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Report Definition Language (RDL) is a standard proposed by Microsoft for defining reports.[1]
RDL is an XML application primarily used with Microsoft SQL Server Reporting Services. It is usually written using Visual Studio, although there are also third-party tools; it may also be created or edited by hand in a text editor. SQL Server Reporting Services or other third-party reporting frameworks use RDL to define charts, graphs, calculations, text, images (through links), and other report objects and render them in a variety of formats.
There are three high-level sections in a typical RDL file:
- Page style - The objects to display including fields, images, graphs, and tables.
- Field definitions - The extended attributes of fields that are populated with formulas, dynamic data, or Database derived data.
- Parameters and Database connections - Parameters that may be furnished by the user or passed in from another application; and database connections and queries for pulling data into the report.