How to: Add a Chart to a Report (Report Builder 3.0 and SSRS)

When you want to summarize data in a visual format, use a Chart data region. It is important to choose an appropriate chart type for the type of data that you are presenting. This affects how well the data can be interpreted when put in chart form. For more information, see Charts (Report Builder 3.0 and SSRS).

The simplest way to add a Chart data region to your report is to run the New Chart Wizard. The wizard offers column, line, pie, bar, and area charts. For these and other chart types, you can also add a chart manually.

After you add a Chart data region to the design surface, you can drag report dataset fields for numeric and non-numeric data to the Chart Data pane of the chart. Click the chart to display the Chart Data pane with its three areas: Series Groups, Category Groups, and Values.

Note

You can create and modify report definitions (.rdl) in Report Builder 3.0 and in Report Designer in Business Intelligence Development Studio. Each authoring environment provides different ways to create, open, and save reports and related items. For more information, see Designing Reports in Report Designer and Report Builder 3.0 (SSRS) on the Web at microsoft.com.

To add a chart to a report by using the Chart Wizard

  1. Note

    The Chart Wizard is only available in Report Builder 3.0.

    On the Insert tab, click Chart, and then click Chart Wizard.

  2. Follow the steps in the New Chart wizard.

  3. On the Home tab, click Run to see the rendered report.

  4. On the Run tab, click Design to continue working on the report.

To add a chart to a report

  1. Create a report and define a dataset. For more information, see Adding Data to a Report (Report Builder 3.0 and SSRS).

  2. On the Insert tab, click Chart, and then click Insert Chart.

  3. Click on the design surface where you want the upper-left corner of the chart, and then drag to where you want the lower-right corner of the chart.

    The Select Chart Type dialog box appears.

  4. Select the type of chart you want to add. Click OK.

  5. Click the chart to display the Chart Data pane.

  6. Add one or more fields to the Values area. This information will be plotted on the value axis.

  7. Add a grouping field to the Category Groups area. When you add this field to the Category Groups area, a grouping field is automatically created for you. Each group represents a data point in your series.

  8. To summarize the data by category, right-click the data field and click Series Properties. In the Category box, select the category field from the drop-down list. Click OK.

  9. On the Home tab, click Run to see the rendered report.

  10. On the Run tab, click Design to continue working on the report.

On charts with axes, such as bar and column charts, the category axis may not display all the category labels. For more information about how to change the axis labels, see How to: Specify an Axis Interval (Report Builder 3.0 and SSRS).