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We need to choose the reporting engine for our ASP.NET application. The main functional requirement is an ability for end users (not programmers, just normal users) to create custom reports. We will be using SQL Server as a database so I am aware of some options: SQL Server Reporting services, Crystal Reports, Active Reports, even WindwardReports.

But frankly speaking I've never used any of those except Reporting services and it's quite difficult to choose which one suits the best to customer needs of custom reports creation. Is it possible to get some pros and cons for these options or at least your advice on what would be better to use in this case. Thanks a lot.

Alex Konduforov
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  • What engine did you finally choose Alex? please share your experience with us? thanks – Vahid Ghadiri Feb 14 '17 at 20:19
  • This is an old thread, but maybe this will help someone out. Out of all the suggestions, for letting end users create their own custom reports easily, the best option is https://dotnetreport.com, as it was actually designed exactly for that purpose. Full disclosure, I’m affiliated with the company. – Razi Syed Sep 28 '19 at 19:48

9 Answers9

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I've worked with all the major reporting tools and each has their plusses and minuses. About the only "plus" on SQL Report Services side is that there's no additional $$ expenditure above the SQL Server license. The downside is that the report designer is probably the most child-like of all.

Crystal has been around forever, some love it, many hate it, it does the job, but has a serious price tag involved if you want to use it for anything other than personal use. And the web reporting server for it is VERY expensive.

ActiveReports, XtraReports, Telerik all have good products and all are being actively improved (at different speeds, of course). Each has a web viewer, but they don't include the rest of the things you might want from a web reporting server.

And if you find you really want an enterprise-class web server option for Crystal, ActiveReports, XtraReports or Telerik reporting (or any other report designer, for that matter), that's now available from www.versareports.com.

Vince Horst
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Andy
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  • www.versareports.com. is closed now. Here is a snapshot from the website: "After 8 years of providing an affordable report server solution for our customers, we are ceasing ongoing operations, effective December 31, 2017" – Salik Jul 01 '19 at 06:45
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DevExpress XtraReports Suite.

A report is simply a class, no web services or rpt files involved.

http://www.devexpress.com/Products/NET/Reporting/

George
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    Thanks, but it looks you didn't get the question right or I was not able to formulate it correctly. End users should be able to create custom reports, not the programmers. As far as I am aware, XtraReports aren't enough for this requirement, are they? – Alex Konduforov Jun 17 '09 at 13:38
  • XtraReports does provide a tool for end users to design their own reports. See if it meets your needs... http://devexpress.com/Products/NET/Reporting/features_enduserdesigner.xml – George Jun 17 '09 at 15:11
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If you have Microsoft SQL Server as Database, so you don't need to purchase License for support of SQL Reporting Services, but there is an issue with SQL Reporting Services, SQL Reporting services only Compatible with IE. check these links ...
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms156511.aspx

SQL Reporting Services - Print Button not shown in Mozilla

On the other hand, If you use other than Reporting Services, You need to purchase License.

Community
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Muhammad Akhtar
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  • Thanks, Muhammad. I am aware of this "feature" of the Reporting services. It's buggy viewer is one of few things that keeps me from using Reporting services right now. Probably Crystal Reports have better client tools. – Alex Konduforov Jun 17 '09 at 14:02
  • Yes, I have used both (SQL Reproting Services and Crystal Reports) tools for web Reporting, Crystal Report provides Browser Compatibility but not Reporting Services. – Muhammad Akhtar Jun 17 '09 at 14:13
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You can try jsreport. It’s free, open sourced, has .net client, cross platform (nodejs), does not require any compilation and it’s safe to let your users to modify their reports. Reports are designed using javascript templating engines that should give you maximum flexibility for your report layout.

CONS

  • does not currently support excel and word
  • in preview
  • does not talk directly with sql db, but you should anyway send data from your BL unless you are searching for BI reporting

You can try it without any authentication in jsreport playground

Jan Blaha
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Reporting Services is the one I am most familiar with and it is the one most tightly ingrained in SQL Server, which is something that I prefer. I also happen to like the "feel" of RS a lot more than Crystal.

The other two options I am not familiar on at all, and I imagine they have a much smaller market share (and therefore much smaller community when it comes to finding help) than RS or Crystal.

TheTXI
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One suggestion would be for you to do at least some evaluation of all these options. The primary reason would be so that you could learn just enough about them to judge how to keep them playing well together.

That way, if you either need to switch reporting engines, or perhaps to use a different engine for some particular requirements, you'll know how to do that.

John Saunders
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SQL Reporting Services. They have a web tool to build ad-hoc reports that is as good as any other.

The general problem with ad hoc reporting is that the "thing" the user is trying to do is either beyond the tool or beyond the user and you have to do it any ways, and as a programmer SSRS is a better environment.

jason saldo
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First off, thank you for the up-front mention of Windward. It's nice to see we're on the default short list :)

It really depends on what report desing approach works best for you. If you prefer a programming type approach inside an IDE, then it's Crystal, SSRS, etc. If you prefer an approach where you can design the reports in Microsoft Word, Excel, or PowerPoint (which IMHO makes report design and editing fast & easy), then take a close look at Windward Reports. (Disclaimer, I'm the CTO at Windward.)

For general information, I suggest dotnet-reports and reporting-software. The key to a system that works well for you is one where the design tool is a natural fit for your style - so try several.

David Thielen
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Crystal Report which can be easily integrated with .net

rahul
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