Create Report Views

The first step in creating a report is to create a view.

A view is based on a domain, topic, or OLAP client connection. A Report view can be a table, chart, or cross tab and is the entry point to analysis operations such as slice and dice, drill down, and drill through. You can save a Report view as a report, to edit it in the interactive viewer, or add it to a dashboard.

From the Create pull-down list, click Ad-hoc View. The Data Chooser is displayed.

In the Data Chooser, the three repository objects, which provide a prepared connection to a data source for Report view creation are the following:

Topics
Data files created externally and uploaded to the Report Server as a basis for Report views.
Domains
Virtual views of a data source that present the data in business terms, aid localization, and provide data-level security.
OLAP Connections
Multi-dimensional views of data using which users can analyze a large number of aggregate data levels. (Note: The OLAP Connection-based Report view is not enabled in this release.)

You can use an existing Report view as a "template" to create a new Report view.

  • Creating Topic-Based Report Views
    Using a topic as your source generates an empty view, in which you can begin adding data right away, without choosing, prefiltering, or changing display names of the data (all of which are required steps when creating a domain-based view).
  • Creating Domain-Based Report Views
    Administrators create domains that typically filter the data, create input controls, and manage the list of available fields and measures. A domain specifies tables in the database, join clauses, calculated fields, display names, and default properties, all of which define items and sets of items for creating Report views.