Converting RDLC Files to RDL Files

If you obtain a licensed copy of SQL Server 2008 or above, you can convert your .rdlc files to .rdl files for publishing to a Reporting Services report server.

Comparing RDL and RDLC

RDL and RDLC are defined by an XML schema called the Report Definition Language. The schema for both file formats is identical. However, the files have the following differences:

  • The <Query> element of RDL contains query or command information and is used by the report server to connect to the data sources of the report.

  • The <Query> element is optional in an RDLC file. This element is ignored by the ReportViewer control because the ReportViewer control does not perform any data processing in local processing mode, but uses data that the host application supplies.

How to Convert .rdlc Files to .rdl Files

Converting an .rdlc file to an .rdl file requires that you re-create data source and query information. Be sure to choose a data source schema that is the same as or structurally identical to the one used in the original report. If the schema is different, the report layout might not be valid for the data source you want to use. If you want to use different schemas, it is easier to re-create the report from the beginning rather than convert it.

Converting an .rdlc file to the .rdl format is automatic if the following conditions are true:

  • Report data is provided through a data table.

    Note

    If the .rdlc file uses data from a Business object, you must manually convert the .rdlc file. A report server does not have the capability of processing Business objects in a report. To continue to use Business objects for your server report, consider implement a custom data processing extension. For more information, see Implementing a Data Processing Extension in SQL Server Books Online.

  • The data source used by the .rdlc file maps to one of the data processing extensions that is installed on the report server (for example, if the data source is a SQL Server database, you can use the SQL Server data processing extension that is installed by default on the report server).

  • The query and data source connection information do not need to be modified.

To convert the .rdlc file automatically, rename the file name extension to .rdl, and then publish or upload the .rdl file to a report server. You can use Business Intelligence Development Studio in SQL Server 2008 or above to publish the .rdl file. For more information about creating report projects, publishing reports, and uploading files, see SQL Server Books Online.

To manually convert an .rdlc to an .rdl file format, follow these steps:

  1. Determine the data source that you want to use with the .rdl file. You can use a SQL Server relational database, an Analysis Service multidimensional database, an Oracle database, or any of the other supported data sources. The schema must be the same as the one you used to create the original .rdlc report layout.

  2. Rename the .rdlc file to use the .rdl file extension.

  3. In SQL Server, in Business Intelligence Development Studio, create or open the Report Server project that will contain the report.

  4. On the Project menu, click Add Existing Item. Select the .rdl file you created in the first step and add it to the project.

  5. In Solution Explorer, open the .rdl file you just added to the project. The report definition opens in design mode.

  6. In the View menu, select Report Data.

  7. In the Report Data window, select the first data source and then click the Edit button.

  8. In the Data Source Properties dialog box, click the Edit button by the data source name.

  9. Update the connection information. You should replace the connection string so that the report connects to the data source you want to use. You might need to update the data source type, server, authentication options, and database selection. When finished, click OK to close the dialog box.

  10. In the Report Data window, select the first dataset associated with the data source you edited, and then click the Edit button.

  11. In the Dataset Properties dialog box, click Query Designer.

  12. Click Run to verify that the query string returns the data you expect.

  13. Repeat the previous steps to modify any other dataset and data sources used in the report.

  14. Preview the report to verify that the data is merged into the report layout as expected. To preview the report, click the Preview tab.

See Also

Concepts

Deploying Reports and ReportViewer Controls

Configuring ReportViewer for Local Processing

Other Resources

Samples and Walkthroughs