Book Image

JasperReports for Java Developers

Book Image

JasperReports for Java Developers

Overview of this book

JasperReports is the world's most popular embeddable Java open source reporting library, providing Java developers with the power to easily create rich print and web reports. This book shows you exactly how to get started, and develop the skills to get the most from JasperReports. The book steers you through each point of report setup, to creating, designing, formatting, and exporting reports with data from a wide range of datasources, and integrating JasperReports with other Java frameworks. Starting with the basics of adding reporting capabilities to your application, and creating report templates you will first see how to produce your reports through the use of JRXML files, custom ANT targets, and then see preview them in both the browser and the native browser of JasperReports. Getting data into your reports is the next step, and you will see how to get data from a range of datasources, not only databases, but XML files, and Java Objects, among others. You will create better looking reports with formatting and grouping, as well as adding graphical elements to the report. You will export your reports to a range of different formats, including PDF and XML. Creating reports will be made even easier with a walkthrough of the iReport Designer visual designing tool. To round things off, you will see how to integrate your reports with other Java frameworks, using Spring or Hibernate to get data for the report, and Java Server Faces or Struts for presenting the report.
Table of Contents (13 chapters)
12
Index

Creating a Database Report in Record Time

iReport contains a wizard that allows us to quickly generate database reports (very useful if the boss asks for a report 15 minutes before quitting time on a Friday!). The wizard allows us to use one of several predefined templates that are included with iReport. Included report templates are divided into two groups: templates laid out in a 'Columnar' manner, and templates laid out in a 'Tabular' manner. Columnar templates generate reports that are laid out in columns, and tabular templates generate reports that are laid out like a table.

In this section, we will create a report displaying all aircraft with a horsepower of 1000 HP or more.

To quickly create a database report, we need to select the Report Wizard menu item from the File menu.

Creating a Database Report in Record Time

Then enter the database query that will retrieve report data from the database on the resulting pop-up window, and then click on the button labeled Next.

Creating a Database Report in Record Time

The complete query for the report is...