways: as a graphical element and as a container for other report items. When you place report items within a rectangle, you can move them with the rectangle. This is useful for keeping numerous text boxes and other items together in a report. For information about adding a rectangle to a report using Report Designer, see Adding Graphical Elements.
Subreport
A subreport is an item in a report that points to another report on the report server. The report that the subreport refers to can be a full report that can also run on its own, or it can be a report that looks best when embedded within the main report. When you define a subreport, you can also define parameters to filter data in the subreport.
When deciding whether to use a subreport, you may want to consider using a data region instead. Because the report server processes each instance of a subreport as a separate report, performance can be impacted. Data regions provide much of the same functionality and flexibility as subreports, but with better performance.
For information about adding a subreport to a report using Report Designer, see Adding a Subreport.
Item Properties
All items in a report, including groups, table and matrix columns and rows, and the report itself, have associated properties. These properties govern the appearance and behavior of the item. For information about the properties associated with an item, see the documentation for that item.
See Also
Concepts
Report Design Basics
Working With Fields in a Report Dataset
Understanding Data Regions