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integrating-reporting-services-using-url-access-windows-application.md

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title Use URL access in Windows applications
description URL access to a report server is optimized for a Web environment, but you can also use URL access to embed Reporting Services reports in a Windows application.
ms.date 09/25/2024
ms.service reporting-services
ms.subservice application-integration
ms.topic reference
ms.custom
updatefrequency5
helpviewer_keywords
Windows applications [Reporting Services]
Web Browser controls [Reporting Services]
Windows Forms [Reporting Services]
browser controls [Reporting Services]
URL access [Reporting Services], Windows applications

Integrate Reporting Services by using URL access - Windows application

Although URL access to a report server is optimized for a Web environment, you can also use URL access to embed [!INCLUDEssRSnoversion] reports into a [!INCLUDEmsCoName] Windows application. However, URL access that involves Windows Forms still requires that you use Web browser technology. You can use the following integration scenarios with URL access and Windows Forms:

  • Display a report from a Windows Form application by starting a Web browser programmatically.

  • Use the xref:System.Windows.Forms.WebBrowser control on a Windows Form to display a report.

Start Internet Explorer from a Windows Form

You can use the xref:System.Diagnostics.Process class to access a process that is running on a computer. The xref:System.Diagnostics.Process class is a useful [!INCLUDEmsCoName] [!INCLUDEdnprdnshort] construct for starting, stopping, controlling, and monitoring applications. To view a specific report in your report server database, you can start the IExplore process, passing in the URL to the report. The following code example can be used to start [!INCLUDEmsCoName] Internet Explorer and pass a specific report URL when the user selects a button on a Windows Form.

Private Sub viewReportButton_Click(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles viewReportButton.Click  
   ' Build the URL access string based on values supplied by a user  
   Dim url As String = serverUrlTextBox.Text + "?" & reportPathTextBox.Text & _  
   "&rs:Command=Render" & "&rs:Format=HTML4.0"  
  
   ' If the user does not select the toolbar check box,  
   ' turn the toolbar off in the HTML Viewer  
   If toolbarCheckBox.Checked = False Then  
      url += "&rc:Toolbar=False"  
   End If  
   ' load report in the Web browser  
   Try  
      System.Diagnostics.Process.Start("IExplore", url)  
   Catch  
      MessageBox.Show("The system could not start the specified report using Internet Explorer.", _  
      "An error has occurred", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Error)  
   End Try  
End Sub 'viewReportButton_Click  
// Sample click event for a Button control on a Windows Form  
private void viewReportButton_Click(object sender, System.EventArgs e)  
{  
   // Build the URL access string based on values supplied by a user  
   string url = serverUrlTextBox.Text + "?" + reportPathTextBox.Text +  
      "&rs:Command=Render" + "&rs:Format=HTML4.0";  
  
   // If the user does not check the toolbar check box,  
   // turn the toolbar off in the HTML Viewer  
   if (toolbarCheckBox.Checked == false)  
      url += "&rc:Toolbar=False";  
  
   // load report in the Web browser  
   try  
   {  
      System.Diagnostics.Process.Start("IExplore", url);  
   }  
  
   catch (Exception)  
   {  
      MessageBox.Show(  
         "The system could not open the specified report using Internet Explorer.",   
         "An error has occurred", MessageBoxButtons.OK, MessageBoxIcon.Error);  
   }  
}

Embed a browser control on a Windows Form

If you don't want to view your report in an external Web browser, you can embed a Web browser seamlessly as part of your Windows Form by using the xref:System.Windows.Forms.WebBrowser control.

To add the WebBrowser control to your Windows Form

  1. Create a new Windows application in either [!INCLUDEmsCoName] [!INCLUDEc-sharp] or [!INCLUDEmsCoName] [!INCLUDEvisual-basic].

  2. Locate the xref:System.Windows.Forms.WebBrowser control in the Toolbox Dialog Box.

    If the Toolbox isn't visible, you can access it by selecting the View menu item and selecting Toolbox.

  3. Drag the xref:System.Windows.Forms.WebBrowsercontrol onto the design surface of your Windows Form.

    The xref:System.Windows.Forms.WebBrowsercontrol named webBrowser1 is added to the Form

You direct the xref:System.Windows.Forms.WebBrowser control to a URL by calling its Navigate method. You can assign a specific URL access string to your xref:System.Windows.Forms.WebBrowser control at run time as shown in the following example.

Dim url As String = "https://localhost/reportserver?/" & _  
                    "AdventureWorks Sample Reports/" & _  
                    "Company Sales&rs:Command=Render"  
WebBrowser1.Navigate(url)  
string url = "https://localhost/reportserver?/" +  
             "AdventureWorks Sample Reports/" +  
             "Company Sales&rs:Command=Render";  
webBrowser1.Navigate(url);

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