This blog is part of my series Making Data Tell a Story With SSRS Properties.
Property: CanGrow and CanShrink
The purpose of these properties is to allow a text box to grow or reduce in size to fit a value.
To access the property, select a text box and go to CanGrow or CanShrink. The options for both are True or False.
CanGrow
True – the text box will grow in size to fit a large value (default).
False – the text box will not grow.
CanShrink
True – the text box will reduce in size to fit a small value.
False – the text box will not reduce (default).
Example: I have an order status report that includes a text box for comments. CanGrow is false, and CanShrink is false.
Showing an order that has no comment, the text box will remain its default size.
I have no order with a short comment. The text box remains the default size.
I set CanShrink to True. The text box reduces in size to fit the shorter comment.
I have another order with a longer comment. I set CanGrow to True. The text box enlarges in size to fix the longer comment.
Further Reading:
Allow a Text Box to Grow or Shrink (Report Builder and SSRS)
Jes Borland is a Premier Field Engineer - SQL Server for Microsoft, where she is a trusted technical adviser, deep technical support, and teacher for her customers. Her experience as a DBA, consultant, and 5-time Data Platform MVP allow her to help the business and the IT teams reach their goals. She has worked with SQL Server as a developer, report writer, DBA, and consultant. Her favorite topics are administration, automation, and performance. She frequently presents at user groups, SQL Saturdays, and other community events. She is also an avid runner and chef.
