In this chapter we were introduced to JasperReports. We discussed the evolution of JasperReports from a small one-man project to a project backed and funded by a company that has raised millions of dollars in venture capital. We also had an overview of JasperReports, where we discussed that JasperReports is not a standalone reporting solution. Instead, it is a Java library that allows us to add reporting capabilities to our applications.
Next on the line was the JasperReports' open-source license (LGPL). The chapter provided us with a brief explanation of the features of JasperReports, including flexibility in report layout, the ability to display report data textually or graphically, and the ability to group report data. The JasperReports' class library dependencies were also discussed along with the typical workflow followed when designing reports. The chapter also provided us with the official online forums and mailing lists from where we can seek help.