# Display "No Data" message for Reports and Subreports

## Environment

<table>
	<tr>
		<td>Product</td>
		<td>Progress® Telerik® Reporting</td>
	</tr>
</table>

## Description

This KB article gives a brief description of how to show a **"No Data"** message when a report or a subreport has no data source or when the data source is empty.

## Solution

**For Report:**

1. Insert a textbox in the `Report Header` section with the value: "No data".

2. Set the textbox property of `Visible` to `False`.

3. Add a new Conditional Formatting Rule. In the Filters section, set the fields as follows:

   ```TEXT
   Expression: =Count(1)
   Operator: =
   Value: =0
   ```

4. Go to `Style` of the formatting rule -> uncheck the `Visible` box -> click `OK` -> select again the Style of the rule -> check `Visible` -> `OK` (This step is required because the designer needs to determine that a change has been introduced so that it re-serializes the report, otherwise the message will not change its visibility).

5. (Optional) Add a filter to the report itself so that the report can properly detect when there is no data and show the “No data” message. Configure the filter as follows:

   ```TEXT
   Expression: = Fields.Column1
   Operator: =
   Value: b
   ```

* Replace **Column1** with your actual field name
* The **Value** should be something that does not exist in your data source, such as a random letter like "N"
* Click OK to apply the filter

**For Subreport:**

You can display a 'No Data' message in a sub-report by using the same approach as for a Report.
If you want to hide the SubReport item and its content, then you can add a binding in the textbox item's `Bindings` collection like:

```TEXT
Property path: Parent.Parent.Parent.Visible
Expression: = Count(1)>0
```

The Property path has to be typed manually, where the `Parent` keyword can be used as many times as needed to get the item in the Main Report, which you want to hide.

## Sample Report

* [Download DisplayNoDataMessage](https://github.com/telerik/reporting-samples/blob/master/Sample%20Reports/DisplayNoDataMessage.trdx)

## See Also

* [How to: Set a No Data Message](https://www.telerik.com/products/reporting/documentation/designing-reports/connecting-to-data/how-to-set-a-no-data-message)