Database Reference
In-Depth Information
Data Sources
Once the project has been created, you can see it in Solution Explorer. Next, create one or more data sources.
Data sources provide the connection information for your reports. This connection information can be stored
either in the report RDL file or in a separate report data source (RDS) file. When the connection information is
stored in the separate RDS file, it is referred to as a
shared data source
. Shared data sources can be referred to by
many reports, and using shared data sources is considered a best practice. This is because it allows you to update
a single data source and automatically affects all of the reports that refer to it.
To create a shared data source, right-click the folder called Shared Data Sources and select the Add New
Data Source option from the context menu (Figure
16-16
). The Shared Data Source Properties dialog window
will appear.
Figure 16-16.
Creating a shared data source
In the Shared Data Source Properties dialog window, you enter a name for your new data source, select the
type of connection to create, and provide a connection string (Figure
16-17
).
