I am converting an old LOB web application, which has about 500 SSRS RDL report files, in order to be able to edit the reports in VS 2012.
I installed Microsoft SQL Server Data Tools - Business Intelligence for Visual Studio 2012. Many of the reports convert well. Typically when I open them for the first time, they get backed up and an upgraded file is saved.
However, some of the RDL files load OK in the designer, but when I switch to Preview the parameter boxes appear as they should but also the Report Viewer panel indicates "Loading" and Visual Studio essentially locks up indefinately. The exact same behavior occurs when I try opening the files in VS 2008. (Many of the reports have previously been edited in Notepad and/or in very old SSRS tools, not in VS 2008 or VS 2012).
All the reports are running just fine in production in SSRS 2008 and many or most also in dev environments in SSRS 2008R2 . Seems like if the reports can be uploaded and run OK in SSRS, then when we upload them in VS we should get an error mesage rather than having VS lock up.
Is there a tool that will check an RDL file for correctness? Is there a way to detect error messages in the designer/viewer?
How does Microsoft recommend proceeding in this case? I would be happy to send you one of the problematic RDL files.