Datasheet

Application Integration
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the Report Manager interface can be performed using the ReportViewer control, either visually using
toolbar options or programmatically, using methods of the control object in custom code.
Web Applications
With the expansion of business applications throughout distributed business enterprises, many desktop
applications have been replaced with web applications to reduce maintenance and support costs, and to
make applications more accessible. If you have worked with both Windows forms desktop applications
and web applications, either as a user or programmer, you know that there are usually some differences
in the look, feel, and responsiveness of the application. Web applications are hosted on a central web
server and viewed in the user’s web browser. Most user requests require a postback to the server, which
takes more time to process than a typical desktop application. Since web-based applications became a
reality in the late 1990s, programmers and technology architects have developed a variety of techniques
and technologies to make them behave more like desktop programs, including Java applets, ActiveX
controls, Flash, AJAX, and Silverlight.
Microsoft’s web development platform is ASP.NET which, like Win Forms, is an extension of the
.NET Framework and CLR. Web Forms projects may also be developed with Visual Studio and there
are many similarities in the development environment and some of the programming objects. The
similarities can be deceiving because there are significant differences in the capabilities and behavior of
the objects and the subsequent user experience.
Fortunately, Reporting Services is a web technology and is in fact based in the ASP.NET programming
platform. SSRS reports are easily added to ASP.NET applications using the WebForms version of the
ReportViewer control, which is almost identical to the WinForms version.
Because Reporting Services is a web technology, it also can be integrated into web applications devel-
oped using non-Microsoft programming tools. A report may be added to a web page using simple
HTML tags, embedded frames, JavaScript, or an HTTP address with query string parameters. They
may not offer the same level of convenience or sophistication as the .NET ReportViewer controls but
most report functionality can be accessed using these simple techniques.
Portal Content
Corporate intranet portals have become an important component in the way we communicate and col-
laborate with our business associates. Simply storing documents and other content in network folders
is not a sufficient method for managing important business content. The most significant challenges we
typically face when allowing a group of people access to shared content are how to keep that content
accessible only to the right people and keep it synchronized and consistent as it is shared. Shared file
stores only make it possible to copy the content to the desktop, where it may be changed and pushed
back to the file system. In a shared environment, this means that different users could overwrite each
other’s changes. Users download their own copies of spreadsheets and reports, creating different ver-
sions of the truth. And if changes are made, change tracking and version control may be important.
Many documents and components requiring maintenance and testing may need to progress through a
workflow and signoff process.