SyteLine Custom Report Development with SSRS
SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) is SyteLine's primary reporting platform, replacing the legacy Crystal Reports engine starting in version 10. Building effective SSRS reports for SyteLine requires understanding the data model's complexity, the IDO-to-SQL view mapping layer, multi-site data partitioning, and the SyteLine report deployment pipeline. This guide walks through the complete report development lifecycle.
Data Source Architecture and SyteLine Data Model
SyteLine's database uses a layered data model where application forms interact with IDOs, IDOs map to SQL views, and views join underlying tables. When building SSRS reports, you should query views rather than base tables because views incorporate SyteLine's data security trimming, multi-site filtering, and calculated columns. Key views include vw_co (customer orders), vw_job (production jobs), vw_item (item master), vw_po (purchase orders), and vw_fs_unit (field service units). For reports requiring data from multiple entities, create a custom stored procedure that joins the relevant views and applies the site-specific filter using the @SiteRef parameter. Configure the SSRS data source to use the SyteLine application database with Windows integrated authentication or the dedicated reporting service account defined in the SyteLine Report Configuration form.
- Query SyteLine SQL views (vw_co, vw_job, vw_item, vw_po) rather than base tables for security trimming
- Always include @SiteRef parameter filtering to respect SyteLine's multi-site data partitioning
- Create custom stored procedures for complex reports joining multiple SyteLine views
- Configure SSRS data sources through the SyteLine Report Configuration form for proper authentication
Parameter Mapping and SyteLine Report Integration
SyteLine passes parameters to SSRS reports through the report launch framework configured in the Report Forms setup (Menu Path: Application > Report Forms). Each report form defines the report path on the SSRS server, parameter mappings from SyteLine form fields to SSRS report parameters, and output options (PDF, Excel, direct print). Parameter names in your SSRS report must exactly match the parameter names configured in the Report Forms setup. SyteLine automatically passes the session context parameters @UserName, @SiteRef, and @ConfigName, which you should use for data filtering and audit trails. For reports that need to be launched from custom forms, use the ReportingHelper.LaunchReport() method in your form script or IDO extension, passing the report form name and parameter dictionary.
- Define report-to-form mappings in Application > Report Forms with exact parameter name matching
- SyteLine auto-passes @UserName, @SiteRef, and @ConfigName as built-in session parameters
- Use ReportingHelper.LaunchReport() to trigger reports programmatically from custom code
- Support PDF, Excel, Word, and direct print output formats through the report form configuration
Deployment Pipeline and Report Server Management
Deploying SSRS reports to SyteLine requires uploading the .rdl file to the SSRS report server and creating the corresponding Report Forms configuration record. The report server path is configured in the SyteLine System Parameters form under the Reporting tab. Use a folder structure on the SSRS server that mirrors your SyteLine environment hierarchy: /SyteLine/Production/, /SyteLine/Test/, /SyteLine/Dev/. Automate deployment using the SSRS web service API (ReportService2010.asmx) or the rs.exe utility for command-line deployment. After uploading, verify the data source bindings on the SSRS server match the SyteLine database connection. For environments with multiple SyteLine sites sharing one SSRS server, use shared data sources configured per-site to avoid cross-site data leaks in reports.
- Upload .rdl files to the SSRS server path configured in SyteLine System Parameters > Reporting tab
- Organize SSRS folders by environment: /SyteLine/Production/, /SyteLine/Test/, /SyteLine/Dev/
- Automate report deployment using rs.exe command-line utility or ReportService2010.asmx API
- Use per-site shared data sources on SSRS to prevent cross-site data exposure in multi-site setups
Need custom SyteLine reports? Our reporting specialists build high-performance SSRS reports for manufacturing—get started today.
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