Render SSRS Reports in .docx instead of .doc?

Question

I am using SQL Server R2 reporting service for designing reports and integrated then in ASP.Net using Report Viewer 11. When user exports the report in Word format, the extenction of report is .doc which makes the size of the report very high. Is there any was we can change the format to .docx so that the size of the file is reduced.

Answer 1

In SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) for SQL Server R2 and using Report Viewer 11 in an ASP.NET application, the ability to export reports directly to .docx format is not natively supported. By default, SSRS exports Word reports in the .doc format, which indeed can lead to larger file sizes compared to the more modern .docx format.

However, there are a few approaches you can consider to work around this limitation:

1. Manual Conversion

Users can manually convert the .doc files to .docx using Microsoft Word or any compatible word processing software. This is a simple process but requires an additional step from the user.

2. Custom Exporting Tool

Develop a custom tool that post-processes the exported .doc file and converts it to .docx. This can be done using libraries like Aspose.Words or Open XML SDK. Here's a basic outline of how you might implement this:

Export the report to a .doc file using SSRS.

Use your custom tool to load the .doc file.

Save the file in the .docx format.

This approach requires additional development and the integration of third-party libraries.

3. Upgrade SSRS

Consider upgrading to a newer version of SSRS if possible. Newer versions of SSRS, like SQL Server 2016 or later, support exporting to .docx format natively. This would be the most straightforward solution if upgrading is an option for your environment.

4. Server-Side Scripting

If you have control over the server environment, you could potentially write a server-side script that automatically converts .doc files to .docx upon export. This would require a combination of monitoring the export directory and using a conversion tool or library.

5. Third-Party Reporting Tools

Explore third-party reporting tools that may offer more export formats, including .docx. While this could involve additional costs, it might provide a more robust solution with broader functionality.