How to enable Trace Listener for Standalone Designer that opens reports from the Report Server

Environment

Product Version	4.1 18.516
Product	Progress® Telerik® Report Server

Description

Sometimes it is necessary to get the Trace Listener log for the Standalone Designer that opens reports from the Telerik Report Server. There are two options to get such Trace logs, based on which report designer instance will be used.

Solution

First option :
By default when the report is opened directly from the Report Server Manager we use the ClickOnce deployment. An instance of the Standalone Designer is deployed in a folder, which is not explicitly specified, and could change when the report is opened with ClickOnce the next time. Due to this inconsistency we do NOT recommend to use this designer for the purpose of error tracing. If you prefer this approach though, here are the necessary steps:
The ClickOnce install directory is hard to find so while trying to open the report from the server (Design Reports button) invoke the Windows Task Manager (key combination Ctrl+Shift+Esc) and open the Standalone Designer location from there (right click on Telerik Report Designer... and select Open file location). The location folder looks like C:\Users\currentUserName\AppData\Local\Apps\2.0\RYEGNMR1.X05\AAAR4WG1.OO0\tele...app_0ec16cac1aa370e1_000c.0001_5a5ebd3f2e011654.
Save the following config file in the opened folder. Note that the name of the config file should match the designer EXE file, with additional .config at the end, i.e. Telerik.ReportDesigner.exe.config.

<?xml version ="1.0"?>
<configuration>
    <configSections>
        <section
        name="Telerik.Reporting"
        type="Telerik.Reporting.Configuration.ReportingConfigurationSection, Telerik.Reporting"
        allowLocation="true"
        allowDefinition="Everywhere"/>

        <section
        name="Telerik.ReportDesigner"
        type="Telerik.ReportDesigner.Configuration.ReportDesignerConfigurationSection, Telerik.ReportDesigner.Configuration"
        allowLocation="true"
        allowDefinition="Everywhere"/>    
    </configSections>

    <startup>
        <supportedRuntime version="v4.0" sku=".NETFramework,Version=v4.0"/>
    </startup>

    <runtime>
            <assemblyBinding xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v1">
              <!--
              <probing privatePath="path-to-the-assemblies"/>
              -->
              <dependentAssembly>
            <!-- Required for interoperability with older versions of Telerik Reporting -->
            <assemblyIdentity name="Telerik.Reporting" culture="neutral" publicKeyToken="a9d7983dfcc261be"/>
            <bindingRedirect oldVersion="0.0.0.0-12.1 18.516" newVersion="12.1 18.516"/>
              </dependentAssembly>
            </assemblyBinding>
    </runtime>

    <connectionStrings>
        <add name="Telerik.Reporting.Examples.CSharp.Properties.Settings.TelerikConnectionString"
        connectionString="Data Source=(local)\SQLEXPRESS;Initial Catalog=AdventureWorks;Integrated Security=SSPI"
        providerName="System.Data.SqlClient" />
    </connectionStrings>

    <Telerik.ReportDesigner DefaultWorkingDir="Examples">
    </Telerik.ReportDesigner>

    <!-- Add assembly references -->
    <!--
    <Telerik.Reporting>
        <AssemblyReferences>
            <add name="MyFunctions" version="1.0.0.0" />
        </AssemblyReferences>
    </Telerik.Reporting>
    -->


    <system.diagnostics>
        <trace autoflush="true" indentsize="4">
            <listeners>
                <add name="myListener" type="System.Diagnostics.TextWriterTraceListener" initializeData="C:\Temp\Telerik.ReportDesigner.log" />
                <remove name="Default" />
            </listeners>
        </trace>
    </system.diagnostics>

</configuration>

The Trace Listener should generate and save a Trace Log file in C:\Temp\Telerik.ReportDesigner.log (you can change the file name/folder in the config file).

Second option:
If you have Telerik Reporting installed, we recommend to use the Standalone Designer from the Telerik Reporting installation folder. Typically, for example for version R2 2018 this will be C:\Program Files (x86)\Progress\Telerik Reporting R2 2018\Report Designer. Enable Trace Listener in the Telerik.ReportDesigner.exe.config (or Telerik.ReportDesigner.x86.exe.config) in the same folder, as explained in the Standalone Report Designer Problems article. Open this Standalone Designer and choose to open a report from Reports Servers->the corresponding server (add it with Add Server if necessary).