Nested data regions in the Bold Reports® Web Report Designer

In the Bold Reports® Web Report Designer, you can place a data region such as a chart inside another data region such as a tablix. This links more than one data region to the same dataset and provides different views of the same data. For example, you can create a sales report for each sales person. Create a list with text boxes and an image to display information about the employee. Then, add table and chart data regions to the list to show the employee’s sales record.

How do I assign data to a nested data region?

In Bold Reports®, nested data regions inherit the dataset assigned to the parent data region. Nested data regions are based on a single dataset. Data regions based on different datasets cannot be nested inside one another.

How do I assign data to a nested chart?

When a chart data region is nested within a table in the Web Report Designer, the Data tab of the chart report item is disabled. The tab becomes available after you assign data to the table report item.

Tablix listed in item panel

To enable the Data panel for the chart report item, select the table report item and assign the dataset in the Dataset property in the properties panel.

Tablix listed in item panel

Select the nested chart report item in the table cell. The Data panel is now enabled.

Tablix listed in item panel

Switch to the Data tab and assign data fields to the chart.

Tablix listed in item panel

How do I assign data to a nested tablix?

When a tablix data region is nested within another tablix region in the Web Report Designer, the Dataset property is not available in the nested tablix properties.

Tablix listed in item panel

To assign data to the nested tablix region, select the parent data region and assign the dataset in the Dataset property in the properties panel.

Tablix listed in item panel

Select a cell in the nested tablix region and open the data assign menu. The data assign menu lists the available fields in the dataset, and you can assign data to the nested tablix region from there.

Tablix listed in item panel

What is the scope of data for nested data regions?

In Bold Reports®, data binds to nested data regions based on their position in the parent data region. The following points describe the scope for cells in each tablix area:

  • Tablix corner - The data bind to the nested data regions, after the filter and sort expressions for the dataset and the outer Tablix are applied.

  • Tablix column group - The data binds to the nested data regions in the innermost column group. Binding happens after the filter and sort expressions for the dataset, the outer Tablix, and the column groups are applied.

  • Tablix row group - The data binds to the nested data regions in the innermost row group. Binding happens after the filter and sort expressions for the dataset, the outer Tablix, and the row groups are applied.

  • Tablix body - The data binds to the nested data regions in the tablix body area. Binding happens after the filter and sort expressions for the dataset, the outer Tablix, and the row and column groups are applied.

Cannot insert a multi-value item into a detail cell. Detail members can only contain the static inner members.

How do I design a simple report with a nested data region?

To design a sales order report with a table nested in a list in the Bold Reports® Web Report Designer, follow these steps:

  1. To present data in the data regions, create a dataset and bind data to the data region. This example uses the following dataset query to create the dataset:

    SELECT SOD.SalesOrderDetailID, SOD.OrderQty, SOD.UnitPrice,
        CASE WHEN SOD.UnitPriceDiscount IS NULL THEN 0 ELSE SOD.UnitPriceDiscount END AS UnitPriceDiscount,
        SOD.LineTotal, SOD.CarrierTrackingNumber, SOD.SalesOrderID, P.Name, P.ProductNumber
FROM    Sales.SalesOrderDetail SOD INNER JOIN
        Production.Product P ON SOD.ProductID = P.ProductID INNER JOIN
        Sales.SalesOrderHeader SOH ON SOD.SalesOrderID = SOH.SalesOrderID

    See the Create Data section and create the dataset with the preceding query. This example uses the AdventuresWorks database.

  2. Drag and drop a List report item to the design surface.Add list report item

  3. Select the List report item and choose the dataset in the Dataset property in the properties panel. Assign data to the list

  4. In the Row Grouping pane, click the (Details) field. The properties panel lists the tablix member properties. Assign data to the list

  5. Click the Groups button to open the Grouping dialog. Assign data to the list

  6. Change the Name to SalesOrderID. Click Add in the Grouping dialog, choose SalesOrderID in the dropdown list, and click OK. Assign data to the list

    Adding a group expression changes the details group into a parent group organized by sales order IDs.

  7. Resize the List data region to the size you need, and drag and drop a textbox report item into the list report item. Assign data to the list

  8. See Create Expression in Textbox and assign the ="Sales Order: " & Fields!SalesOrderID.Value expression in the textbox.

  9. Drag and drop a Table report item into the List. Assign data to the list

  10. See the Assign data fields section and assign the ProductNumber, OrderQty, LineTotal data fields to the table.

Assign data to the list 11. See the Set header text using data assign menu section and set the header text in the table header row. Assign data to the list

You now have a simple sales order details report designed with list and table data regions that group the data by SalesOrderID.

Assign data to the list

Download the nested data region report design (RDL).

Frequently asked questions

Can I nest data regions that use different datasets?

No. In Bold Reports®, nested data regions are based on a single dataset. Data regions based on different datasets cannot be nested inside one another.

Why is the Data tab of a nested chart disabled?

The Data tab of a chart nested within a table stays disabled until you assign data to the table report item.

See also