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Tools: Dundas Reporting Services Dashboard Bundle
by Stephen Wynkoop
Summary
Building reports, even using Reporting Services with SQL Server as a starting point, can be an exercise in build, modify, re-build, modify... an endless loop. The coding, parameters, setup and creation of the reports can add a lot of steps between getting what your end-user customer needs and your work as the report developer. Dundas tools are built to specifically address the mechanics of setting up really great-looking interfaces for your end users. These interfaces can include things like 3D graphics, gauges and all sorts of really meaningful visualization options.
Key reporting moves beyond simple grid reports and basic graphics. But moving into more informative layouts and designs typically means plenty of work, a lot of pain if it has to be maintained and all of that adds up to time spent creating, updating and potentially delaying the delivery of reports to your users.
The Dundas Reporting Services Dashboard Bundle is a collection of tools that works to make this easier. I've used the tools for both Reporting Services and .NET development and I've worked with wizard-based tools before; I was pleasantly surprised at how well integrated these tools are in their respective environments. With just a click, you can quickly call up a dialog to modify a report element, from the visual presentation to the information used to create the image.
The Bundle - Charts, Gauges, Maps and Calendars
The Dundas Bundle includes Chart, Map, Gauge and Calendar tools for Reporting Services. These plug-ins let you work directly inside the Reporting Services report builder to add these elements and capabilities to your development and design options. The Bundle includes each of the tools together - or you can acquire them separately. The interfaces are consistent, with options and terminology that work the same from product to product.
The concept behind these tools is that they bring great measurement and display tools to your reports (and applications) and give you very straightforward dialogs, properties and methods that you can use to display the items. From gauges to the different types of controls mentioned above, you can use whatever approach most suits you (code or wizard-type approaches) to maintaining your reports. Once you pick an approach to working with the tools, you are not locked into that approach. I went from changing settings directly in code with properties and such to using the wizard and back again without issue.
By making the visualization tools and options available to you in this type of setting - you choose what you like, rather than having to figure out how to do it in the first place - you make a report's development easier,and the reports built are more useful, more descriptive and more helpful to your users. By using the toolset's approach to these tools (the wizard-based UI for working with properties) you keep the time spent digging around settings down to a minimum.
You're still working within Reporting Services - in the tools you're already using - but making changes is a right-click option where you can pick and choose what you need to update, the chart format (in this example), layout options, etc. The whole process of selecting the right controls and the right look of those controls becomes selecting the best fit, rather than figuring out how to render a particular look and feel. Here's a look at one of the setup dialogs for instantiating a chart: (Example shown is the .NET Chart and Data Wizard)
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While there are a number of options - from layout to chart types to setting up the look and feel of a given gauge, map, calendar or chart - the dialogs are straightforward and flow from one option to the next in a logical way.
The actual options you have available to you are too many to list here, especially across product lines. Be sure to look at the different galleries on the Dundas site to see examples and display objects available:
- Chart
- Gauges
- Maps
- Calendar
There can be a number of considerations that have to be taken into account when building reports. These considerations range from understanding the base requirements as provided by the users, to presenting information in a way that the end-user is able to really use it, to providing options and drill-down details where needed.
There are many cases where a user needs "just a simple report" and you are able to build it, only to find out that once they see it, it doesn't convey the information they needed. Sure, the data table is there, the basic graphic is showing, but conveying the information falls short.
Using the right tools to better convey that information will save you a lot of work in the re-development of reports and utilities that your users need to make better decisions, more quickly. The chart, gauges and other utilities in the bundle take you forward into that area of being able to deliver on what the end-users need, even if they don't know specifically what they're asking for when they make the request for the report.
Summary
I think you'll find that the gauge of a good product is whether you spend more time figuring out how to use the product, or actually putting it to use and getting on with the project at hand. The very clean dialogs and options for each of the Dundas products, along with the easy installation, deployment and creation of projects using the tools, will have you quickly up and functional.
The examples included are well thought-out and easy to understand. They're also plentiful. Support is offered on the Dundas site with knowledge base articles, downloadable samples, forums (monitored by other users and Dundas support staff) and it is comprehensive. In working with the system though, the software works and is clear to the point where you'll not find a frequent need to use the support services.
For more information, be sure to check out the Dundas Reporting Services Bundle Site - or the links above to the galleries showing the many different controls, graphics and options available for your Reporting Services projects.
