I recently stumbled upon a Reddit post from a frustrated user trying to build a paginated report with multiple datasets using Report Builder. The goal was to create a report that displays an individual’s ID number and bio info at the top, followed by queries that reference the ID to populate the rest of the report with data from other datasets. Sounds simple, right? But the user was running into trouble and wondered if they were using the right software.
The user’s data is housed in a SQL server, and they don’t have a reporting server. The data is historic and static, and they need to run this report once and save the output as TIFF files.
The user tried using tables with parent groups, but one table can’t have multiple datasets in it. They also attempted to use two separate tables, but the second table showed a line for the same number of records as the first, even if there weren’t the same number of records. And when they created a mega table in their SQL database, they got tons of blanks returned because not every record has every field.
## Should You Be Using Something Else?
It’s clear that Report Builder might not be the best tool for this job. But before we jump to conclusions, let’s break down the requirements:
* Paginated report with multiple datasets
* Data housed in a SQL server
* No reporting server
* Historic and static data
* Output needs to be saved as TIFF files
## Alternative Solutions
If you’re struggling with Report Builder, here are a few alternative solutions you could consider:
* **SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS)**: If you’re already working with a SQL server, SSRS might be a better fit. It’s a more powerful reporting tool that can handle complex reports with multiple datasets.
* **Power BI**: While Power BI is typically used for interactive reports, it can also be used to create paginated reports. Plus, it has better data modeling capabilities than Report Builder.
* **Third-party reporting tools**: There are many third-party reporting tools available that can connect to your SQL server and help you create the report you need.
## Think Outside the Box
Sometimes, we get so caught up in using a particular tool that we forget to think creatively. Maybe the solution isn’t a reporting tool at all. Maybe it’s a programming language like Python or R that can connect to your SQL server and generate the report you need.
## Final Thought
Building a paginated report with multiple datasets can be challenging, but it’s not impossible. Before giving up on Report Builder, take a step back and assess your requirements. You might find that a different tool or approach is the key to success.