Learn about the features of great ad hoc reporting solutions for .net developers.
SSRS is a popular reporting tool used by .net developers all over the world. It is a server-based, centralized approach to data management exclusively for technical users.
However, .Net developers shouldn’t rely solely on SSRS as a method of generating the data visualizations they need. They should use ad hoc reporting solutions too.
The term “ad hoc” comes from the Latin derivative, meaning “for this.” Ad-hoc reporting, therefore, is a particular type of report that captures information not anticipated while coding the production report. It allows you to quickly build new reports from scratch, without having to consult the source code.
So what features does a great ad hoc reporting solution for .net developers need? What should you expect?
First, it would help if the ad hoc report builder had 100 percent web-based administration – not something you usually get with SSRS. The architecture should be role-based, allowing end-client business users to configure access control.
Second, it should also offer built-in, server-side scalability and security. Any reporting solution would not work well if it doesn’t take scalability in to account, and runs queries that can lock or worse crash your database servers. Likewise, it should also use secure connection options, including the option to host onprem completely within your own environment. So in your research for an ad hoc reporting solution, make sure to account for security and scalability.
Finally, .net developers need to choose suitable reporting solutions that either has an open source front end or at least provides a way to easily modify or embed the ad hoc reporting solution within an existing application. It is necessary in many cases for the developers to have access to the code so that they can modifications as needed.
