One week from today, I will be conducting a pre-conference workshop at PASS Summit 2013, “From Reporting Services Rookie to Rockstar.”

The official abstract provides a brief description of the workshop:

Join this introduction to SQL Server Reporting Services, designed specifically for report developers who have no prior experience with the product, and learn how to use the development tools effectively, how to present and enhance data in a report, and how to create dynamic reports. Even if you have some experience with Reporting Services, this session will explore aspects that aren’t intuitive or well-documented, helping you expand your skills and make the most of this powerful reporting tool.

In a jam-packed day of discussions and demonstrations focused on SQL Server 2008 Reporting Services and later, you’ll learn:

• How to approach the report development process
• How to manage key components of a report project: data sources, datasets, report items, and data regions
• How to use a tablix effectively to design the layout of data with creative groupings
• How to use expressions to display data or change the appearance and behavior of a report in practical ways
• How to use report parameters with and without query parameters
• How to use data visualization features to enhance the communication of information
• How to add interactivity to reports
• How to work with pagination and rendering features to manage page layout
• And more!

Want to know more specifically what topics we’ll be covering? Here’s a breakdown of the workshop:

Report Planning
Knowing Your Audience
Reviewing Report Options
Developing Standards

Basic Report Development
Data Sources
Datasets
Report Items
Data Regions

Tablix Concepts
Tablix Data Regions
Tablix Cell Content
Cell Scope
Grouping on Rows and Columns
Static Columns
Adjacent Groups
Expressions
Expression Usage
Placeholders
Global Collections
Expression Editor
Expression Examples
Built-in Fields
Aggregate Functions
Variables

Parameters
Report Parameter Usage
Report Parameter Properties
Report Parameter Filters
Linked Reports
Subreports and Drillthrough Reports
Parameters in Expressions
Query Parameters
Cascading Parameters

Data Visualization
Charts
Data Bars
Sparklines
Gauges
Indicators
Spatial Data Types
Points, Lines, and Polygons
Map Wizard

Interactivity
Report Layout

  • Interactive Sort
  • Fixed Headers
  • Tooltips
  • Visibility

Navigation Aids

  • Document Map
  • Actions
  • Embedded HTML

Pagination
Rendering
Page Structure
Page Breaks

I hope this additional information helps you decide whether this workshop is right for you. If so, I look forward to seeing you in Charlotte next week!