Get Started with Dotnet Report

Getting started with Dotnet Report Builder is quick and easy. There are just some basic steps you need to follow to install and run it locally using Visual Studio.

Tip: Dotnet Report offers flexible installation options and allows integrating into your existing project.
However, for a quick test/proof of concept, especially during your Free Trial, use Docker for the fastest installation. You can always use the same setup to convert to Embedded and to a licensed Subscription. Switching between the Standalone and Embedded versions, or running both together is seamless.

docker pull dotnetreport/dotnetreport-web:latest

git clone https://github.com/dotnetreport/dotnetreport.git dotnetreport

cd dotnetreport

npm install

gulp scripts

dotnet build ReportBuilder.sln

dotnet run ReportBuilder.sln

                    

dotnet add package DotnetReport

Install-Package DotnetReport.Mvc

Install-Package DotnetReport.aspx

npm install --save dotnetreport-ng

Embedded Installation in Detail

This section covers the Embedded Installation process for Dotnet Report in detail. While we offer multiple installation options, the embedded method is outlined here in some detail to assist you with a direct and efficient integration using Visual Studio. This video below explains all the steps you need to get going as well.

Step 1: Create an online account to get started

You do need the API keys provided in the online account to connect to the service, so head over to the signup page, and create an account and log in.

Step 2: Install the NuGet package in your Visual Studio Project

The next thing to do is open up Visual Studio and either start up a new project or open an existing one, and install the Dotnet Report Nuget Package. Dotnet Report adds all the Controller, Views and JavaScript files and code directly in to the Visual Studio project.

There are 3 different versions of the NuGet package:

• The default NuGet package dotnetreport is for .NET 6 and onwards.
• For MVC, you need to use and install dotnetreport.mvc.
• Web Forms also has it’s own nuget package dotnetreport.aspx.

So install the right NuGet package based on your application and which version of .NET Framework you are using to code. The installation process is fairly similar for all versions, and a readme file opens up after installation for more instructions/additional steps.

Step 3: Enter your API Keys from the online portal in your config file

The next thing after the nuget package is installed is to setup your API keys from the online portal in your application.

Add the following to your appSettings.json:

"dotNetReport": {
    "apiurl": "https://dotnetreport.com/api",
    "accountApiToken": "Your Public Account Api Token",
    "dataconnectApiToken": "Your Data Connect Api Token",
    "privateApiToken": "Your Private Account Api Token"
},

If you are using MVC or Web Forms, update the web.config:

<add key="dotNetReport.apiurl" value="https://dotnetreport.com/api" />
<add key="dotNetReport.accountApiToken" value="Your Public Account Api Token" />
<add key="dotNetReport.dataconnectApiToken" value="Your Data Connect Api Token" />
<add key="dotNetReport.privateApiToken" value="Your Private Account Api Token" />

Login to your account in https://dotnetreport.com and click on “Get Api Keys”. Locate your keys and copy and paste them in to your application settings file.

Note: You also need to add your connection string corresponding to the Data Connection name, which is initially set to “Default”. So your connection string in your appSettings.json needs to be:

"ConnectionStrings": {
    "Default": "Data Source=server;Initial Catalog=db;User ID=user;Password=password;Encrypt=False;",
}

Or for older .NET framework, MVC or Web Forms, the web.config needs to have the following:

<connectionStrings>
    <add name="Default" connectionString="Data Source=server;Initial Catalog=db;User ID=user;Password=password;" providerName="System.Data.SqlClient" />
</connectionStrings>

Step 4: Get started with your Database Tables and Views to be used by dotnet Report

Next step is to build and run the project, and navigate to the /dotnetsetup route. This will bring up the administrator/developer screen that should connect to the database you provided in your config file, and list all the Tables and Views in it. You can select the tables, views and the columns you want Dotnet Report Builder to use to let you or your end users create reports. You would also have to setup the database relations. This is a pretty easy and intuitive interface, and is meant only for developers as an initial configuration. You can always come back to it and add more tables or columns.

Tip: Check the Setup Schema section in our Knowledgebase for full details on the options available.

And that’s really pretty much it to get you started and going.

At this point, you should be Create, Save and Run Reports! Navigate to the /dotnetreport route to use the Report Builder.

Next Steps

There are many features to learn about and try out. Some of the resources to look at next:

• Check out our YouTube Channel for features, demos and more.
• Learn how to Embed Dotnet Report in your current Web Application in detail.
• Learn how to use your current Users and Roles in Dotnet Report.
• Schedule a call with us for a hands on Demo or to get answers to specific questions