Author "notes" in SSRS?

Question

Author "notes" in SSRS?

peterzeke

SSCrazy Eights

Points: 9003
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May 9, 2022 at 5:10 pm

#4029579

At my company I've come across a variety of SSRS reports where none of my current colleagues know who either created a given report, or who last made changes to it and why those changes were made. Apparently, "version control" isn't a concept at work.
With that said, how do you choose to leave "notes" in an .rdl? Do you use a hidden text box? Create a fake dataset object that merely contains a comment bracket without a query? Create a hidden page that's full of comments? What say you!
Any ideas you have to share would be much appreciated!
Thanks -- Pete

Viewing 5 posts - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)

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Thom A SSC Guru Points: 99130 More actions · Answer 1

With that said, how do you choose to leave "notes" in an .rdl?

You don't. This is exactly what Version Control is for; so you can note what you have changed. If Version Control isn't a concept at your office, make it one.

Thom~

Excuse my typos and sometimes awful grammar. My fingers work faster than my brain does.
Larnu.uk

Jeff Moden SSC Guru Points: 1004340 More actions · Answer 2

I agree that Version Control is of the utmost importance.

Disclaimer: I have troubles even spelling SSRS correctly. 😉

With that, I hit up a search engine and it appears that there's plenty of help for doing exactly what you want to do...

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=how+to+leave+comments+in+an+ssrs+rdl

The trouble is, there also has to be peer reviews by people with authority to reject code that isn't properly annotated. Considering that they don't have Version Control, good luck getting enforcement for such a thing and, without enforcement, you can't count on it.

--Jeff Moden

RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.

Helpful Links:
How to post code problems
How to Post Performance Problems
Create a Tally Function (fnTally)

Jeff Moden SSC Guru Points: 1004340 More actions · Answer 3

peterzeke wrote:

With that said, how do you choose to leave "notes" in an .rdl?

Why not? We do so for ever programmable object in SQL Server in the flower box. It saves a shedload of time trying to find the right person to talk to when troubleshooting an issue. And, we enforce the hell out of that with peer and DBA reviews, which should be done anyway, especially if you want to pass any meaningful audit.

--Jeff Moden

RBAR is pronounced "ree-bar" and is a "Modenism" for Row-By-Agonizing-Row.
First step towards the paradigm shift of writing Set Based code:
________Stop thinking about what you want to do to a ROW... think, instead, of what you want to do to a COLUMN.

Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.

Helpful Links:
How to post code problems
How to Post Performance Problems
Create a Tally Function (fnTally)

David Burrows SSC Guru Points: 65142 More actions · Answer 4

+1000

Far away is close at hand in the images of elsewhere.
Anon.