rpg and java vs java for report generating

["Mihael Knezevic" <m.knezevic@xxxxxxxx>]

hi,

i'm relative new and quite inexperienced in java on the as400 and would
like to ask a question:

my task: generate a report over several pages with a diagramm on top of
every page. the task ain't that difficult. my standard procedure would
be to collect all the needed data into a database file and then use this
database file to generate either a xml file to use it with something
like fop or to directly use the database file with some reporting
software like ms access (which is not a reporting software, i know, but
could be used as such).

but as the data is allready in a shape that it doesn't has to be
processed much further i could theorectically directly use it to create
an xml file which would be a more direct way with less steps.

my question: there are about 15000 records which have to be processed
for example into an xml file. is this too much to load it up into memory
and then work with it (f. e.: do some grouping) and then output it in
some way, or would it be better to create a physical file and do the
grouping with rpg?

thanx in advance.

mk