Setup for ASP.NET MVC (OWIN)

Introduction

This guide explains how to configure the Report Viewer middleware in an ASP.NET MVC (OWIN) application. You'll learn the necessary steps to install prerequisites, register services, and set up the middleware for report viewing.

Prerequisites

Before configuring the middleware, ensure that the following are set up in your project:

1. Install the required NuGet packages:

   • MESCIUS.ActiveReports.Aspnet.Viewer

   • Microsoft.Owin (if not already installed)

2. Add an OWIN Startup Class:

   • If your application doesn’t already have a Startup.cs file, you can add one by following these steps:

     1. In Visual Studio, right-click on your project in Solution Explorer.

     2. Select Add > New Item....

     3. Choose OWIN Startup Class from the list of templates.

     4. Name the file Startup.cs and click Add.

   • This automatically creates the Startup class for configuring OWIN middleware.

Add Report Viewer Middleware

In ASP.NET MVC, middleware is configured using OWIN. Follow these steps to set up the Report Viewer middleware:

1. Open (or create) the Startup.cs file.

2. Add the Report Viewer middleware to the request pipeline by calling UseReportViewer.

3. Update your web.config to handle URL patterns by setting requestPathInvalidCharacters="" and allowDoubleEscaping="true".

Example Configuration

Here’s an example of configuring OWIN middleware in Startup.cs:

using Owin;
using MESCIUS.ActiveReports.Aspnet.Viewer;

public class Startup
{
    public void Configuration(IAppBuilder app)
    {
        // Handle application-level errors
        app.UseErrorPage();

        // Add Report Viewer middleware
        app.UseReportViewer(settings =>
        {
            // Configure the Report Viewer here (optional)
        });

        // Ensure route handling works for existing files
        RouteTable.Routes.RouteExistingFiles = true;
    }
}

After adding the Report Viewer middleware, the next step is to configure it to meet your application’s needs. For a complete guide on the available configuration options, continue to the Middleware Configuration Options.