Microsoft Dynamics NAV (Archived)

Custom Report Template

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Posted on by Saifudin

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Hi,

I would like to know which of the following format is better to design the custom reports :

1. Microsoft Word

2. RDLC

What I meant better is for the user to customize the reports without coding and ease of use to perform all types of formatting/layout on the reports. We need flexibility on that. We do have Visual Studio.

I would also like to know if RDLC is used, how to link Visual Studio and set it as default report editor?

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Mohana Yadav 60,993 Super User 2025 Season 2 on at

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1. Microsoft Word.

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RockwithNav 8,600 Super User 2025 Season 2 on at

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Hey ASA,

If you ask for the ease then Microsoft Word is easier to design but in Visual studio you have pretty more rights and Controls.

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Saifudin 255 on at

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Can you elaborate further on the rights and controls? And, does it require coding/programming?

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RockwithNav 8,600 Super User 2025 Season 2 on at

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Please check out this link

tharangac-dynamicsnav.blogspot.in/.../what-is-new-in-2015-simplified-email.html

For designing part as such no coding required.

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Alexander Ermakov 28,096 on at

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If you aim for more flexibility for the end-user, than Microsoft Word is a better option. However, it can be treated case by case, depending on the requirements and processes of your company. Usually, it is unlikely that users would have a constant need of re-designing a report if it has been good enough. If they constantly have such need ,then there is a lack of needed reports or the report itself is not good for them.

I would agree with RockWith NAV that Visual Studio would provide you better functionality of the report, as Word has some limitations: visibility and some conditions are not supported, number formatting, etc.

(community.dynamics.com/.../what-is-new-in-2015-microsoft-word-as-a-report-layout-option).

For example, in RDLC you can use expressions to generate values for properties. You can also use the toolbox for creation of tables, charts, matrixes, lists, data visualizations, etc, which is not possible in World layout. This is why Word report requires more preparation and you might even need to use C/AL code and reorder the data items, so it becomes clearer how to use the dataset in Word. The advantage of using Word layout is that you can see Word formatting toolbars, templates, color schemas, and so on. Word layout is recommended as alternative to RDLC layout when you need a simple, straightforward layout that is bound directly to the dataset (c) Steven Renders.

Refer also here:

msdn.microsoft.com/.../dn757303(v=nav.90).aspx

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Ashwini Tripathi 4,624 on at

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In any case you will have to create data items and logic of populating the data, rest is the designing.

If you want to give flexibility to user to do customization Word will be one of the option but RDLC will be best in terms of controlling the report design and add several logics, if dynamically hiding rows and columns and other stuffs.

Simple reports with flexibility for user to customize Word will be the best option.

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Ashwini Tripathi 4,624 on at

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If interested in working with Word Reports you can see this link:

msdynamicsnavashwinitripathi.wordpress.com/.../word-document-reports-and-custom-layouts

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