Tag Archives: SSRS

ExcelWriter, Knowledge Base, Reporting Services, WordWriter

How to export SSRS reports to XLSX, DOCX file formats

Problem

In Office 2007, Microsoft introduced the OOXML file formats (XLSX, XLSM), which come with benefits, such as an increase in the number of rows allowed in a file. Reporting Services reports designed for OfficeWriter allow for exports to the Office 2007 and 2003 file formats.

Solution

To export a report in a particular format, you need to explicitly save the report with the format you want to export it as:

  1. Open the report with the OfficeWriter Designer
  2. Click ‘Save As’ on the OfficeWriter Designer toolbar (for Office 2003) or ‘Save’ > ‘Save to disk’ (for Office 2007/2010)
  3. There will be three options for Reporting Definition files: Office 2007(exports to XLSX, DOCX), Office 2007 with macros (exports to XLSM, DOCM), Office 2003 and earlier (*exports to XLS, DOC)
  4. Select Office 2007 to save the RDL
  5. Publish the saved report to the server

Note: Office 2007 (XLSX, DOCX) is only available in OfficeWriter 4.0 and above. Office 2007 with macros (XLSM, DOCM) is only available in OfficeWriter 4.1 and above.

ExcelWriter, Knowledge Base, Reporting Services, WordWriter

Working with Reporting Services in SharePoint integration mode

Problem

From version 3.9.2 and above support has been added to OfficeWriter Designer to work seamlessly with Reporting Services running in SharePoint integrated mode. All operations such as retrieve, publish and view reports are supported.

This feature is available in the client-side OfficeWriter Designer for Excel and Word. The server-side components of OfficeWriter require no special modification to work with Reporting Services running in SharePoint integrated mode with one exception, outlined below. We recommend always using matching versions of the designer and the server-side installation of OfficeWriter.

There are a few things to note when using the Designer in SharePoint integrated mode that differ from regular use, which are outlined in this post.

Solution

The Designer

When publishing or retrieving a report using the Designer, enter your SharePoint root site in the server URL textbox, like in the image below. Enter the address without the additional /ReportServer usually added for Reporting Services not running in integrated mode:

Please Note: Adding /ReportServer after the SharePoint site address will cause the operation to fail with the following error message:

The operation is not supported on a report server that is configured to run in SharePoint integrated mode.

For more information about using the OfficeWriter Designer, refer to our documentation on the OfficeWriter SSRS Integration.

Server-side

In SQL Server Reporting Services 2012, Microsoft changed the structure of SharePoint integrated mode for SharePoint 2010 and above. Essentially, SSRS is run through SharePoint service applications, rather than through the traditional Reporting Services configuration. All configuration settings are stored in a database, rather than config files.  This affects how OfficeWriter’s server-side renderer is installed in SSRS integrated with SharePoint.

Starting in 8.5.1, OfficeWriter can install against SSRS 2012 with SharePoint 2010 or 2013. During installation, the user will be prompted to select their SSRS instance as well as the SharePoint service application to install the renderer to.

There are no other changes to how OfficeWriter behaves in SSRS and SharePoint integrated mode.

ExcelWriter, Knowledge Base, OfficeWriter, Reporting Services, SharePoint, SSRS, WordWriter

Error installing OfficeWriter for Reporting Services 2012 in SharePoint integrated mode

Problem

When installing OfficeWriter for SQL Server Reporting Services 2012 in SharePoint mode (SharePoint 2010), the OfficeWriter installer aborts with message:

SoftArtisans OfficeWriter Setup Wizard ended prematurely because of an error. Your system has not been modified. To install this program at a later time, run Setup Wizard again. Click the Finish button to exit the Setup Wizard.

Solution

Starting in SQL Server 2012, the SharePoint integration for Reporting Services was re-architectured: SSRS 2012 is configured as a shared service against SharePoint 2010. Configuration information is stored in a database and can be managed through SharePoint Central Administration or with Powershell.

Due to this change in architecture, the OfficeWriter installer is not currently equipped to run against SSRS 2012 in SharePoint integration mode. We will be adding support for this configuration to the OfficeWriter installer in a future release.

Update 4/11/2013: Instructions for manually installing OfficeWriter in this configuration are now available in our documentation: Manual Installation for SSRS 2012 with SharePoint 2010. The fix to the installer will be available in a soon to be released version of OfficeWriter.

Note:

This does not happen outside of SSRS 2012 with SharePoint 2010. OfficeWriter has full compatibility with SQL Server Reporting Services 2012 in native mode starting in v8.2. OfficeWriter also works with other combinations of SSRS and SharePoint.

Knowledge Base, OfficeWriter, WordWriter

Word Error: Could not start converter mswrd632.wpc

Problem

When you try to save a Word 2007 template as part of a SQL Server Reporting Services RDL you get an error:

Word cannot start the converter mswrd632.wpc

Solution

This error is caused by a Windows security update published December 2009, affecting Windows XP, Windows 2000 and Windows Server 2003. You can resolve the issue by disabling the converter through the registry. Open regedit and delete the registry keys at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Shared Tools\Text Converters\Import\MSWord6.wpc. Restart Word and the error should disappear.

You can find more information in this article. It also provies a script that will perform the registry fix for you. The additional steps mentioned in the update to that article have not been tested, as unregistering the converter has solved the problem in every instance in which we’ve encountered it.

Note that this issue only affects Word 2007 SSRS templates. Word 2003 templates are not affected. Also, Excel 2007 is not affected by this issue.

Knowledge Base, OfficeWriter, Reporting Services

OfficeWriter Designer toolbar is not visible in Excel or Word

Problem

After installing the OfficeWriter Designer, the Designer Add-In is not available in Excel/Word. This may occur if:

  • The OfficeWriter Designer installer was not run
  • The Designer was not installed properly
  • The Designer is currently disabled.

Solution

To run the OfficeWriter Designer installer

The OfficeWriter Designer is a component that is redistributible and does not require a license key. There is a separate installer for the OfficeWriter Designer.

The Designer installer is available for separate download from http://www.officewriter.com/product-updates or upon request.

To check if the OfficeWriter Designer was installed correctly:

Make sure that hidden folders are visible:

  • Open a folder and go to Folder options
  • Under ‘Files and Folders’ locate ‘Hidden Files and Folders’
  • Select ‘Show hidden files and holders’

Check the ApplicationData\Microsoft start directories for the Add-In files:

  • For Excel: look for SAExcelTemplateAddIn.xlam in Application Data\Microsoft\Excel\XLSTART
  • For Word: look for SAWordTemplateAddIn.dotm in Application Data\Microsoft\Word\STARTUP

If the files are there, the OfficeWriter Designer was installed correctly, but might be disabled. See below for how to re-enable the Designer if it’s been disabled.

If the files are not there, then the OfficeWriter Designer was not installed properly. Try uninstalling the OfficeWriter Designer through Add/Remove programs and try to re-install.

How to re-enable the Designer if it has been disabled:

Office 2007/2010:

  • Go to the Office menu button (2007) or File tab (2010) in the upper left hand corner.
  • Click Excel/Word Options
  • Select Add-Ins from the left menu
  • At the bottom, select ‘Disabled Items’ from the ‘Manage’ drop-down menu.
  • Click Go
  • If the OfficeWriter Designer is there, select and click Enable.

Office 2003:

  • Go to the Help menu and select About Microsoft Office Excel/Word
  • Click Disabled items*
  • If the OfficeWriter Designer is listed, select and click Enable.

ExcelWriter, Knowledge Base, OfficeWriter, Reporting Services, SQL Server, SSRS, WordWriter

Reporting Services Error: Could not load file or assembly ‘x’ or one of its dependencies

Problem

You want to use a newer version of ExcelWriter or WordWriter with OfficeWriter’s Reporting Services integration. A common scenario is upgrading to an intermediate build of ExcelWriter or WordWriter which fixes a bug or adds a new feature.

To provide context, OfficeWriter’s Reporting Services integration consists of the following components:

  • ExcelWriter (SoftArtisans.OfficeWriter.ExcelWriter.dll)
  • WordWriter (SoftArtisans.OfficeWriter.WordWriter.dll)
  • A custom rendering extension (SoftArtisans.OfficeWriter.RS2008.dll for SQL Server Reporting Services 2008)

When upgrading to a different version of ExcelWriter or WordWriter, normally you also have to upgrade to the matching version of the custom rendering extension. This is because the custom rendering extension is built against a specific version of ExcelWriter and WordWriter and only works with that version. If the version of ExcelWriter or WordWriter does not match the version of the custom rendering extension, you will get this error when exporting the report using ExcelWriter or WordWriter:

Could not load file or assembly ‘x’ or one of its dependencies. The located assembly’s manifest definition does not match the assembly reference.

If you are performing a regular upgrade in which you replace the custom rendering extension DLL as well as the ExcelWriter or WordWriter DLL, use the manual installation instructions as a guideline.

However, if there are no changes to the custom rendering extension, it is convenient to use the same custom rendering extension DLL and replace just the ExcelWriter or WordWriter DLL. This approach also allows you to easy test any version of the ExcelWriter or WordWriter DLL. In this case, follow the below instructions.

Solution

To upgrade the ExceWriter or WordWriter DLL without having to replace the custom rendering extension, you can create an assembly binding redirect so that request for the old DLL are redirected to the new DLL.

The solution is also applicable to any ASP.NET application for which you want to replace a dependent assembly with another version. Use the instructions below as guidelines for making modifications to the application’s web.config.

The process for creating an assembly binding redirect is slightly different for ExcelWriter and WordWriter, because by default WordWriter is installed into the Global Assembly Cache (GAC).

Upgrading ExcelWriter

1. Navigate to the Reporting Services directory, typically `DRIVE:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSRS10.MSSQLSERVER\Reporting Services’

2. Copy SoftArtisans.OfficeWriter.ExcelWriter.dll to ReportServer\bin, replacing the existing DLL

3. Determine the version of the new DLL; for example, 7.5.1.2770

4. Edit ReportServer\web.config and add the following section under the section:

XML Config Script

 <configuration>     <runtime>         <assemblyBinding xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v1">             <dependentAssembly>                 <assemblyIdentity name="SoftArtisans.OfficeWriter.ExcelWriter" publicKeyToken="f593502af6ee46ae" culture="neutral" />                 <bindingRedirect oldVersion="7.5.0.1-7.5.1.9999" newVersion="7.5.1.2770"/>             </dependentAssembly>         </assemblyBinding>     </runtime> </configuration>

Note: If there is an existing section, add only the ” section inside it, so that there is only one assembly binding definition.

In the example above, set the newVersion attribute to the version of the new DLL. Set the oldVersion attribute to a single version or a range of versions which are to be mapped to the new version.

5. Perform the same steps for ReportServer\bin\ReportingServicesService.exe.config

6. Restart the Report Server

Upgrading WordWriter

If WordWriter is installed in the GAC, as done by the installer, you must also install the new DLL into the GAC. Because the GAC supports multiple versions of a DLL, you do not have to uninstall the old DLL. However, by using assembly binding redirect, you can force Reporting Services to use the new DLL. Follow the procedure below to upgrade WordWriter:

1. Install the new DLL into the GAC using, for example, the gacutil tool.

2. Navigate to the Reporting Services directory, typically ‘DRIVE:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSRS10.MSSQLSERVER\Reporting Services’ Copy SoftArtisans.OfficeWriter.WordWriter.dll to ReportServer\bin

3. Determine the version of the new DLL; for example, 4.5.1.1648

4. Edit ReportServer\web.config and add the following section under the section:

XML Config Script

 <configuration>     <runtime>         <assemblyBinding xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v1">             <dependentAssembly>                 <assemblyIdentity name="SoftArtisans.OfficeWriter.WordWriter" publicKeyToken="f593502af6ee46ae" culture="neutral" />                 <bindingRedirect oldVersion="4.5.0.1-4.5.1.9999" newVersion="4.5.0.1567"/>             </dependentAssembly>         </assemblyBinding>     </runtime> </configuration>

Note: If there is an existing section, add only the section inside it, so that there is only one assembly binding definition.

In the example above, set the newVersion attribute to the version of the new DLL. Set the oldVersion attribute to a single version or a range of versions which are to be mapped to the new version.

5. Perform the same steps for ReportServer\bin\ReportingServicesService.exe.config

6. Restart the Report Server

If WordWriter is not installed in the GAC, skip step 1 and follow steps 2-7 in the above procedure.