Changing Export Options for Reporting Services
Have you ever wanted to change the export options for Reporting Services? Have you seen issues with report page headers being exported to Excel as non headers? Other times displaying all export options on the web is not the best idea. An end user trying to figure out what a TIF is can be a more user support time then is desired. In other cases the export might need to be renamed, instead of TIF call it Image.
To make these changes, you will have to open up the RSReportServer.config file. It is located in the report directory of SQL server (normally something like C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.3\Reporting Services\ReportServer). This is a an XML file that can be opened in Notepad. In the XML file, about half way through it you will see a tag called <RENDER>. To remove options from the drop down export, delete each extension tag that you do not want.
<Render>
...
<Extension Name="EXCEL" Type="Microsoft.ReportingServices.Rendering.ExcelRenderer.ExcelRenderer,Microsoft.ReportingServices.ExcelRendering">
<OverrideNames>
<Name Language="en-US">EXCEL AMR</Name>
</OverrideNames>
<Configuration>
<DeviceInfo>
<RemoveSpace>0.25in</RemoveSpace>
<SimplePageHeaders>true</SimplePageHeaders>
</DeviceInfo>
</Configuration>
</Extension>
</Render>
To rename the options, add the tag <OverrideNames> then the sub element tag <Name Language="lang">(New Name)</Name></OverrideNames>
Other changes can also be configured. In the case above I am removing any blank columns and rows that are 1/4 of an inch or less. I am also forcing simple page headers to ensure that when exporting to Excel the headers are in Excel headers not in the first few rows of the document with a freeze pane. This is a common problem with exporting to Excel with page headers from Reporting Services.
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To find out more about what tags are available for each option, check out MS's Technet page.
To make these changes, you will have to open up the RSReportServer.config file. It is located in the report directory of SQL server (normally something like C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.3\Reporting Services\ReportServer). This is a an XML file that can be opened in Notepad. In the XML file, about half way through it you will see a tag called <RENDER>. To remove options from the drop down export, delete each extension tag that you do not want.
<Render>
...
<OverrideNames>
<Name Language="en-US">EXCEL AMR</Name>
</OverrideNames>
<Configuration>
<DeviceInfo>
<RemoveSpace>0.25in</RemoveSpace>
<SimplePageHeaders>true<
</DeviceInfo>
</Configuration>
</Extension>
</Render>
To rename the options, add the tag <OverrideNames> then the sub element tag <Name Language="lang">(New Name)</Name></OverrideNames>
Other changes can also be configured. In the case above I am removing any blank columns and rows that are 1/4 of an inch or less. I am also forcing simple page headers to ensure that when exporting to Excel the headers are in Excel headers not in the first few rows of the document with a freeze pane. This is a common problem with exporting to Excel with page headers from Reporting Services.
This article was very helpful. I could quickly re-name and re-order items in the dropdown list. Thanks!
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