Missing Microsoft RDLC Report Designer in Visual Studio

Question

In Visual Studio 2015, I cannot find the designer for RDLC reports anymore. Does anyone know if this is only a bug and if it is provided later on or if Microsoft wants to kill the RDLC or if they want us to use an external designer and when, which designer this is?

Update For developpers searching for the RDLC Report Designer in Visual Studio 2017, it must be now downloaded from the Visual Studio Marketplace

Mach

Answer 1

Visual Studio 2017 and newer

The RDLC Report Designer can be found on the Visual Studio Marketplace:

• for Visual Studio 2022
• for Visual Studio 2017 - 2019

Besides that, the ReportViewer Control, which is the runtime requirement for showing reports in ASP.NET or Windows Forms Applications, is now available through NuGet. See here for details.

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Visual Studio 2015

The Report Designer is part of the Microsoft SQL Server Data Tools.

You can add it using the Visual Studio setup (Programs and Features > Visual Studio 2015 > Change)

Sigma

If I remeber well Microsoft SQL Server Data Tools is not included in the default installation of Community 2015 so you have to check this option during installation. – Justificatory

@Justificatory yes, you are right. This applies also for the professional edition. The VS 2015 default installation is pretty slim. – Sigma

Please can Chris confirm that it was a case of just not having the option chosen on the install? I'm not convinced there aren't more problems as I did have it chosen. – Dm

Think these problems are because the new setup is totally baffling as to what is actually selected. – Dm

@user1720293 yes, this was the only problem (feeling stupid about my rushed post) – Mach

Thanks. I thought because the parent node had the "select all" square it meant I had selected all... – Dm

Same solution, detailed step by step here – Shrum

On my side with 2019 this did not solve the problem. I had to simply install the extension from the market place. – Desiccated

I ended up following every step and installations, at the end the finel problem was the "Updates" pending, and that I only had to allow the instalaltion of one of the three options of this installation process... good luck and many many thanks to everybody! – Unavailing

Answer 2

In VS 2017, i have checked SQL Server Data Tools during the installation and it doesn't help. So I have downloaded and installed Microsoft.RdlcDesigner.vsix

Now it works.

UPDATE

Another way is to use Extensions and Updates.

Go to Tools > Extensions and Updates choose Online then search for Microsoft Rdlc Report Designer for Visual studio and click Download. It need to close VS to start installation. After installation you will be able to use rdlc designer.

Hope this helps!

Littlejohn

Thanks for helping, it worked ! But I wasted much time with standard approach : "Microsoft SQL Server Data Tools" :( Why they missed this in 2017 ? :( – Sea

The namespace has been changed. It's now ProBITools.MicrosoftRdlcReportDesignerforVisualStudio. The new download page is here. – Krahmer

You can get it from marketplace.visualstudio.com/… – Ulster

its not supported with asp.net core – Christianechristiania

This solutions also applies to VS2019 Community. Go to Extensions --> Manage Extensions and search for: "Microsoft Rdlc Report Designer" – Jemma

steps are working perfect – Lamoree

NO WORK FOR VS 2015 – Whitewood

Answer 3

Open Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features

• Select the entry for your version of Microsoft Visual Studio 2015. In our case, it was Microsoft Visual Studio Enterprise 2015.

• Click the "Change" button on the top bar above the program list. After the splash screen, a window will open.

• Press the "Modify" button.

• Select Windows and Web Development > Microsoft SQL Server Data Tools, and check the box next to it.

• Press the "Update" button on the lower-right hand side of the window.

Once the installation is complete, open your version of Visual Studio. After the new .dll files are loaded, Reporting functionality should be reimplemented, and you should be able to access all related forms, controls, and objects.

Stoa

This worked! But what's bizarre is I downloaded Microsoft SQL Server Data Tools - Visual Studio 2015 (msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/mt204009.aspx) on its own, installed it, rebooted, and didn't get diddly in VS 2015. But this did the trick. – Loiretcher

Answer 4

Visual Studio 2017

1. Open Visual Studio
2. In Tools -> Extensions and Updates -> Online
3. Search for 'rdlc'
4. Install Microsoft Rdlc Report Designer (23.3 MB)
5. Close Visual Studio, let the installer run and open Visual Studio to see the rdlc in the designer.

Smattering

Answer 5

I had the same problem, after install the MS VS Community 2015, I didn't find the RDLC files neither the Report Viewer component, I solve the problem by going in the Control Panel (Windows) -> Programs -> Try to uninstall the MS VS Community and choose MODIFY, in this moment you will be able to Check the Microsoft SQL Server Data Tools.

That is it!

Aime

Answer 6

In addition to previous answers, here is a link to the latest SQL Server Data Tools. Note that the download link for Visual Studio 2015 is broken. ISO is available from here, links at the bottom of the page:

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/mt204009.aspx

MSDN Subscriber Downloads do not list the VS 2015 compatible version at the time of writing.

However, even with the latest tools (February 2015), I can't open previous version of .rptproj files.

Birdseed

Answer 7

I've had the same problem as you and I installed Microsoft rdlc designer to solve my problem.

And if you already installed this but still can't found rdlc designer try open visual studio > tools > Extension and Updates > then enable Miscrosoft Rdlc designer extensions.

Weatherman

link is broken. – Woodpile

please try again,. – Weatherman

You can also find it by searching the online extensions for RDLC within Visual Studio. What you won't find, is any explanation why the RDLC designer is a separate download and installation from the SSRS extension that includes the project templates and ability to open/design RDLs?!?! – Enfeoff

Answer 8

If you did a custom installation you need to add Microsoft Sql Server Data Tools. After that you can add Reportviwer to your webform.

Yaker

Answer 9

To solve this problem open nutget package manager console and select your project and type install-package microsoft.report.viewer and wait to install

Weltanschauung

I ran this in VS 2015. Item not found. – Hagridden

Answer 10

The setup feature does not work on Visual Studio 2017 and later versions.

The extension needs to be downloaded from VS Marketplace and then installed - Link

The same applies to other extensions such as Installer Projects (used for creating executable files) - Link

Marriott

Answer 11

Below Different tools for Editing Rdlc report:

1. ReportBuilder 3.0 : Microsoft Editor for Rdlc report.
2. Microsoft® SQL Server® 2008 Express with Advanced Services: Another tool is to use Sql Server Business intelligence for reporting that can be installed with Sql Server Express with Advanced Sevices.
3. fyiReporting: It is opensource tool presented for editing Rdlc reports .

Faradize

Answer 12

Use Extensions and Updates.

Go to Tools > Extensions and Updates > choose Online then search for Microsoft Rdlc Report Designer for Visual studio and click Download. It needs to close your VS to start installation. After installation you will be able to use RDLC designer.

Footless

Answer 13

This trouble passed me. If you can't repair this trouble, perhaps can you review all Framework versions that you have in your system. For example, if you have ReportViewer for Framework 4.5 and your project is assembly in Framework 2 or another Framework minor at 4.5. The differents versions Framework sometime have problems.

Isoleucine