RDL-Report Definition Language is XML based. Microsoft use it as the linch pin in its new Reporting Services. Even MS Managers admit that Reporting Services success is dependent on adoption of RDL by third party BI ISVs. But Microsoft has consistently taken markets away from its BI partners and ISVs. Free Reporting Services is just the latest which starts with free OLAP Server, free Analytical/Data Mining Services, and a rash of free client side OLAP to Office 2003 utilities and templates.
Now Microsoft will argue that its just expanding the BI markets. ISV and BI vendors will have to decide if they want to help Microsoft “expand the BI markets”. So far Cognos has said it will support RDL at some time in the future; while Business Objects/Crystal says it is considering RDL. Curiously, except for Computerworld, the XML and BI community of publications have been virtually silent about RDL – neither its virtues/weaknesses nor the dilemma it poses to Microsofts “BI partners” have made the usually boisterous trade press.
RDL/XML Can be a good start for a standard in the industry. Now its a lot of mini-apps
or BI Partners w/o talking each other. Crystal grew because MS picked them for the early VB,
now my question: what was the crystal contribution for the rest of the BI community? now we have a propietary
format in everywhere.
if you want to do more than XML, you can try the first OO version of the RDL 100% managed code
http://www.rdlcomponents.com