Integration of database reporting with ERP systems

1. A method of implementing a customer relationship management system that accesses a database system to create a report, the method comprising:

selecting, from a plurality of reports associated with the customer relationship management system, a report to run;

using a layout generator to generate a Report Definition Language Client (“RDLC”) file defining a layout for the selected report;

using a code generator to generate a C# subclass containing report specific variables and triggers for the selected report;

using a metadata generator to generate an XML metadata file describing basics of the selected report;

reviewing the XML metadata file to determine whether a request form for a database system is needed, the XML metadata file specifying at least the data to retrieve and the request form allowing a filter to be selected;

if the request form is not needed, running the selected report;

if the request form is needed, creating the request form for the database system using the XML metadata file;

selecting a filter for the selected report;

determining, using the XML metadata file, tables in the database system needed to run the report;

creating a database query;

executing the database query on the database system to obtain report results; and

using the RDLC file to create the selected report from the report results from the database query,

wherein a reporting runtime built around the generated C# subclass binds together the report specific variables and the request form, such that when any change is made to the request form, the report specific variables are correspondingly updated.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the XML metadata file contains at least one selected from a group comprising:

a report name;

a report caption;

a report permission;

a transaction mode;

a data items used in the report; and

fields of each data item.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the data items used in the report include table views and links between the data items.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein data is accessed from the database using the request form.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising using a reporting runtime program that utilizes the XML metadata file and the C# subclass to generate a report dataset.

6. A computer readable storage memory comprising computer executable code for creating reports in a customer relationship management system using a database system wherein the computer executable code comprises code for:

selecting, from a plurality of reports associated with the customer relationship managements system, a report to run;

using a layout generator to generate a Report Definition Language Client (“RDLC”) file defining a layout for the selected report;

using a code generator to generate a C# subclass containing report specific variables and triggers for the selected report;

using a metadata generator to generate an XML metadata file describing basics of the selected report;

reviewing the XML metadata file to determine whether a request form for a database system is needed, the XML metadata file specifying at least the data to retrieve and the request form allowing a filter to be selected;

if the request form is not needed, running the selected report;

if the request form is needed, creating the request form for the database system using the XML metadata file;

selecting a filter for the selected report;

determining, using the XML metadata file, tables in the database system needed to run the report;

creating a database query;

executing the database query on the database system to obtain report results; and

using the RDLC file to create the selected report from the report results from the database query,

wherein a reporting runtime built around the generated C# subclass binds together the report specific variables and the request form, such that when any change is made to the request form, the report specific variables are correspondingly updated.

7. The computer readable storage memory of claim 6 , wherein the XML metadata file contains at least one selected from a group comprising: a report name; a report caption; a report permission; a transaction mode; a data items used in the report; and fields of each data item.

8. The computer readable storage memory of claim 7 , wherein the data items used in the report include table views and links between the data items.

9. The computer readable storage memory of claim 6 , further comprising using a reporting runtime program that utilizes the XML metadata file and the C# subclass to generate a report dataset.

10. A computer system comprising a processor for executing computer executable code, a memory for storing computer executable code and an input output circuit for communicating computer executable code, the computer executable code comprising code for:

selecting, from a plurality of reports associated with an enterprise resource planning system, a report to run;

using a layout generator to generate a Report Definition Language Client (“RDLC”) file defining a layout for the selected report;

using a code generator to generate a C# subclass containing report specific variables and triggers for the selected report;

using a metadata generator to generate an XML metadata file describing basics of the selected report;

reviewing the XML metadata file to determine whether a request form for a database system is needed, the XML metadata file specifying at least the data to retrieve and the request form allowing a filter to be selected;

if the request form is not needed, running the selected report;

if the request form is needed, creating the request form for the database system using the XML metadata file;

selecting a filter for the selected report;

determining, using the XML metadata file, tables in the database system needed to run the report;

creating a database query;

using a reporting runtime program to generate a result dataset from the database query on the database system utilizing the XML metadata file and the C# subclass; and

using the RDLC file to create the selected report from the result dataset,

wherein a reporting runtime built around the generated C# subclass binds together the report specific variables and the request form, such that when any change is made to the request form, the report specific variables are correspondingly updated.

11. The computer executable code of claim 10 , wherein the XML metadata file contains at least one selected from a group comprising:

a report name;

a report caption;

a report permission;

a transaction mode;

a data items used in the report; and

fields of each data item.