After finding out that SSRS doesn't directly support databound items in the header or footer, I found the workaround from Microsoft yesterday at http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms159677.aspx. The problem is that their solution only works for the first page of the report, so it's basically useless! Because this is an image, it also means the workaround of using a parameter doesn't work, either.
Does anybody have any advice? Is there a solution to this problem?
One approach to accomplish this is to create a custom function that queries the database for the image, caches it and then returns it for use in the Value property of the database image in the report header.Private m_headerImage As Object
Public Function GetHeaderImage() As object
' be sure to add appropriate error handling
If m_headerImage = Nothing Then
Dim adapter as new System.Data.SqlClient.SqlDataAdapter("Select ThumbnailPhoto From Production.Productphoto", "Data Source=localhost; Initial Catalog=AdventureWorks; Integrated Security=SSPI;" )
Dim ds as new System.Data.DataSet()
adapter.Fill(ds)
m_headerImage = ds.Tables(0).Rows(0)(0)
End If
Return m_headerImage
End Function
Set the image Value property to
=Code.GetHeaderImage()
Also, you will need to add a references to the System.Sql.Data and System.Xml assemblies.
More information on cutom code:
http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms155798.aspx
Ian|||
Mark, which version of SSRS are you using?
Note: the parameter approach for databound images in page header/footer works correctly with RS 2005 SP1.
-- Robert
|||Robert,I am using RS 2005 SP1; I just assumed that the parameter approach wouldn't work for binary image data due to the size factor. I'll have to try that out.
-Mark
|||Robert,
How exactly do I get this to work using the parameter approach? I've tried everything I can think of. It works for text, but not images.
Thanks,
Mark
|||
Mark, I attached a small sample report (based on the Northwind database) that shows how to do it.
Important parts:
* the report parameter default value is based on a calculated field (ImageBase64) from the dataset
* the calculated field is converting the image data field into a base-64 encoded string, e.g. =Convert.ToBase64String(System.Text.Encoding.Default.GetBytes(Mid(System.Text.Encoding.Default.GetString(Fields!Photo.Value),79)))
* the image report item takes the value of the Image report parameter and converts it back from a base-64 string to a byte array:
=Convert.FromBase64String(Parameters!Image.Value)
-- Robert
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Report xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sqlserver/reporting/2005/01/reportdefinition" xmlns:rd="http://schemas.microsoft.com/SQLServer/reporting/reportdesigner">
<DataSources>
<DataSource Name="Northwind">
<DataSourceReference>Northwind</DataSourceReference>
<rd:DataSourceID>02f7d41c-e5a6-4015-9bd4-6aa837db9bb6</rd:DataSourceID>
</DataSource>
</DataSources>
<BottomMargin>1in</BottomMargin>
<RightMargin>1in</RightMargin>
<ReportParameters>
<ReportParameter Name="Image">
<DataType>String</DataType>
<DefaultValue>
<DataSetReference>
<DataSetName>DataSet1</DataSetName>
<ValueField>ImageBase64</ValueField>
</DataSetReference>
</DefaultValue>
<AllowBlank>true</AllowBlank>
<Prompt>Image</Prompt>
<Hidden>true</Hidden>
</ReportParameter>
</ReportParameters>
<rd:DrawGrid>true</rd:DrawGrid>
<InteractiveWidth>8.5in</InteractiveWidth>
<rd:SnapToGrid>true</rd:SnapToGrid>
<Body>
<Height>1.5in</Height>
</Body>
<PageHeader>
<ReportItems>
<Image Name="image2">
<Sizing>AutoSize</Sizing>
<MIMEType>image/bmp</MIMEType>
<Width>2.875in</Width>
<Source>Database</Source>
<Style>
<BorderStyle>
<Default>Solid</Default>
</BorderStyle>
<BorderWidth>
<Default>2pt</Default>
</BorderWidth>
</Style>
<Value>=Convert.FromBase64String(Parameters!Image.Value)</Value>
</Image>
</ReportItems>
<Height>2.625in</Height>
<PrintOnLastPage>true</PrintOnLastPage>
<PrintOnFirstPage>true</PrintOnFirstPage>
</PageHeader>
<rd:ReportID>14f7b895-1a77-410d-ae9c-58cfb7418d60</rd:ReportID>
<LeftMargin>1in</LeftMargin>
<DataSets>
<DataSet Name="DataSet1">
<Query>
<rd:UseGenericDesigner>true</rd:UseGenericDesigner>
<CommandText>select * from employees</CommandText>
<DataSourceName>Northwind</DataSourceName>
</Query>
<Fields>
<Field Name="EmployeeID">
<rd:TypeName>System.Int32</rd:TypeName>
<DataField>EmployeeID</DataField>
</Field>
<Field Name="LastName">
<rd:TypeName>System.String</rd:TypeName>
<DataField>LastName</DataField>
</Field>
<Field Name="FirstName">
<rd:TypeName>System.String</rd:TypeName>
<DataField>FirstName</DataField>
</Field>
<Field Name="Title">
<rd:TypeName>System.String</rd:TypeName>
<DataField>Title</DataField>
</Field>
<Field Name="TitleOfCourtesy">
<rd:TypeName>System.String</rd:TypeName>
<DataField>TitleOfCourtesy</DataField>
</Field>
<Field Name="BirthDate">
<rd:TypeName>System.DateTime</rd:TypeName>
<DataField>BirthDate</DataField>
</Field>
<Field Name="HireDate">
<rd:TypeName>System.DateTime</rd:TypeName>
<DataField>HireDate</DataField>
</Field>
<Field Name="Address">
<rd:TypeName>System.String</rd:TypeName>
<DataField>Address</DataField>
</Field>
<Field Name="City">
<rd:TypeName>System.String</rd:TypeName>
<DataField>City</DataField>
</Field>
<Field Name="Region">
<rd:TypeName>System.String</rd:TypeName>
<DataField>Region</DataField>
</Field>
<Field Name="PostalCode">
<rd:TypeName>System.String</rd:TypeName>
<DataField>PostalCode</DataField>
</Field>
<Field Name="Country">
<rd:TypeName>System.String</rd:TypeName>
<DataField>Country</DataField>
</Field>
<Field Name="HomePhone">
<rd:TypeName>System.String</rd:TypeName>
<DataField>HomePhone</DataField>
</Field>
<Field Name="Extension">
<rd:TypeName>System.String</rd:TypeName>
<DataField>Extension</DataField>
</Field>
<Field Name="Photo">
<rd:TypeName>System.Byte[]</rd:TypeName>
<DataField>Photo</DataField>
</Field>
<Field Name="Notes">
<rd:TypeName>System.String</rd:TypeName>
<DataField>Notes</DataField>
</Field>
<Field Name="ReportsTo">
<rd:TypeName>System.Int32</rd:TypeName>
<DataField>ReportsTo</DataField>
</Field>
<Field Name="PhotoPath">
<rd:TypeName>System.String</rd:TypeName>
<DataField>PhotoPath</DataField>
</Field>
<Field Name="ImageBase64">
<Value>=Convert.ToBase64String(System.Text.Encoding.Default.GetBytes(Mid(System.Text.Encoding.Default.GetString(Fields!Photo.Value),79)))</Value>
</Field>
</Fields>
</DataSet>
</DataSets>
<Width>4.875in</Width>
<InteractiveHeight>11in</InteractiveHeight>
<Language>en-US</Language>
<TopMargin>1in</TopMargin>
</Report>
Robert,
I am in the same fix regarding the databound image situation. I've used the hidden text box field inside the body of the report that converts the image (a field in the dataset) to a string and then the actual image in the page header references the hidden text box. This works great in the preview of BI Studio. It also works when the report is exported to Excel. However, when exported to PDF, the image is not shown. Is this even possible?
Regarding the solution above, I tried your suggestion. However, I'm back to the situation where a "fields cannot be used in report parameter expressions". Is there something I'm missing in your explanation above? This particular report will eventually become an "rdlc" report on a remote site so I'm limited as to what I can do in the BI environment.
Any help or direction would be appreciated! I've spent way too much time on what should be a simple task, in my opinion, to implement.
Also, do you still have the sample report?
Thanks,
John
