What's New in Report Server Programmability
SQL Server 2008 Reporting Services introduces new methods and preprocessing capability for report definitions.
New Feature List
Report Definition Customization Extension
This release introduces a new Report Definition Customization extension (RDCE) that you can use to dynamically customize a report definition before it is passed to the processing engine.New Methods for the ReportService2006 Class
This release also includes several new methods for the ReportService2006 class. The ReportService2006 endpoint provides programmatic access to a report server that runs in SharePoint integration mode. New methods for that endpoint provide support for data-driven subscriptions and job management. The addition of these new methods eliminates the feature gap that previously existed between a native mode and SharePoint integrated mode report server. Both modes now offer equivalent functionality.
New Report Definition Customization Extension
Reporting Services supports a new extension to the report processor that provides built-in support for preprocessing a report definition. The RDC extension accepts a report definition stream as input, and then returns a customized report definition stream as output. Customizations are scoped to RDL only. If the report definition specifies a user identity, locale, or culture, you can further customize the report layout or query based on the values you detect in the RDL. For example, you could modify the layout if the report is to be rendered in French or Arabic.
The RDC extension is an advanced programming feature for developers who have expertise in creating report server extensions and who know how to work with RDL programmatically.
In this product release, the RDC extension is a simple preprocessing hook that enables you to plug-in custom code that modifies the report definition before the report is processed. You cannot use non-RDL sources to drive customization, nor can you control where in the request pipeline the RDL customization occurs. Preprocessing always occurs before the report is processed at a specific point in the request pipeline when the report server checks for an RDC extension.
To create an RDC extension, you must create and deploy a custom extension that implements the following interfaces:
New Report Server Methods for ReportService2006 Class
A SQL Server 2008 report server that runs in SharePoint integrated mode includes support for data-driven subscriptions and job management. To use these new capabilities in custom code, use the ReportService2006 endpoint and the following methods: