This blog provides show notes for our Nov. 16, 2023, webinar, “What’s New in Bold Reports v5.3 Release.” The webinar was presented and hosted by Preethi Subramaniam, a senior software developer at Bold Reports. If you missed the webinar, or would like to watch it again, you may do so on our YouTube channel. Or you can watch it here.

Overview

In this webinar, we discussed the new features and improvements in the Bold Reports version 5.3 release for both embedded and on-premises deployments.

Timestamps

[00:00] Intro and Agenda
[00:55] Report Parts
[03:05] Report Parts Demo
[09:15] Chart Secondary Axis
[12:48] Tooltips for Expressions
[13:34] Data Source Security
[14:06] XML-Based Report Editing and Saving
[15:50] New Extension Packages
[16:43] Add Custom Fonts
[18:54] Report Viewer Material Theme
[19:44] New Component Look and Feel
[20:32] Closing Notes

Webinar Q&A

Q1: How do I implement Bold Reports in Visual Studio?
You can refer to our getting started documentation for the implementation.

Q2: Do you offer any sort of training videos or regular webcasts talking about tips and tricks in using Bold Reports?
We are actively updating our resources such as documentation and YouTube videos. Please check them out and let us know if we haven’t covered something you need.

Q3: Are these reports creating actual RDL files behind the scenes? If so, can I use Microsoft Report Builder to edit them directly?
Yes, they’re creating RDL files. You can edit them using MS Report Builder. But we offer a rich set of features comparable to Report Builder. I recommend you check out this page to get the details.

Q4: Can I run reports in local mode (LocalReports) without needing a report server, or does it always require a report server installed?
You can create reports in your application itself without the server. Refer to this documentation to get started.

Q5: What authentication options are available to access these reports?Does the end user have to log in to see the reports, or can authentication be passed in without logging? Is anonymous access available?
The end user should log in to access the reports and we offer OAuth and Open ID authentication.

Q6: Is there a dark mode for the Report Designer?
Yes, the designer has a dark mode.

Q7: How does licensing work with Visual Studio? Is it similar to your component libraries?
Yes, please refer to the license registration overview.

Q8: Do you have a sales contact to discuss more details?
Yes, please use this link: https://www.boldreports.com/contact Or email : support@boldreports.com

Q9: Is it necessary to regenerate the data set when incorporating new report parts?
The data set required for the report parts is self-contained within it.

Q10: Do changes made to local report parts affect the server report parts and vice versa?
You need to manually publish for online reflection or refresh your report parts to receive server updates.

Q11: Do secondary axes have the same customization options as primary axes?
Absolutely yes, the secondary axes provide complete customization just like the primary axes.

Q12: Is it mandatory to set encrypt or TrustServerCertificate options in the data source connection?
Yes. In the v5.3 release, we’ve upgraded the SqlClient library as per Microsoft suggestion. If you encounter any issues in your existing reports, modify the connection string with ‘Encrypt=false’ or ‘TrustServerCertificate=true’.

Q13: Is it required to include separate TTF files for each font weight and style to ensure proper display in the report?
Yes, you need to specify separate .ttf files for each type in the format of {fontname} {weight} {style}.ttf. Refer to this help link.

Summary

During this webinar, we covered the updates included in v5.3 of Bold Reports. We hope you enjoyed this webinar and please keep an eye out for our future Bold Reports webinars.

Recommended resources

What’s New in Bold Reports 5.3 October 2023 Release
Using RDL Reports with Bold Reports Instead of SSRS