Re: Java-Based Web Reporting

Hi
do you do jasper from eclipse? if yes is there a way
to setup jasper in eclipse,
also if i have to do web reports is it possible from
jasper.
I need to design a report and then store in web
application to be invoked from jsp

Ashish

--- Pete Helgren <Pete@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Dave,
> 
> We are still early in the cycle on the use of Jasper
> for reporting but 
> so far it is looking good.  We develop Open Source
> school administration 
> software (G/L,A/P,Warehouse,Fixed Assets, Payroll,
> H/R, Student 
> Grading-Attendance-Scheduling, the whole tamale) We
> use a couple of 
> different development methodologies: Java and a
> RPG-CGI type of 
> application called Relational Web. Java already had
> a pretty good set of 
> report rendering tools out there so that is how we
> ended up with 
> Jasper.  On the designing side, as I said before, we
> are still working 
> on getting beyond just having a predefined set of
> sort and selection 
> options (check boxes and drop down list selections
> on an HTML form).  
> The best report design approach would be allowing a
> user to drag and 
> drop stuff on to a form and fire it off.  We have a
> ways to go before we 
> are there. 
> 
> As for performance, we do have a student transcript
> that pulls data from 
> several files and uses sub reports to format and
> present them on the 
> transcript form itself.  On our very low end model
> 800 (V5R2M0)  it 
> takes about 15 seconds to build the report.  I think
> on the i5 we 
> designed it for, it takes 2-3 seconds.  It runs pure
> Java on the iSeries 
> using Tomcat as the servlet container.  My guess is
> that depending upon 
> the size of the box and it's utilization you will
> get better or worse 
> performance.  Also, optimizing the SQL is helpful in
> improving 
> performance as well.  At it's simplest: 1. We build
> a report form using 
> iReport that takes parameters. 2. We build an HTML
> page that allows the 
> users to chose the values being passed to the
> report.  3.  We call a 
> Java servlet passing it the report parameters so it
> renders the report.  
> That is about it.
> 
> With a little luck I will have working demo code
> with a DB library with 
> sample data so that it can be installed and run "out
> of the box" in the 
> next week or so.  Your iSeries will need to be set
> up to run Tomcat 
> (plenty of info on this list on how to do that) but
> that is about it.  
> I'll e-mail you off list once I have it all packaged
> up. 
> 
> If you are itching to try some stuff, are familiar
> with Java, and 
> already have Tomcat installed on your iSeries, I can
> probably give you a 
> few pointers to get you moving on a simple report to
> start with (if you 
> use the Eclipse IDE, that is a plus for me to give
> you pointers).
> 
> Pete
> 
> 
> dsager@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
> 
> >Pete & Aaron,
> >
> >Long story short:  I'm re-writing a VB application
> that accesses
> >iSeries data.  It used ActiveReports to generate
> reports from a
> >custom-built query engine.
> >
> >The query engine was redeveloped using RPG and
> WebFaced screens,
> >with the final result being an SQL statement.  I'm
> throwing the
> >results to a subfile (so they can select items to
> work with) but
> >would rather having something a bit stronger for
> "physical" output
> >(ActiveReports provides a variety of destinations:
> printer, .xls, .pdf,
> >etc.).  I was toying with the idea of using ASC's
> Sequel line of
> >query tools, but they don't seem to have all of the
> output options
> >that Jasper does.
> >
> >That said, it sounds like I would have something
> similar to what
> >Pete has done.  One of the objectives of the
> re-write was to keep
> >most / all of the processing on the iSeries (we
> have 60+ plants
> >that will be hitting this so response time is a
> significant factor).
> >I'd love to hear how you solved this, Pete.
> >
> >
> >Pete@xxxxxxxxxx wrote:
> >
> >Anyone have any tips on installing this on iSeries
> ?
> >
> >Pete Helgren wrote:
> >
> >I guess I'd ask the same question that Aaron asked:
>  What is the RPG
> >needed for?
> >
> >In our case, we have "pre-built" the SQL statement
> for the selects and
> >we allow the user to chose sorting and some column
> information and then
> >we update the SQL and compile and run the Jasper
> report.  If the "front'
> >end stuff is already done in RPG and you just want
> a nicer way to output
> >the content (and have multiple output options) then
> using the RPG to
> >build the SQL and passing that sql statement to the
> Jasper report would
> >be possible.  You could store the jrxml in the IFS
> and use the IFS API's
> >to open and update the file and then compile the
> Jasper report before
> >running it.
> >
> >We are heading this direction, allowing the user
> more design freedom
> >(report writing) rather than presenting just a list
> of canned reports
> >with limited sorting and selecting options, but we
> are not there yet.
> >And, we'd probably use a more graphical front end
> for report design
> >(like iReport) rather than RPG.
> >
> >But, if your RPG program already creates the SQL
> statement, hooking that
> >up to Jasper wouldn't be *too* hard (famous last
> words).
> >
> >Pete Helgren
> >
> >
> >
> >dsager@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
> >
> >  
> >
> >>Pete,
> >>
> >>By chance have you (or anyone else) tried to
> interface either iReport
> >>and/or Jasper with RPG?  I have a WebFaced
> application that is in dire
> >>    
> >>
> >need
> >  
> >
> >>of a good ad hoc reporting tool (I already have
> the front-end for field
> >>selection, sort / selection criteria, etc.) and
> this looks like it would
> >>    
> >>
> >be
> >  
> >
> >>more than great.
> >>
> >>Any help would be greatly appreciated.
> >>
> >>Dave Sager
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>Pete Helgren wrote:
> >>
> >>Aaron,
> >>
> >>We use Jasper reports which works very well and we
> use iReport as the
> >>designer tool.  It is a great free, open source
> combination.  You'll
> >>find iReport much easier to use than Query/400 and
> the formatting is
> >>much superior to  Crystal Reports (IMHO).
> >>
> >>iReports generates a compiled object that Jasper
> then uses to render the
> >>report.
> >>
> >>You'll find it here:
> http://ireport.sourceforge.net/
> >>
> >>Also DataVision has some useful features and
> produces nicely formatted
> >>reports.
> >>
> >>All of these applications are Open Source.
> >>
> >>Pete Helgren
> >>
> >>
> >>albartell wrote:
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>    
> >>
> >>>Does anybody know of some good and FREE (or near
> free) web reporting
> >>>      
> >>>
> >tools
> >  
> >
> >>>written in Java? The kind of reporting I am
> talking about is "on the fly"
> >>>build your own queries type deal, similar to
> Query/400.
> >>>
> >>>So far I have found Bzbyte reports which has a
> lot of nice features and
> >>>      
> >>>
> >is
> >  
> >
> >>>open source.
> http://www.bzbyte.com/a/bzbyte/Products.jsp
> >>>
> >>>I also have demo'd PlanetJavaInc's WOW product
> and am going to get a
> >>>      
> >>>
> >quote
> >  
> >
> >>>for their Professional version (I need input
> capable fields for report
> >>>search criteria). I also am not sure if this
> product supports MySQL or
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>      
> >>>
> >>not.
> >>
> >>
> >>    
> >>
> >>>Thanks for any info people can provide.
> >>>
> >>>Aaron Bartell
> >>>      
> >>>
> >
> >  
> >
> -- 
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