Enhance Report Readability: A Guide to Alternating Row Colors in SSRS

• You'll create a new column within a row group (a way to organize data in your report). This column's purpose is to determine the background color, so let's call it "RowGroupColor."
• We hide this column later, so it won't clutter the report.

Setting the RowGroupColor Value:

• We use an expression to define the value in the "RowGroupColor" textbox. A common approach is the IIF function (similar to an if-else statement).
• The expression checks if the current row number divided by 2 (modulo operator) is equal to 0. If true (even row number), it assigns a color (e.g., "LightGray"). If false (odd row number), it assigns a different color (e.g., "White").

Linking Background Color to RowGroupColor:

• Now, we connect the background color formatting of your actual data cells to the "RowGroupColor" column.
• Set the background color property of all your data cells in the table to an expression. This expression references the value in the "RowGroupColor" column.

Hiding the Helper Column:

• Finally, to hide the "RowGroupColor" column from the report viewers, set its width to 0 points and the "CanGrow" property to false in the report designer.

Benefits:

• This approach offers a dynamic way to alternate row colors, making your reports easier to scan and understand.
• You can customize the colors to match your report's theme.

Additional Notes:

• This method works for alternating colors by row. If you need to alternate by column, you can create a "fake parent group" using expressions and similar logic for background color formatting.
• For more complex formatting scenarios, you might explore using custom code within SSRS.

Right-click on the textbox within the "RowGroupColor" cell and choose "Expression..."

Here's the expression to use:

=IIF(RowNumber("groupName") Mod 2 = 0, "LightGray", "White")

Explanation:

• RowNumber("groupName"): This function assigns a unique number to each row within the group specified by "groupName" (replace with your actual group name if using groups).
• Mod 2: This calculates the remainder when the row number is divided by 2.
• IIF: This function acts like an if-else statement. If the remainder is 0 (even row number), it assigns "LightGray". Otherwise (odd row number), it assigns "White".

Right-click on any data cell in your table and choose "Background Color..."

Set the expression to:

=Fields!RowGroupColor.Value

This simply references the value in the "RowGroupColor" column for each cell, determining its background color.

Right-click on the header of the "RowGroupColor" column and choose "Properties."

• Set the "Width" property to "0pt" (points).
• Set the "CanGrow" property to "False".

This hides the column from the final report view.

This method is simpler but has limitations. It only works for reports with a single details row group and no nested groups.

=IIF(RowNumber() Mod 2 = 0, "LightGray", "White")

This is similar to the previous method, but RowNumber() refers to the overall row number in the report, not within a specific group.

Method 2: Using RunningValue Function (For Complex Reports):

This method is more flexible and works well for reports with complex groupings and subtotals.

=RunningValue(Fields!YourFieldName, Sum(1)) Mod 2

• RunningValue(Fields!YourFieldName, Sum(1)): This calculates a running total based on a field ("YourFieldName") and increments by 1 for each row. It essentially keeps track of row position across groups.
• Mod 2: This calculates the remainder when the running total is divided by 2, determining even or odd rows.

1. Link Background Color to RowColor: Similar to the previous method, set the background color expression of your data cells to:

=IIF(Fields!RowColor.Value = 0, "LightGray", "White")

Benefits of Alternate Methods:

• Method 1 offers a quick solution for simple reports without groups.
• Method 2 provides more flexibility for complex reports with groups and subtotals.

Choosing the Right Method:

• If your report has a single details row group and no complex formatting, Method 1 might be sufficient.
• For reports with groups, subtotals, or the need for more control over color logic, Method 2 is a better choice.