Search, Digital Signing in Telerik Reporting and Report Server [New Release]

We've got great new features for you in the R2 2018 release of Telerik Reporting and Report Server, from data retrieval to better searching and more.

It's time to introduce latest features and improvements packed into R2 2018 release of Telerik Reporting and Telerik Report Server. Here are some of the things I get most excited about: a built-in way to retrieve data from a web service, search in report content, digital signing of PDF documents, and webhooks support in Report Server - and there's plenty more so let's get straight to it.

Web Service Data Source

Using a web service for accessing the data? We got you! The new Web Service DataSource component provides a built-in declarative approach to connect the report to such data. It is no longer required to add custom data-retrieval logic, which speeds up the process of developing reports in both Telerik Reporting and Telerik Report Server.

Report Content Search in Viewers

In addition to displaying reports, Telerik Reporting also allows you to search report contents. The keywords used by the search dialog are performing the actual search. Having a search feature in report viewers is a key factor for improving the user experience.

Digital Signing of PDF Documents

As of this release, the PDF rendering extension exposes new device information settings for a digital signature. This new feature enables signing and validating PDF documents. Thus, it's now effortless to confirm that the content has originated from the signer and hasn't been modified. A signed document is considered valid when it has not been changed after the signing and all its certificates have a valid trusted root certificate.

Page Breaks Support for Table Items

Create more flexible report layouts using PageBreak functionality, which is now available for table groups. Tables are actively used for presenting data, therefore, we've made it easier to use them when designing precise layouts optimized for a better viewing experience.

NuGet Packages for Runtime Support

It is now easier to distribute projects that contain Telerik Reporting components within your team, as we provide NuGet packages that include the report viewers and the report generation engine in this feed. The purpose of the packages is easier project deployment. For report designing it is still mandatory to have Telerik Reporting installed on the machine.

New Data Functions for Built-in Report Functionality

The Exec function now can take a body scope (cross-section of the rows and columns data scope) to allow presenting data relative to more specific data clusters. For example, imagine you have sales results with row grouping on product 'Category' and column grouping on the 'Year.' Now you can get the sales results for each product for the specified period relative to the entire category for the whole year by using the simple expression:

=Sum(Fields.LineTotal) / Exec('Year', 'Category', Sum(Fields.LineTotal))

An expression can now also be executed in the scope of the previous data member through the newly introduced Previous(scope, expression) data function. This allows you to easily determine trends or changes with respect to the previous period.

Webhooks in Report Server

Developers can now use webhooks to subscribe to Report Server events such as report modifications, scheduling, executing data alerts etc. It will help developers integrate the server into enterprise applications more easily, and provide better interaction with Report Server for the end-users.

Report Server Accessibility

Telerik Report Server now supports major accessibility features such as comprehensive keyboard navigation between and into Report Server areas (menus, contents, detail or search sections) using shortcut keys. The main goal behind this feature is to provide a solution that is accessible to a wider user audience, including users with motor control restrictions who may need to work with assistive technologies. Accessibility support is a must for banks, government institutions and big enterprises.

Eliminated Bugs

For the full list of all the bug fixes, check the release notes for Telerik Reporting and Telerik Report Server.

Try it Out and Share Feedback

We want to know what you think - you can download a free trial of Telerik Reporting or Telerik Report Server today and share your thoughts in our Feedback Portal, or right in the comments below.

Download Reporting Trial
Download Report Server Trial

Have You Tried DevCraft?

You can get Reporting and Report Server with Telerik DevCraft. Make sure you've downloaded a trial or learn more about DevCraft bundles. DevCraft gives you access to all the toolsets, enabling you to say “no” to ugly apps for the desktop, web, or mobile.

Watch the Webinar

And don't forget to look at our release webinar recording, where our technical experts provide a deep dive into all our new features and functionalities.

Watch the Webinar