David Ziffer (1/24/2013)
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So why does Express Edition install a version of BIDS that does not work no matter what you add to it, and which requires removal and replacement? I dunno. I also don't know why people buy life insurance policies for their dependent children, but I'm not gonna lose any sleep over it.
The "Express with Advanced Services" edition includes SSRS, and IIRC, includes the project templates for developing SSRS reports in BIDS. So BIDS is functional and useful with that edition. Maybe Microsoft didn't bother to remove BIDS from the installers for the other two flavors of Express edition.
I certainly understand your frustration, though. Installing and configuring Visual Studio/BIDS with the desired features or upgrade an existing installation can be confusing, and Microsoft doesn't provide much guidance or documentation to make it any easier.
Jason Wolfkill