Configure a new data source extension in ASP.NET Web Forms Report Viewer

To use extension data sources such as Web API, JSON, XML, and OData in the Bold Reports^® ASP.NET Web Forms Report Viewer, install the data source NuGet package and register its assembly in WebApiConfig.cs. SQL, ODBC and OLEDB data sources are built in.

The following steps show how to register and connect to new extension data sources in a Report Viewer application.

Create ASP.NET Web Forms Report Viewer Application

Follow Getting Started with the ASP.NET Web Forms Report Viewer to create an ASP.NET Web Forms Report Viewer application.

How do I install a data source extension in an ASP.NET Web Forms Report Viewer app?

Based on the required data connector, install the respective NuGet package in the Report Viewer application. The following table lists the NuGet package for each data connector.

Data source	Package Name	Assembly Name
Web data sources(WebAPI, JSON, XML, and OData)	BoldReports.Data.WebData	BoldReports.Data.WebData.dll
PostgreSQL data sources	BoldReports.Data.PostgreSQL	BoldReports.Data.PostgreSQL.dll
CSV data sources	BoldReports.Data.Csv	BoldReports.Data.Csv.dll
Excel data sources	BoldReports.Data.Excel	BoldReports.Data.Excel.dll
MySQL data sources	BoldReports.Data.MySQL	BoldReports.Data.MySQL.dll
Oracle data sources	BoldReports.Data.Oracle	BoldReports.Data.Oracle.dll

For example, to register and load web data sources in the application install BoldReports.Data.WebData package.

Right-click the project or solution in the Solution Explorer tab, and choose Manage NuGet Packages. Alternatively, select the Tools > NuGet Package Manager > Manage NuGet Packages for Solution menu command.

Refer to the NuGet Packages to learn more details about installing and configuring NuGet packages.

Search for BoldReports.Data.WebData NuGet package, and install it in your application.

Built in data connectors

BoldReports.Data.WebData installs into your application. Click OK. The assembly is then added to the respective project references.

Assembly reference

How do I register a data source extension in an ASP.NET Web Forms Report Viewer app?

You register a data source extension in the Bold Reports^® ASP.NET Web Forms Report Viewer by adding its assembly in the WebApiConfig.cs code-behind file.

Open the code-behind file WebApiConfig.cs and add the following using statement.
```
    using BoldReports.Web;
```

Then add the following code to register extension assembly in Register method.

     public static void Register(HttpConfiguration config)
    {
        //Use the below code to register extensions assembly into report viewer
        ReportConfig.DefaultSettings = new ReportSettings().RegisterExtensions(new List<string> { "BoldReports.Data.WebData" });

        //To register multiple data extensions, provide the assembly name's as list of strings. For example: "ReportConfig.DefaultSettings = new ReportSettings().RegisterExtensions(new List<string> { "BoldReports.Data.WebData", "BoldReports.Data.Excel"};"

        //Incase the data source extensions fails to register or any error occurs replace the code as below, "ReportConfig.DefaultSettings = new ReportSettings().RegisterExtensions(new List<string> {System.IO.Path.Combine(System.AppDomain.CurrentDomain.BaseDirectory) +  "BoldReports.Data.WebData.dll" });"
        ...
        ...
    }

Run the application

Run the ASP.NET Web Forms Report Viewer Application.
The company sales report renders with JSON data.

Rendered report

Download the Report Viewer sample with a custom data extension