Jasper reports

F r o m

T e c h n o l o g i e s

t o

S o l u t i o n s

JasperReports
for Java Developers
Create, Design, Format, and Export Reports with the World’s Most Popular Java Reporting Library

David R. Heffelfinger

JasperReports for Java Developers

Create, Design, Format, and Export Reports with the World's Most Popular Java Reporting Library

David R. Heffelfinger

BIRMINGHAM -MUMBAI

JasperReports for Java Developers
Create, Design, Format, and Export Reports with the World's Most Popular Java Reporting Library
Copyright © 2006 Packt Publishing All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of briefquotations embedded in critical articles or reviews. Every effort has been made in the preparation of this book to ensure the accuracy of the information presented. However, the information contained in this book is sold without warranty, either express or implied. Neither the author, Packt Publishing, nor its dealers or distributors will be held liable for any damages caused or alleged to be causeddirectly or indirectly by this book. Packt Publishing has endeavored to provide trademark information about all the companies and products mentioned in this book by the appropriate use of capitals. However, Packt Publishing cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information. First published: July 2006 Production Reference: 1180706 Published by Packt Publishing Ltd. 32 Lincoln Road Olton Birmingham,B27 6PA, UK. ISBN 1-904811-90-6
www.packtpub.com

Cover Image by www.visionwt.com

Credits
Author David R. Heffelfinger Reviewers Thomas M. Ose Meenakshi Singh Sarosh Khateeb Development Editor Douglas Paterson Assistant Development Editor Nikhil Bangera Technical Editor Priyanka Baruah Project Manager Patricia Weir Editorial Manager Dipali Chittar Indexer Mithil Kulkarni Proofreader ChrisSmith Production Coordinator Manjiri Nadkarni Layouts and Illustrations Shantanu Zagade Cover Designer Manjiri Nadkarni

About the Author
David R. Heffelfinger has been developing software professionally since 1995;
he has been using Java as his primary programming language since 1996. He has worked on many large-scale projects for several clients including Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, and the USDepartment of Defense. He has a Masters degree in Software Engineering from Southern Methodist University. David is editor in chief of Ensode.net (http://www.ensode.net ), a website about Java, Linux, and other technology topics.

I would like to thank everyone at Packt Publishing, particularly Douglas Paterson, Patricia Weir, Nikhil Bangera, and Priyanka Baruah, and the technical reviewer,Thomas Ose. This book wouldn't have been a reality without your help. I would especially like to thank my family for their support.

A special dedication goes to my wife and daughter.

Table of Contents
Preface Chapter 1: An Overview of JasperReports
Brief History of JasperReports What is JasperReports? The JasperReports Open-Source License Features of JasperReports Flexible Report LayoutMultiple Ways to Present Data Multiple Ways to Supply Data Multiple Datasources Watermarks Subreports Exporting Capabilities Class Library Dependencies Typical Workflow Where to Get Help? Summary Downloading JasperReports Setting Up Our Environment JasperReports Class Library Required Libraries for Report Compilation Optional Libraries and Tools
Apache ANT JDT Compiler JDBC Driver Jakarta Commons1
7 8 9 9 9 10 10 10 10 11 11 13 13 16 17

7

Chapter 2: Adding Reporting Capabilities to Java Applications

19

19 22 23 23 25

24 25 26 26

Table of Contents iText JFreeChart Jakarta POI 27 27 27

Summary

28

Chapter 3: Creating Your First Report
Creating a JRXML Report Template Previewing the XML Report Template Creating a Binary Report Template

29

Generating the...