| name | paginated-report-authoring |
| description | Author Fabric Paginated Reports (.rdl) from scratch, connecting to semantic models via PBIDATASET. Covers RDL XML structure, namespace requirements, data source configuration, DAX dataset queries, Tablix layout, conditional formatting, page setup, and known schema validation pitfalls. Use when the user wants to: (1) create a new paginated report from scratch, (2) add datasets or tables to an existing .rdl, (3) connect an .rdl to a Fabric semantic model, (4) fix RDL validation or schema errors, (5) design report layout with headers, sections, and page footers. Triggers: "create paginated report", "new rdl", "author rdl", "build paginated", "add tablix", "add dataset", "rdl from scratch", "rdl layout", "paginated report design", "fix rdl error", "rdl schema error", "connect rdl to semantic model".
|
Paginated Report Authoring — Skill
RDL File Structure Overview
A valid Power BI Paginated Report .rdl file uses the RDL 2016 schema with four
XML namespaces. Every element in the report body belongs to the default namespace.
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Report MustUnderstand="df"
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sqlserver/reporting/2016/01/reportdefinition"
xmlns:rd="http://schemas.microsoft.com/SQLServer/reporting/reportdesigner"
xmlns:am="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sqlserver/reporting/authoringmetadata"
xmlns:df="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sqlserver/reporting/2016/01/reportdefinition/defaultfontfamily">
<df:DefaultFontFamily>Segoe UI</df:DefaultFontFamily>
<AutoRefresh>0</AutoRefresh>
<DataSources>...</DataSources>
<DataSets>...</DataSets>
<ReportSections>
<ReportSection>
<Body>...</Body>
<Page>...</Page>
<Width>...</Width>
</ReportSection>
</ReportSections>
<rd:ReportUnitType>mm</rd:ReportUnitType>
<rd:ReportServerUrl>https://app.powerbi.com</rd:ReportServerUrl>
<rd:ReportID>...</rd:ReportID>
</Report>
Connecting to a Fabric Semantic Model (PBIDATASET)
DataSource Template
<DataSource Name="{WorkspaceName}_{ModelName}">
<rd:SecurityType>None</rd:SecurityType>
<ConnectionProperties>
<DataProvider>PBIDATASET</DataProvider>
<ConnectString>Data Source=pbiazure://api.powerbi.com/;Identity Provider="https://login.microsoftonline.com/organizations, https://analysis.windows.net/powerbi/api, f0b72488-7082-488a-a7e8-eada97bd842d";Initial Catalog=sobe_wowvirtualserver-{semantic-model-guid};Integrated Security=ClaimsToken</ConnectString>
</ConnectionProperties>
<rd:DataSourceID>{any-guid}</rd:DataSourceID>
<rd:PowerBIWorkspaceName>{WorkspaceName}</rd:PowerBIWorkspaceName>
<rd:PowerBIDatasetName>{ModelName}</rd:PowerBIDatasetName>
</DataSource>
Key rules:
DataProvider must be PBIDATASET (not SQL)Integrated Security=ClaimsToken — required in the ConnectString for semantic modelsrd:SecurityType must be None- The
Identity Provider string is a fixed constant (same for all tenants)
- The
Initial Catalog format is always sobe_wowvirtualserver-{guid}
- Do NOT add
IntegratedSecurity as a separate XML element — it goes inside ConnectString
Finding the Semantic Model GUID
$pbiToken = (az account get-access-token --resource "https://analysis.windows.net/powerbi/api" --query accessToken -o tsv)
$datasets = (Invoke-RestMethod "https://api.powerbi.com/v1.0/myorg/groups/$wsId/datasets" `
-Headers @{ Authorization = "Bearer $pbiToken" }).value
$datasets | Where-Object { $_.name -eq "YourModelName" } | Select-Object name, id
Connecting to a Fabric SQL Endpoint (Warehouse / Lakehouse SQL)
For SQL-based connections (not semantic model), use a different pattern:
<DataSource Name="MyWarehouse">
<rd:SecurityType>None</rd:SecurityType>
<ConnectionProperties>
<DataProvider>SQL</DataProvider>
<ConnectString>Data Source={sql-endpoint-hostname};Initial Catalog={database-name};Encrypt=True;TrustServerCertificate=False;</ConnectString>
<IntegratedSecurity>false</IntegratedSecurity>
</ConnectionProperties>
</DataSource>
SQL endpoint rules:
- Do NOT include any
Authentication= keyword in the ConnectString — it causes credential conflicts in Report Builder
IntegratedSecurity must be false (as a separate element)rd:SecurityType must be None- Credentials are handled by Report Builder UI dialog or the Fabric service at runtime
DAX Dataset Queries
PBIDATASET sources use DAX queries, not SQL. Every dataset query starts with EVALUATE.
DataField Format
Fields from the semantic model use tablename[columnname] notation.
Computed measure columns use [MeasureName] (no table prefix).
<Field Name="customer_id">
<DataField>customers[customer_id]</DataField>
<rd:TypeName>System.String</rd:TypeName>
</Field>
<Field Name="TotalClaimed">
<DataField>[TotalClaimed]</DataField>
<rd:TypeName>System.Double</rd:TypeName>
</Field>
Common DAX Query Patterns
Aggregation with SUMMARIZECOLUMNS:
EVALUATE
SUMMARIZECOLUMNS(
table[group_col_1],
table[group_col_2],
"MeasureName1", SUM(table[amount]),
"MeasureName2", COUNTROWS(table),
"MeasureName3", AVERAGEX(FILTER(table, NOT ISBLANK(table[col])), table[col])
)
ORDER BY table[group_col_1], table[group_col_2]
Top N with TOPN:
EVALUATE
TOPN(50,
SUMMARIZECOLUMNS(
table1[col1],
table2[col2],
"Measure1", CALCULATE(COUNTROWS(related_table)),
"Measure2", CALCULATE(SUM(related_table[amount]))
),
[Measure1], DESC
)
ORDER BY [Measure1] DESC
Cross-table queries: SUMMARIZECOLUMNS automatically handles relationships defined
in the semantic model. Include columns from multiple tables and the engine resolves joins.
Type Mapping
| DAX / Lakehouse Type | RDL TypeName |
|---|
| string | System.String |
| integer, long | System.Int64 |
| double, decimal | System.Double |
| date, datetime | System.DateTime |
| boolean | System.Boolean |
Report Layout
Page Setup
Use millimeters as the unit. Set <rd:ReportUnitType>mm</rd:ReportUnitType>.
| Page Size | Width | Height | Use Case |
|---|
| A4 Portrait | 210mm | 297mm | Standard documents |
| A4 Landscape | 297mm | 210mm | Wide tables |
| A3 Landscape | 420mm | 297mm | Very wide tables (10+ columns) |
| US Letter | 216mm | 279mm | US standard |
CRITICAL: The <Width> element inside <ReportSection> must be present and should
match <PageWidth>. Omitting it causes rsInvalidReportDefinition on import.
<ReportSection>
<Body>...</Body>
<Page>
<PageFooter>...</PageFooter>
<PageHeight>297mm</PageHeight>
<PageWidth>420mm</PageWidth>
<LeftMargin>10mm</LeftMargin>
<RightMargin>10mm</RightMargin>
<TopMargin>10mm</TopMargin>
<BottomMargin>10mm</BottomMargin>
<Style />
</Page>
<Width>420mm</Width>
</ReportSection>
Body Structure
The <Body> contains <ReportItems> and a <Height>. Set body height large enough to
contain all report items. It auto-shrinks at render time but must be >= the tallest
item's Top + Height.
<Body>
<ReportItems>
</ReportItems>
<Style />
<Height>800mm</Height>
</Body>
Section Headers
Use <Rectangle> with a dark background and a child <Textbox> for section titles:
<Rectangle Name="SectionHeader">
<ReportItems>
<Textbox Name="SectionTitle">
<CanGrow>false</CanGrow>
<Paragraphs>
<Paragraph>
<TextRuns>
<TextRun>
<Value>Section Title Here</Value>
<Style>
<FontFamily>Segoe UI</FontFamily>
<FontSize>12pt</FontSize>
<FontWeight>Bold</FontWeight>
<Color>White</Color>
</Style>
</TextRun>
</TextRuns>
<Style />
</Paragraph>
</Paragraphs>
<Style>
<Border><Style>None</Style></Border>
</Style>
<Left>5mm</Left>
<Top>3mm</Top>
<Width>247mm</Width>
<Height>8mm</Height>
</Textbox>
</ReportItems>
<Style>
<Border><Style>None</Style></Border>
<BackgroundColor>#2E6DA4</BackgroundColor>
</Style>
<Left>0mm</Left>
<Top>37mm</Top>
<Width>257mm</Width>
<Height>14mm</Height>
</Rectangle>
Tablix (Data Table)
A Tablix has three main parts: TablixBody (columns + rows), TablixColumnHierarchy,
and TablixRowHierarchy.
Structural rules:
- Number of
<TablixColumn> must match number of <TablixCell> in every <TablixRow>
- Number of
<TablixMember> in ColumnHierarchy must match number of <TablixColumn>
- RowHierarchy has one
<TablixMember> per <TablixRow> — header row uses
<KeepWithGroup>After</KeepWithGroup>, data row uses <Group Name="..."/>
- Every
<Textbox> name must be unique across the entire report
<Tablix Name="TablixName">
<TablixBody>
<TablixColumns>
<TablixColumn><Width>38mm</Width></TablixColumn>
<TablixColumn><Width>30mm</Width></TablixColumn>
</TablixColumns>
<TablixRows>
<TablixRow>
<Height>8mm</Height>
<TablixCells>
<TablixCell>
<CellContents>
<Textbox Name="Hdr_Col1">
</Textbox>
</CellContents>
</TablixCell>
</TablixCells>
</TablixRow>
<TablixRow>
<Height>7mm</Height>
<TablixCells>
<TablixCell>
<CellContents>
<Textbox Name="Data_Col1">
</Textbox>
</CellContents>
</TablixCell>
</TablixCells>
</TablixRow>
</TablixRows>
</TablixBody>
<TablixColumnHierarchy>
<TablixMembers>
<TablixMember />
<TablixMember />
</TablixMembers>
</TablixColumnHierarchy>
<TablixRowHierarchy>
<TablixMembers>
<TablixMember>
<KeepWithGroup>After</KeepWithGroup>
</TablixMember>
<TablixMember>
<Group Name="DatasetName_Detail" />
</TablixMember>
</TablixMembers>
</TablixRowHierarchy>
<DataSetName>DS_MyDataset</DataSetName>
<Left>0mm</Left>
<Top>51mm</Top>
<Width>228mm</Width>
<Style>
<Border><Style>None</Style></Border>
</Style>
</Tablix>
Conditional Formatting
Use expressions in <Color>, <BackgroundColor>, <FontWeight> etc.:
<BackgroundColor>=IIF(RowNumber(Nothing) MOD 2 = 0, "#F0F4FA", "White")</BackgroundColor>
<Color>=Switch(
Fields!status.Value = "Approved", "#1A7A1A",
Fields!status.Value = "Rejected", "#B22222",
Fields!status.Value = "Pending", "#CC7700",
True, "Black"
)</Color>
<Color>=Switch(
Fields!risk_profile.Value = "High", "#B22222",
Fields!risk_profile.Value = "Low", "#1A7A1A",
True, "#CC7700"
)</Color>
Number / Date Formatting
<Value>=Format(Fields!amount.Value, "N0")</Value>
<Value>=Format(Fields!amount.Value, "N2")</Value>
<Value>=Format(Fields!date_col.Value, "yyyy-MM-dd")</Value>
<Value>=IIF(IsNothing(Fields!days.Value), "—", Format(Fields!days.Value, "N0"))</Value>
<Value>=Fields!first_name.Value & " " & Fields!last_name.Value</Value>
PageFooter
Globals!PageNumber, Globals!TotalPages, and Globals!ExecutionTime are only valid
inside <PageHeader> or <PageFooter>. Placing them in <Body> causes a validation error.
<Page>
<PageFooter>
<PrintOnFirstPage>true</PrintOnFirstPage>
<PrintOnLastPage>true</PrintOnLastPage>
<ReportItems>
<Textbox Name="PageFooterLeft">
<Left>0mm</Left><Top>3mm</Top><Width>100mm</Width><Height>6mm</Height>
</Textbox>
<Textbox Name="PageFooterCenter">
<Value>=Format(Globals!ExecutionTime, "dd MMM yyyy HH:mm")</Value>
</Textbox>
<Textbox Name="PageFooterRight">
<Value>=Globals!PageNumber & " / " & Globals!TotalPages</Value>
</Textbox>
</ReportItems>
<Style>
<Border><Style>None</Style></Border>
</Style>
<Height>12mm</Height>
</PageFooter>
</Page>
Common Errors and Fixes
| Error | Root Cause | Fix |
|---|
ReportItems incomplete content | <ReportItems /> self-closing in a <Rectangle> | Remove empty <ReportItems /> or add at least one child element |
PageNumber/TotalPages only in header/footer | Globals!PageNumber used in <Body> | Move the textbox into <PageFooter> inside <Page> |
Integrated security credential type conflict | Authentication=... keyword in SQL ConnectString | Remove all Authentication= keywords from ConnectString; set IntegratedSecurity=false, rd:SecurityType=None |
rsInvalidReportDefinition: ReportSection missing Width | No <Width> in <ReportSection> | Add <Width>{PageWidth}</Width> as child of <ReportSection> after <Page> |
RequestedFileIsEncryptedOrCorrupted on import | Using Invoke-RestMethod for multipart upload | Use System.Net.Http.HttpClient and include .rdl in datasetDisplayName (see paginated-report-ops skill) |
UnsupportedItemType: PaginatedReport | Using Fabric Items API to create report | Use the Power BI Import API instead (POST /groups/{wsId}/imports) |
| Every dataset must be referenced | Orphan <DataSet> not bound to any Tablix | Remove unused datasets or add a Tablix with matching <DataSetName> |
Design Checklist
Before generating or importing an .rdl, verify:
Reference Documentation
Companion Skill
For importing the finished .rdl into a Fabric workspace (including multipart upload,
folder placement, and overwrite handling), see the paginated-report-ops skill.
