How to: Add, Move, or Delete a Text Box (Report Builder 3.0 and SSRS)
Text boxes are the most commonly used report item in reports. You can add a text box to the report body to display information such as titles, parameter choices, built-in fields, and dates.
Every cell in a table or matrix is really a text box. Almost all report data displayed in a report with tables and matrices is the result of the report processor evaluating the contents of each text box in the report. As such, you can format cells in the same way you would format other text boxes outside the data region.
To add a text box to a list data region, you must first add the text box and then drag it into the list.
Note
When you click a text box, you're immediately editing the text in the text box. To select the text box itself, not the text in it, press ESC.
Note
You can create and modify report definitions (.rdl) in Report Builder 3.0 and in Report Designer in Business Intelligence Development Studio. Each authoring environment provides different ways to create, open, and save reports and related items. For more information, see Designing Reports in Report Designer and Report Builder 3.0 (SSRS) on the Web at microsoft.com.
To add a text box
On the Insert tab in Design view, click Text Box.
On the design surface, click and then drag a box to the desired size of the text box. Alternatively, click the design surface to create a text box of default size.
To add a text box in a list
On the Insert tab in report design view, click List.
On the design surface, click and then drag a box to the desired size of the list. Alternatively, click the design surface to create a list of default size.
On the Insert tab, click Text Box.
On the design surface, click and then drag a box to the desired size of the text box inside the list you added in step 1. Alternatively, click the design surface inside the list to create a text box of default size.
To confirm the text box is correctly nested inside the list, select the text box.
Note
If you click in the text box and are in edit mode, press ESC to select the text box.
In the Properties pane, verify that the Parent property is the rectangle that was automatically added to the list data region.
Note
If the Properties pane is not visible, check Properties on the View tab.
To move a text box
In report design view, click any empty space within the text box to select the text box.
Note
If you click in the text box and are in edit mode, press ESC to select the text box.
Click the text box handle and drag the text box to the new location. Alternatively, you can use the arrow keys to move a selected text box horizontally or vertically. To move the text box in smaller increments on the design surface, hold down CTRL plus the arrow keys.
To delete a text box
In report design view, right-click any empty space within the text box to select it, and then click Delete. Alternatively, click any empty space within the text box, and then press DELETE.
Note
If you click in the text box and are in edit mode, press ESC to select the text box.