If reports are to be used in distributed applications such as web applications, all required files need to be shared between the systems involved or between the client and the server and kept synchronized at all times. Hence, it is a good idea to save the project files in a central database. However, this solution can become rather complex, especially when a project references pictures, drilldown projects, and other external files via local data paths, which then also need to be valid on another system.
With repository mode, the use of local files in a project can be done away with entirely, and List & Label projects as well as all the files they require can be managed at a central location (the so-called repository) with little effort—such as in a database or by a web service.