views:

106

answers:

6

Hey peeps

I have a system implemented by numerous clients, system is built in asp.net, C# and uses MSSQL2008 as a database.

New requirements are reporting functionality, this has to be presented in the browser.

I know of two solutions:

  1. Crystal
  2. Reporting Services

However, somehow i think their are more option out there.

I am looking for a solution which is easily deployable, and has the least amount of configuration required at the client, preferably something that is free, however cost is not really an issue.

Any Idea / Suggestions?

links would be highly appreciated.

A: 

I recommend Crystal Reports but there are also some other companies like Infragistics, telerik, dunda's involved in reporting for ASP.Net applications. Currently they are providing charting and datavisualization. But for update please refer their respective websites.

Amit Ranjan
+1  A: 

Instead of using Crystal report I will recommend you to use XtraReport of DevExpresss (Developer Express) It is very good in which you can also use watermark,you can convert report to pdf and many more facilities so have a look on it.You can get it from here

Rupeshit
+2  A: 

Try to use a tool that has a wide user base, otherwise it becomes difficult to work with that tool because there won't be much help available online.

In thins sense, Crystal Report can be used since it comes with Visual Studio automatically, and I think it has a large user base (I am saying that from my observation of people around me, most of them use this tool). Also, you could use DevExpress's XtraReport because it provides elegant outlook, plus it has many options provided with the report by default, such as exporting the document to PDF format, adding watermark etc., but also consider the extra cost because this tool is not free.

So there are a lot of options available out in the market, you will just have to figure out which suits your purposes best.

Hope that helps.

Night Shade
i agree with you but the above said properties of DevExpress like WaterMark, Export to PDF , XL , CSV are also integrated to Crystal Reports. I have used Crystal Reports XI. Integrated with Visual Studio has limited features but for wider and to use as much , you need to install Crystal Reports Standalone package.
Amit Ranjan
thanx, this helped
Dusty Roberts
+1  A: 

I really like ActiveReports by Data Dynamics. (I think it is now owned by Grape City.) It gives me the flexibility to write my code behind in C#, has a solid user base, and their support is always fast and helpful. And the price is good, as well.

I've used Crystal in the past and always disliked it.

I am also a big fan of Reporting Services, though. It's a little more difficult to extend then ActiveReports is. But it has a tremendously flexible model to start with. The licensing can sometimes be an issue for clients. ActiveReports is licensed to the developer and is royalty-free to the end users.

Jason
A: 

Dear Dusty Roberts!

Latest one year I use FastReport.Net for reporting.

And, it can be used in "medium trust" applications (save reports as .cs-files after design).

So - I receive excellend result, royalty free deployment, real end-user report designer (but I do not know - do you need it) and compact size. In any case - you need try and compare. I sayde only (not only RS and Crystal).

Merl
A: 

There are a lot of articles out there discussing various report writer alternatives out there. For example:

easily deployable

ActiveReports (which is very similar to the Microsoft Access report design experience) allows for x-copy deployment of the DLLs so deployment is a breeze. Just reference the DLLs and use it like any other .NET reference.

the least amount of configuration required at the client

Since ActiveReports is a completely managed component (written entirely in C#) you can configure it just like you do any other .NET library.

preferably something that is free, however cost is not really an issue.

While it is not free, ActiveReports licensing is licensed exclusively per developer - and all deployment is royalty free. So whether you deploy your application to one user or one thousand the licensing is the same: One for each developer. This also includes even if you build reports completely dynamically or when deploying the end user designer control that allows your end users to create and modify reports. Always royalty free.

Scott Willeke
GrapeCity
scott