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Dynamics NAV – SQL Server Report Builder for Report Design

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My previous post on reporting shows which tools can be utilized to design reports in Dynamics NAV 2013 and 2013 R2.

The Visual Studio Report Designer is the default report designer and it provides design functionality that SQL Server Report Builder does not support.

In instances where customers who do not have access to Visual studio but need small adjustments in their reports, SQL Server Report Builder will come in handy!

Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2013 R2 Setup installs Microsoft SQL Server Report Builder for Microsoft SQL Server 2012 if development environment is included in the installation.

So, if you have NAV 2013 R2 development environment installed, open Development environment, click on Tools –> Options and change the value of Use report Builder to Yes.

Switch to SQL Server Report Builder for Report Design

This is the switch between the Visual studio report designer (Use Report builder: No) and SQL server report builder (Use Report builder: Yes) for design/modification of reports.

Now, when you try to alter an existing report layout or design a new report layout (development environment–> Report –> Design/New –> View –> Layout), SQL Server Report Builder opens up for the layout design.

SQL Server Report Builder

Designing reports in this tool is quite similar to Visual studio report designer.

Watch the following short video which demonstrates changing between 2 report designers in Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2013 R2. It also shows how we can design reports using SQL report builder.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpfAwL3-AJE&feature=player_embedded

Report Builder has limitations like: you do not have a document outline view , fields that you add to the table in the development environment are not added automatically to the report dataset in Report Builder etc..