# Database Discussions > Reporting Services >  Crystal Reports XI vs. SSRS 2008 R2 (SSRS report layout issues)

## wilbiew

I developed Crystal Reports years ago and have recently taken on a project to decide between using Crystal Reports and SSRS.  I would like to use SSRS, but I've found it extremely difficult to format the layout of a report in SSRS.  I've read articles, blogs, and books, and I am at the point where I believe that SSRS simply doesn't support the ability to place a subgroup directly under the parent group.  Here is what I mean.  Suppose I have a table (dataset):

Region   City                   Name

West     San Francisco     Mr. A
West     San Francisco     Mr. B
West     San Francisco     Mr. C
West     Los Angeles        Mrs. X
West     Los Angeles        Mrs. Y
West     Los Angeles        Mrs. Z

In SSRS, all I can do is layout the report horizontally (dashes are empty spaces):


Region-----City-------------Name

West -----San Francisco----Mr. A
---------------------------Mr. B
---------------------------Mr. C
----------- Los Angeles----Mrs. X
---------------------------Mrs. Y
---------------------------Mrs. Z


However, I would like to layout the report vertically, which is easy to do in Crystal Reports:

Report Breakdown

West
 San Francisco
 - Mr. A
 - Mr. B
 - Mr. C
 Los Angeles
 - Mrs. X
 - Mrs. Y
 - Mrs. Z

To conclude, my questions are:

1.  How do I lay out my data vertically where a subgroup is directly under the other?  (I've tried adding "child groups" and adding groups "adjacent below" multiple times, but it is not achieving the desired effect.)

2.  Is there a feature in SSRS that is the same as "underlay following sections" in Crystal Reports?

If it helps, here are my examples in HTML:

*TABLE*

<table border="1">
<tr>
<th>Region</th>
<th>City</th>
<th>Name</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>West</td>
<td>San Francisco</td>
<td>Mr. A</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>West</td>
<td>San Francisco</td>
<td>Mr. B</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>West</td>
<td>San Francisco</td>
<td>Mr. C</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>West</td>
<td>Los Angeles</td>
<td>Mrs. X</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>West</td>
<td>Los Angeles</td>
<td>Mrs. Y</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>West</td>
<td>Los Angeles</td>
<td>Mrs. Z</td>
</tr>
</table>

*HORIZONTAL*

<table border="1">
<tr>
<th>Region</th>
<th>City</th>
<th>Name</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="6" valign="top">West</td>
<td rowspan="3" valign="top">San Francisco</td>
<td>Mr. A</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Mr. B</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Mr. C</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="3" valign="top">Los Angeles</td>
<td>Mrs. X</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Mrs. Y</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Mrs. Z</td>
</tr>
</table> 


*VERTICAL*

<table border="1">
<tr>
<th>Report Breakdown</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>West</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>&nbsp;San Francisco</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>&nbsp;- Mr. A</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>&nbsp;- Mr. B</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>&nbsp;- Mr. C</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>&nbsp;Los Angeles</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>&nbsp;- Mrs. X</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>&nbsp;- Mrs. Y</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>&nbsp;- Mrs. Z</td>
</tr>
</table>

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## jasonbougas

Hi there,

I too have a substantial amount of Crysal experience and am relatively new to SSRS.  I have set up an example in SSRS and the code is attached.  I hope this might be of some use.

I've shown how I got to this result in a few steps.  The last Matrix is the end product.

It's pointing to the AdventureWorks DW connection.

Jason

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