This thing is pathetic (Yet another rant about grouping, page headers, and buggy software).

[John.t...@mdsdelivers.com]

All right, so I have this pretty basic report (which, btw, does NOT use
tables (or matrix, or whatever the thing is called)) said report being
used to gather signatures in the process of delivering phone books. So
I want the stupid thing to page-break after every route.

Simple, eh? In MS Access I could (and would) do it in thirty seconds.
However the company I'm doing this for is migrating all their data
services over to SQL/.NET, so I'm left to using the Reporting Services
POS.

If I group my data upon "Route", the following happens:

1. The data is lost. For example, route 1 has five signatures that are
needed. Sometimes just 1 row of data appears, sometimes the first two.
2. You can't page break according to groups anyway because, well, MS
forgot to add that function to the program (though they're perfectly
pleased to tease you with it in their "How to add a page break (Report
Designer)" explanation in the Online Book - but I digress).

If I remove the grouping, all my data reappears, but it still isn't
page-breaked (page-broke?)

So, looking around this group and others I've tried the workarounds.
This
(http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.sqlserver.reportingsvcs/browse_thread/thread/d5f12d3d666163ea/180e802e24e7aa0b?q=break&rnum=2#180e802e24e7aa0b)
message told me to edit the RDL.

Hah! That didn't work! Not only did it not page-break, but it removed
all but one piece of data (no, NONE of my fields are set to "FIRST").

This
(http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.sqlserver.reportingsvcs/browse_thread/thread/d7c2e834e9018a42/363d3718c6e50bff?q=break&rnum=9#363d3718c6e50bff)
reply gives me not one, but TWO, TWO differing solutions.

"1) go to the data region's Properties dialog box and check the
checkbox
"Insert Page Break after ..." "

Now, perhaps I don't know what is meant by "data region": I'm assuming
the guy mean Body, Page Header, Page Footer, etc. That could be the
problem in understanding this post. However, if I'm correct, we now
have the problem that the Body doesn't have an "Insert Page Break
After..." checkbox in the properties. Am I supposed to make my report
all in the Page Footer? (It wouldn't surprise me...)

Then there's this:

"2) Place a rectangle control from Toolbox and go to its Properties
dialog.
There is also a checkbox "Insert Page Break After this Rectangle". "

Oh, THAT worked! Not only did it screw up the formatting to my report,
it still

a. Removed data.
b. Didn't page break properly.

So, I don't know. It's not the fault of the respondents that their
workarounds didn't work, it's MS's fault for designing and releasing a
program in which such workarounds are needed for such a basic function.
I mean, <i>Ami-Pro</i> was capable of doing page breaks!

I'm not a SQL programmer, but I'm stunned that MS would pass off such a
buggy product onto their developers. I mean, when housewives making
Christmas Lists have a more robust and intuitive report designer in MS
Access than professional developers have in SQL, something is seriously
wrong.

[John.t...@mdsdelivers.com]

Oh, and don't EVEN get me started on the decision not to allow fields
in report headers or footers. What was the brilliant reasoning behind
that? You can't have fields in headers, but you can have text boxes
that refer to those fields in headers? :rolleyes:

[Bruce L-C [MVP]]

I was very active (essentially an MVP - MS didn't have such a thing then but
I was the equivalent) in Access version 1 - Access 2000. Some things in
Access is much much easier. Especially I would say something like printing
labels. That being said I think that what you want to do, if I understand
you properly, isn't a problem.

Do the following:
1. Create your dataset, have the dataset sorted the way you want the report
to come out.
2. Drop a list control onto the report
3. Drag and drop your textboxes and your fields onto the list.
4. set properties on the list. For instance if the list should keep together
on one page.
5. right mouse click on the list, properties, edit detail group button, set
expression (for instance to the field you are grouping on), page break
checkbox.

--
Bruce Loehle-Conger
MVP SQL Server Reporting Services

<John.t...@mdsdelivers.com> wrote in message
news:1127420533.2...@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...

[GeoSynch]

Dude, you have a serious attitude problem.
You should stop using computers before you have a coronary.

GeoSynch

<John.t...@mdsdelivers.com> wrote in message
news:1127420533.2...@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...

[Bruce L-C [MVP]]

I was going to suggest buying some books as well.

--
Bruce Loehle-Conger
MVP SQL Server Reporting Services

"GeoSynch" <SpamS...@Casablanca.com> wrote in message
news:eo4pFaFw...@TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl...

[Joe Schmoe]

I totally agree. I've been trying to work with this pile of fucking trash
for about a month now. What a buggy piece of shit.

If I have a temp table in a stored proc, it gets confused and doesn't like
it. What a piece of shit.
If I have any output parameters from a stored proc, it cannot use any of
them. What a piece of shit.
If you change your datasource name, it usually doesn't actually change. What
a piece of shit.
Every damn parameter for a stored proc defaults to 'blank' instead of
'null' - Most people put default values in their parameters, but SRS can't
deal with that. What a piece of shit.
Having to write code (er, uh, 'expressions') in a little 2"x2" window, WTF
is up with that? What a piece of shit.
No good docs on this weird-assed format you have to put code in. What the
hell is with all the equal signs in from of everything? Are we using Excel
syntax here or what are we even trying to do here? Documentation blows
chunks.

I'm stuck now trying to debug about 400 cryptic errors messages that make no
sense. I fucking hate this shit.

Sure, this will probably be a nice product by version 3, but why oh why did
you assholes release such a sucky alpha-level product? A big FUCK YOU to the
dumb management guy who made some bullshit "Let's release it now!!!" without
asking the developers if they thought it was done. Now all the rest of us
get this pile of crap forced on us by management because "it's free!!". I
love to code. C#, VB.NET, they rock. I love that kind of stuff. But because
I know how to do that, they expect I should know and love this crappy
pre-release product.

I'll be sure and tell everyone that it's a shitty failure of a product.
Sure, it might be 'free', but you're going to waste more time and money
trying to get it to work acceptably than you would by just biting the bullet
and getting a real reporting product.

Take this piece of shit off the market till it's ready.

<John.t...@mdsdelivers.com> wrote in message
news:1127420533.2...@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...

[Joe Schmoe]

What books? We have some official Microsoft books, and they really gloss
over everything. Complete shit.

The online books, don't get me started.

If this product was a drug, it'd be pulled off the market immediately.
Probably would have killed many people, wirthing in agony until they finally
expire.

"Bruce L-C [MVP]" <bruce_l...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:%23KChSjF...@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...

[Bruce L-C [MVP]]

There are a variety of good books.

The product is not as mature as Access (which has been out for 12 years) but
it does a helluv a lot of things, some things that Access can't do.

I guess I made a mistake responding to your post previously telling you how
to solve your problem. I ignored your offensiveness and tried to help you.
Being a jerk twice is no excuse. Go ahead and suffer and fail miserably in
your job.

--
Bruce Loehle-Conger
MVP SQL Server Reporting Services

"Joe Schmoe" <Joe.S...@hamstervision.com> wrote in message
news:pRVYe.26716$tT.20303@okepread02...

[Joe Schmoe]

Um, different guy, dumbass. I replied to your reply to the other 'offensive'
guy.

Just another one of many people wondering why such a shitty product was
dumped on the market. There's a lot of us.

Where are these good books? How about some names?

"Bruce L-C [MVP]" <bruce_l...@hotmail.com> wrote in message

news:e4Di2$FwFHA...@TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl...

[Bruce L-C [MVP]]

My mistake. Of course I will gladly help someone who just called me a
dumbass.... NOT

--
Bruce Loehle-Conger
MVP SQL Server Reporting Services

"Joe Schmoe" <Joe.S...@hamstervision.com> wrote in message

news:YZWYe.26718$tT.19345@okepread02...

[Joe Schmoe]

Hey, you called me a double-jerk first. Waaaahhh...

And you didn't try to help besides an arrogant "I suggest you buy some
books", anyway. You call that help? Sounds like you need help.

So fuck ya, you punk-assed bitch. Mr gay-ass
hyphenated-last-name-wow-I'm-so-lame-that-I-don't-even-realize-how-bad-I-suck-donkey-dicks...

"Bruce L-C [MVP]" <bruce_l...@hotmail.com> wrote in message

news:%23tqlaeG...@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...

[GeoSynch]

Keep in mind this was just a showoff product to display what was coming in
Yukon.
Everybody who saw was clamoring for it and Microsoft released it free of charge,
except for a small shipping charge, so long as you had a licensed copy of SQL
Server.

Now, compare this to Crystal Reports, with its tremendous attendant costs. If
you're
not long-wedded to Crystal Reports, it's a no-brainer -- SRS wins hands down.

Of course, it has its shortcomings, but we've long come to accept that it takes
Microsoft three tries to finally get it right. That's just the way it is. In the
meantime,
to a lot of us, SRS is a wish come true.

GeoSynch

"Joe Schmoe" <Joe.S...@hamstervision.com> wrote in message
news:pRVYe.26716$tT.20303@okepread02...

[GeoSynch]

Joe Schmoe wants to know:

> Where are these good books? How about some names?

"The Complete Idiot's Guide to SQL Server Reporting Services"
by Doofus Publishing sounds perfect for you, don't you think?

GeoSynch

[Stephen]

tick... tick... tick... BOOM!