RDL File XML Comments lost

Hi
Using Visual Studio 2003...
So I've got a report with just under 21000 lines of XML in the RDL file.
Then I make a typo in an expression and get a non-specified build error. To
work out where the error was I commented out the xml using the <![CDATA[
**XML ROWS HERE** ]]>
I then did a rebuild to see if I had "removed" the error and I had. Good, so
I know what section of the report to look at more closely.
I go back to the RDL file and WHAT!!! my comments and the contained code has
been deleted.
Does anyone know if this is correct? Can I get the code back (undo (ctrl+z)
doesn't work).
How do other people comment out the RDL code'
SimonVery few people touch the RDL code directly. I have for a few specify things
(usually to get around issues with unnamed parameters losing their mapping
so I would modify the query in the RDL code instead of going into the UI to
do this). About the only people I know who would be doing this are the few
vendors creating their own tools that generate RDL.
Is there a reason you are putting an expression into the RDL rather than
using the Report Designer?
Bruce Loehle-Conger
MVP SQL Server Reporting Services
"simonb" <simonb@.discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:A44387D0-A1BA-4BB9-9B79-6EA95E9C1D2E@.microsoft.com...
> Hi
> Using Visual Studio 2003...
> So I've got a report with just under 21000 lines of XML in the RDL file.
> Then I make a typo in an expression and get a non-specified build error.
> To
> work out where the error was I commented out the xml using the <![CDATA[
> **XML ROWS HERE** ]]>
> I then did a rebuild to see if I had "removed" the error and I had. Good,
> so
> I know what section of the report to look at more closely.
> I go back to the RDL file and WHAT!!! my comments and the contained code
> has
> been deleted.
> Does anyone know if this is correct? Can I get the code back (undo
> (ctrl+z)
> doesn't work).
> How do other people comment out the RDL code'
> Simon
>|||Simon,
I would check in a copy into source control. This will allow you to go back
to it no matter what the report designer does.
FYI, I've seen elements and attributes reorded by the designer, so I assumed
it was parsing the RDL and then regenerating it from scratch. It doesn't
surprise me at all that you would lose comments and formatting.
Ted
"simonb" wrote:
> Hi
> Using Visual Studio 2003...
> So I've got a report with just under 21000 lines of XML in the RDL file.
> Then I make a typo in an expression and get a non-specified build error. To
> work out where the error was I commented out the xml using the <![CDATA[
> **XML ROWS HERE** ]]>
> I then did a rebuild to see if I had "removed" the error and I had. Good, so
> I know what section of the report to look at more closely.
> I go back to the RDL file and WHAT!!! my comments and the contained code has
> been deleted.
> Does anyone know if this is correct? Can I get the code back (undo (ctrl+z)
> doesn't work).
> How do other people comment out the RDL code'
> Simon
>|||Hi Bruce
I find that some times when you make an error in the designer (i.e. put an
extra closing braket on an "IIF" statement in an expression), and then
rebuild the report you are told that there was an error but there are no
details of where to look.
If you've been working on a few things since the last build you don't want
to undo all your changes, so in the past I have opened the RDL file CUT the
xml code containing the table/rectangle or whatever I think the error might
be in and PAST this code into notepad to store it. Then I rebuild the report
and see if the error is still there. Just basic trouble shooting stuff.
This time I thought I'd just comment it out in the RDL file instead :(
Simon
"Bruce L-C [MVP]" wrote:
> Very few people touch the RDL code directly. I have for a few specify things
> (usually to get around issues with unnamed parameters losing their mapping
> so I would modify the query in the RDL code instead of going into the UI to
> do this). About the only people I know who would be doing this are the few
> vendors creating their own tools that generate RDL.
> Is there a reason you are putting an expression into the RDL rather than
> using the Report Designer?
>
> --
> Bruce Loehle-Conger
> MVP SQL Server Reporting Services
> "simonb" <simonb@.discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:A44387D0-A1BA-4BB9-9B79-6EA95E9C1D2E@.microsoft.com...
> > Hi
> >
> > Using Visual Studio 2003...
> >
> > So I've got a report with just under 21000 lines of XML in the RDL file.
> > Then I make a typo in an expression and get a non-specified build error.
> > To
> > work out where the error was I commented out the xml using the <![CDATA[
> > **XML ROWS HERE** ]]>
> >
> > I then did a rebuild to see if I had "removed" the error and I had. Good,
> > so
> > I know what section of the report to look at more closely.
> >
> > I go back to the RDL file and WHAT!!! my comments and the contained code
> > has
> > been deleted.
> >
> > Does anyone know if this is correct? Can I get the code back (undo
> > (ctrl+z)
> > doesn't work).
> >
> > How do other people comment out the RDL code'
> >
> > Simon
> >
>
>|||That makes sense. I thought you were perhaps trying to build the RDL from
scratch. I go into the RDL to work around things from time to time too.
Bruce Loehle-Conger
MVP SQL Server Reporting Services
"simonb" <simonb@.discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:CC54B564-F2BB-4AD0-822D-0192558510B3@.microsoft.com...
> Hi Bruce
> I find that some times when you make an error in the designer (i.e. put an
> extra closing braket on an "IIF" statement in an expression), and then
> rebuild the report you are told that there was an error but there are no
> details of where to look.
> If you've been working on a few things since the last build you don't want
> to undo all your changes, so in the past I have opened the RDL file CUT
> the
> xml code containing the table/rectangle or whatever I think the error
> might
> be in and PAST this code into notepad to store it. Then I rebuild the
> report
> and see if the error is still there. Just basic trouble shooting stuff.
> This time I thought I'd just comment it out in the RDL file instead :(
>
> Simon
> "Bruce L-C [MVP]" wrote:
>> Very few people touch the RDL code directly. I have for a few specify
>> things
>> (usually to get around issues with unnamed parameters losing their
>> mapping
>> so I would modify the query in the RDL code instead of going into the UI
>> to
>> do this). About the only people I know who would be doing this are the
>> few
>> vendors creating their own tools that generate RDL.
>> Is there a reason you are putting an expression into the RDL rather than
>> using the Report Designer?
>>
>> --
>> Bruce Loehle-Conger
>> MVP SQL Server Reporting Services
>> "simonb" <simonb@.discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:A44387D0-A1BA-4BB9-9B79-6EA95E9C1D2E@.microsoft.com...
>> > Hi
>> >
>> > Using Visual Studio 2003...
>> >
>> > So I've got a report with just under 21000 lines of XML in the RDL
>> > file.
>> > Then I make a typo in an expression and get a non-specified build
>> > error.
>> > To
>> > work out where the error was I commented out the xml using the
>> > <![CDATA[
>> > **XML ROWS HERE** ]]>
>> >
>> > I then did a rebuild to see if I had "removed" the error and I had.
>> > Good,
>> > so
>> > I know what section of the report to look at more closely.
>> >
>> > I go back to the RDL file and WHAT!!! my comments and the contained
>> > code
>> > has
>> > been deleted.
>> >
>> > Does anyone know if this is correct? Can I get the code back (undo
>> > (ctrl+z)
>> > doesn't work).
>> >
>> > How do other people comment out the RDL code'
>> >
>> > Simon
>> >
>>