Adding Data Regions to a Report (Visual Studio Report Designer)

Data regions are data-bound report items that display repeated rows of data from underlying datasets. You add data regions to a report to create tabular, matrix, chart, and list reports.

To add a data region to a report, drag it from the Toolbox onto the report layout. The data region appears on the report in graphical design mode; each part of the data region that you can specify has a visual representation so that you can see where to place fields and set properties.

To add fields to a data region, simply drag fields from the Data Source window onto the data region layout. Most data regions include labels that identify where to place the fields.

To configure a data region, you set properties. Depending on the kind of data region that you are working with, you can also add labels, embed expressions, specify actions, and apply formatting. For data regions that are composed of multiple parts (for example, a table or matrix), you can set properties that affect specific areas of the data region.

A single report can contain multiple data regions. Each data region can contain data from only a single dataset. To use data from multiple sources in a single data region (for example, in a single table or chart), you must combine the data into a single dataset prior to designing the report.

You can nest data regions within other data regions. For example, if you want to create a sales record for each sales person in a database, you can create a list with text boxes and an image to display information about the employee, and then add table and chart data regions to show the employee's sales record.

Note

Data regions are designed to accommodate repeating rows or collections of data. If you associate a data collection with a single instance report item (specifically, a text box), you see only the first item in the collection at run time.

Types of Data Regions

The following section summarizes each data region. For more information about other report items that bind to data, see Adding Text Boxes to a Report (Visual Studio Report Designer) and Adding Images to a Report (Visual Studio Report Designer). To view a complete list of all of the items you can add to a report, see Report Overview (Visual Studio).

Table

A table is a data region that presents data row by row. Table columns are static. Table rows expand downwards to accommodate the data. You can add groups to tables to organize data by selected fields or expressions. For information about adding a table to a report using Report Designer, see Adding Table Data Regions (Visual Studio Report Designer).

Matrix

A matrix is a data region that contains both columns and rows that expand to accommodate the data. A matrix is also known as a crosstab report. A matrix can have both dynamic and static columns and rows. Columns or rows can contain other columns or rows, and can be used to group data. For information about adding a matrix to a report using Report Designer, see Adding Matrix Data Regions (Visual Studio Report Designer).

List

A list is a data region that presents data arranged in a freeform fashion. You can arrange report items to create a form with text boxes, images, and other data regions placed anywhere within the list. For information about adding a list to a report using Report Designer, see Adding List Data Regions (Visual Studio Report Designer).

Chart

A chart presents data graphically. Examples of charts include bar, pie, and line charts, but many more styles are supported. For information about adding a chart to a report using Report Designer, see Adding Charts to a Report (Visual Studio Report Designer).

See Also

Concepts

Defining a Report Layout (Visual Studio Report Designer)
Adding Interactivity, Visibility, and Navigation to a Report (Visual Studio Report Designer)