Problem: How can I color code certain entries in a SSRS report?
Solution: In SSRS, you can use data-driven expressions to color code certain rows. Follow these steps to accomplish this:
Step 1: Create a Report
Assuming you already have a report created, let’s use the AdventureWorks database as an example. We will run a report on Name, Email, Hire Date, Title, and Pay Rate.
Step 2: Define Formatting Needs
In this example, we want to distinguish three different levels of pay:
- If the employee makes $10.00 or less, we want to change the text color to Red.
- If the employee makes between $10.01 and $20.00, we want to keep the text color as Black.
- If the employee makes more than $20.00, we want to change the text color to Green.
Step 3: Changing Text Color
Go to the Design tab of the Designer view and select all the fields in which the text color needs to change. Next, go to the Properties Window. If you don’t see this window, you can choose View, Properties or simply hit F4.
In the Properties Window, click the arrow beside Color and choose Expression. In the Expression box, type your VB expression and click OK.
For example, you can use the following expression:
=SWITCH(Fields!Pay.Value <= 10, "Red", Fields!Pay.Value >= 20, "Green")
This expression is saying that if the Pay column value is less than or equal to $10.00, change the text color to Red. If the Pay column value is greater than or equal to $20.00, change the text color to Green. Otherwise, leave it as is.
After clicking OK, click Preview in the Design view to see the report color changes.
Step 4: Changing Background Color
If you’d like to make the colors stand out more, you can change the background color of the row instead of the actual text color. In the Properties window, change the text color back to Black and use the above expression in the Background Color.
After saving the changes, preview the report to see what the changes look like.
By following these steps, you can easily color code certain entries in your SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) report. This can help you visually highlight important information and make your reports more informative and user-friendly.