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What is iReport
iReport is an open source visual designer to create complex reports using the JasperReports library, the most advanced open source reporting engine available, leveraging all its power. The data to print can be acquired from any kind of data source including databases, OLAP XML/A connections, XML files, CSV files, collections of JavaBeans or even custom sources provided by the user. It provides a built-in support for several query languages like SQL, HQL, xPath, EJBQL and MDX and allows to plug custom languages in required like PL/SQL. iReport offers a complete environment to create and test the data sources, design the reports, preview and export them in all the supported formats including PDF, HTML, XML, Word (RTF), Excel, OpenOffice (ODF), text and CSV.
For the developers, iReport helps to generate Jasper files that can be deployed in any Java application (web and desktop application) to generate rich dynamic reports in any format. The integration with JasperReports requires only few lines of code providing instantly cutting-age reporting capabilities to any java application.
iReport can be used to deploy and edit reports in JasperServer, an high performance open source report server that provides additional services like security, resource repository, report scheduling, webservices for integration with other applications and a convenient web interface to manage, execute and generate the reports.
How JasperReports works
[Figure schema JasperReports]
The figure presents schematically a typical steps to create and deploy a report in a Java application. The first step is to create the report template, an XML file with extension jrxml (JasperReports XML). This template can be created by hand or using a tool like iReport. The jrxml contains all the layout information and other things like the optional query that must be used to acquire the data and the definition of input parameters. The jrxml file is compiled in a binary format producing a Jasper file. The Jasper file can be loaded in a Java application using the JasperRepors APIs, and used to generate the report providing a data source (i.e. a JDBC connection) and if required the input parameters (that can be used for instance to filter the records). The result can then be exported in a final format (like PDF) or viewed using the JasperReports built-in viewer.
All these operations can be performed directly in iReport as part of the report development process.
[Figure schema iReport]
For more information about iReport, take an iReport Tour.
