How do I best display CheckBoxes in SQL Server Reporting Services?

Question

One of the many quirks of Reporting Services we\'ve run across is the complete and utter lack of a CheckBox control or even something remotely similar.

We have a form th

Answer 1

I, along with others in my shop, have used images, toggling the hidden attribute based on the field value (true or false). We haven't had any problems with blurring or scaling, unless we tried to increase the scale of the image beyond 100% obviously.

Another option I've used is similar to the wingdings idea, but I just use a plain old "X". On our forms at least, it is not uncommon for someone to use an X in a box instead of a check mark, so it looks completely acceptable. Plus, you don't have to worry about strange characters when printing.

As for why Microsoft does not include a checkbox control, I can't answer that as I've been wondering the same thing myself for a long time now.

Answer 2

Another way to do thisd is go to "Placeholder properties" of TextBox and check Html - Interpret HTML tag as styles

Then in the Value - Expression put this line of code for checked:

="<font face=""Wingdings 2"" color=""green"">" & Chr(81) &"</font>" & "some other text"

Or this code sample for unchecked:

="<font face=""Wingdings 2"" color=""red"">" & Chr(163) &"</font>" & "some other text"

This way you can have checkbox and text in the same textbox.

Later edit:

If you are having problem displaying Wingdings 2 on Azure, then use Wingdings.

Apparently it works.

="<font face=""Wingdings"" color=""green"">" & Chr(253) &"</font>" & "some other text"

Or this code sample for unchecked:

="<font face=""Wingdings"" color=""red"">" & Chr(168) &"</font>" & "some other text"

Answer 3

Besides the different methods already presented, as of SQL Server 2008 R2 there's a built-in control that can be used for checkbox-alike functionality: the Indicator!

Have a look here for details on how to use it: http://blog.hoegaerden.be/2012/08/04/displaying-checkboxes-in-an-ssrs-report/

To be able to use a field of type bit, you'll have to cast it to int first. This can be done either in the dataset query or by adding a calculated field to the dataset.

If you want the NULLs to come up as yellow, then you'll need to build the expression that way so it takes that requirement into account as well.

Here's a possible expression for a calculated field:

=Switch(
    IsNothing(Fields!YourBoolean.Value), 50,
    Fields!YourBoolean.Value = False, 0,
    Fields!YourBoolean.Value = True, 100)

Depending on the meaning of your fields - is False good or bad - you may need to swap the zero and 100.

Answer 4

This is building on Dragos Durlut's answer. I don't have a high enough reputation to comment but I can answer...

I needed a checkbox as part of text that is passed as a parameter. The parameter contains HTML and is used in a placeholder set up just like Dragos suggests: HTML - Interpret HTML tags as styles.

Instead of having to switch between the HTML and the strings, you can use the HTML Escape Codes (& + # + CharCode + ; --> ¨)

="<font face='Wingdings'>&#168;</font> Empty checkbox"

Since mine is a parameter, it just pass in the string:

<font face='Wingdings'>&#168;</font> Empty checkbox

If you need the checkbox selected, you would pass in either &#253; or &#254; instead:

<font face='Wingdings'>&#253;</font> filled with an x
<font face='Wingdings'>&#254;</font> filled with a checkmark

Answer 5

I just wanna share the idea on this blog. SSRS: How to Display Checkbox on Report

1. First create a textbox
2. Then change the font family to Wingdings

3. Insert an expression on the textbox and write this expressions.
   

   =IIF(Fields!Active.Value,chr(254),"o")
   

   Fields!Active.Value could be anything from your query that should return a boolean value 1 or 0.

4. Then click Preview and see the checkbox ;)

More styles can be selected on the blog that I shared above.

Here is an example of my output

Answer 6

You can also use a string calculated field like "[X]" or "[ ]". It's less pretty than the textbox with border but you don't have to put a specific control for the value and you can fill table or matrix with this.

At least there is some solution for the checkbox. I'm still looking for full justification for my text (In fact I'm looking for another solution than SSRS know).

ACCESS 97 could make this kind of thing but not SQL SERVER 2012.