Introduction
ReportViewer is a freely redistributable control that enables embedding reports in applications developed using the .NET Framework. Reports are designed with drag-and-drop simplicity using Report Designer included in Visual Studio 2008 (Standard editon and above.)
The ReportViewer control offers the following benefits:
1 Processes data efficiently. The reporting engine built into ReportViewer can perform operations such as filtering, sorting, grouping and aggregation.
2 Supports a variety of ways in which to present data. You can present data as lists, tables, charts and matrices (also known as crosstabs.)
3 Adds visual appeal. You can specify fonts, colors, border styles, background images etc to make your report visually appealing.
4 Enables interactivity in reports. You can have collapsible sections, document map, bookmarks, interactive sorting etc in your report.
5 Supports conditional formatting. You can embed expressions in the report to change display style dynamically based on data values.
6 Supports printing and print preview.
7 Supports export to Excel and PDF.
The control can process and render reports independently using a built-in engine ('local mode') or it can display reports that are processed and rendered on a Report Server ('remote mode').
There is a WinForms and a WebForms version of the control.
