How to convert a ReportViewer report definition from 2016 to 2008

As stated in this answer on Stack Overflow, a version 2016 RDLC file can be converted to a version 2008 RDLC file by editing the xml like so:

Update Version 2016 to 2008 in first line.
Delete two lines of both opening and closing part of the ReportSection and ReportSections.
Delete complete ReportParametersLayout part.

Here is a script that be assigned to a macro in Microsoft Visual Studio 2019 to accomplish this quickly.

/// <reference path="C:\Users\keck.60a\AppData\Local\Microsoft\VisualStudio\16.0_f59d0164\Macros\dte.js" />


function replaceRegex(FindWhat, ReplaceWith)
{
    dte.Find.Action = 4; // vsFindAction.vsFindActionReplaceAll;
    dte.Find.FindWhat = FindWhat;
    dte.Find.ReplaceWith = ReplaceWith;
    dte.Find.Target = 1; // vsFindTarget.vsFindTargetCurrentDocument;
    dte.Find.PatternSyntax = 1; // vsFindPatternSyntax.vsFindPatternSyntaxRegExpr;
    dte.Find.ResultsLocation = 0; // vsFindResultsLocation.vsFindResultsNone;
    dte.Find.Action = 4; // vsFindAction.vsFindActionReplaceAll;
    dte.Find.Execute();
}

replaceRegex('<Report xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sqlserver/reporting/2016/01/reportdefinition" xmlns:rd="http://schemas.microsoft.com/SQLServer/reporting/reportdesigner">', '<Report xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sqlserver/reporting/2008/01/reportdefinition" xmlns:rd="http://schemas.microsoft.com/SQLServer/reporting/reportdesigner">');
replaceRegex('<ReportSections>', '');
replaceRegex('<ReportSection>', '');
replaceRegex('</ReportSection>', '');
replaceRegex('</ReportSections>', '');
replaceRegex('<ReportParametersLayout>.*(.*\n)*.*</ReportParametersLayout>', '');

To use this macro:

• • Install the Macros for Visual Studio extension.
  • Go to Tools -> Macro Explorer.
  • Add a new macro, paste in this code, and save.
  • Open your version 2008 RDLC file.
  • Right-click your new macro in the Macro Explorer and select Playback.