Displaying reports in the form of graphs over web

Hi,

I have a requirement to show reports(in the form of graphs) over the web page. The reports get the data from the database. Right now I'm using GDI+ to render the graphs over the web. I want to know if there are any significant advantages of using sql server reporting services over GDI+ ?

Can I draw any kind of complex graphs using the reporting services or is there a limitation on the kind of graphs that can be drawn?

Does GDI+ have better flexibility in terms of drawing graphs or reporting service can help achieve the same thing?

Thanks much in advance.

Drawing graphs yourself will always provide you with more flexibility than using a pre-built solution. The question is: do you need this much flexibility? In most cases, the answer is no; but only you can answer that. SSRS gives you a lot. I wouldn't dare say it handles every scenario, but I haven't seen a requirement that can't be met with what SSRS provides. If you've ever used the charting in Excel, you can think of this as a somewhat similar feature-set. Honestly, tho, I'd just take the hour to create a simple report. You'll see how easy it is and what options you're given fairly quickly. Additionally, you can check out theAsp.net videos; specifically, the SQL Server 2005 Express section has two videos you might be interested in:#10 Getting Started with Reporting Services and#11 Building and Customizing Reports in Business Intelligence Development Studio.

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Thank you so much for the information. I got just what I needed. I need to generate graphs similar to those generated using Excel.

Reporting services seems to be the better option then. Thanks once again.

|||Glad to be able to help! A lot of people hesitate to dig into SSRS because they're worried it'll be complicated. Once you start, tho, you realize just how easy it is to get up and running. Admittedly, SSRS isn't going to solve every problem and there can be some annoying work-arounds when you start to reach more advanced reports, but it's a fantastic 80-90% solution. Best of luck with it!|||

Swetha.c,

I found a solution that has an interface that looks similar to Microsoft Excel. It is a product called AutoTag made by Windward Reports. They have an ASP.NET Engine that can run the reports you generate from AutoTag. Check it out, might be what you are looking for.

http://www.windward.net

--TR