Adding Expressions


There are two ways to add an expression:

  • Type an expression in a property value either in the Properties window (by default docked at the lower-right corner of the Report Designer interface) or in the Value box of the Properties property pages dialog box (you can open this dialog by right-clicking on a control and selecting Properties from the shortcut menu).

  • Compose an expression with the Expression Editor.

An Expression Editor provides a very convenient way of entering expressions, including Intellisense, a list of common VB and SSRS functions, operators, and collections that a developer can copy to an expression.

To start an Expression Editor, use one of the following methods (see Figure 8.1):

  • Click on the drop-down on the right of the property in the Properties window.

  • Right-click on the item and select fx Expression from the drop-down (only works for text box items).

  • Click on the fx button on the right of the expression box. This is available from the properties dialog box only.

Figure 8.1. Various methods of accessing the Expression Editor.


Any of the preceding methods will display the Expression Editor window, shown in Figure 8.2. Expression Editor consists of an Intellisense-enabled editing area (1), category browser (2), category member list (3), and multipurpose area (4).

Figure 8.2. Edit Expression window also known as Expression Editor.

The multipurpose area works in a couple of capacities : When the category is a collection (such as Parameters), this area displays the collection member browser; when the category is a constant, it displays a list of available constants.

Depending on the property being edited, the Expression Editor only displays constants available for this specific property. When the category is neither collections nor constants, the multipurpose area carries a description.



Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services
Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services
ISBN: 0672327996
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2004
Pages: 254

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