Resource types are based on various reports and report elements that users and administrators store in the repository.

Two fundamental resource types are those end users can create, and those administrators must create. Procedures for end users to create resources are described in the JasperReports Server User Guide. End users create the following resources:

Resources Created by End Users

Resource Type

Description

Ad Hoc view

Professional edition only. Users Create Ad Hoc views interactively in the Ad Hoc Editor by dragging and dropping columns of data onto a table, chart, or crosstab. Users can then explore their data by applying filters and performing pivot operations. An Ad Hoc view can also be saved as an interactive report and shared with other users.

Dashboard

Professional edition only. A collection of reports, input controls, graphics, labels, and web content displayed together. Users create dashboards interactively in the Dashboard Designer and save them in the repository.

Content resource

Report output of any format, either from running a report in the background or from scheduling a report. A content resource is a simple file that the repository allows users to view or download.

JasperReport or simply report

A report combines a JRXML file, a data source, and optional components such as input controls. Users can run reports in the server. Depending on the use case, both users and administrators create JasperReports in the server. For more information, see JasperReport Structure. Optionally, reports may also store a snapshot of the report data to improve performance when many users access the same reports.

Report version

Professional edition only. Reports with input controls allow you to save combinations of input data so that you can run a custom version of the report directly. In the repository, report versions are always listed under the original report.

The other types of resources are all created and managed in the repository by administrators. The following resources generally support the report creation:

Resources Created by Administrators

Resource Type

Description

Data source

A connection that points to a database or other data store. Data sources define where data is stored for reporting. There are several types of data sources, based on the type of connection or location of the data: JDBC, JNDI, and bean data sources. For more information, see Data Sources.

Datatype

A basic resource that defines the format for input values, for example text, number, or date. A datatype may also specify a valid range for the input value.

Domain

A metadata layer that selects, joins, and filters tables and fields from your data. A Domain can be the basis for an Ad Hoc report. Domains also support row-level security and localization of labels. Domains are further documented in the JasperReports Server User Guide.

File

A resource that stores data in the repository. File Resource Types gives the list of supported file formats and their purpose.

Input Control

A complex type that specifies the values users can input for a report and how the input field appears when running the report, for example radio buttons or check boxes. Input controls depend on datatypes or lists of values to specify the format of the input.

List of Values

A basic resource that defines a list of arbitrary labels for input. Each label is associated with a value that can correspond to your data. For example, the Month Names List in the sample data associates the name of each month with a value 1 to 12.

Query

A database query string, for example in SQL. The JRXML doesn’t necessarily include the query, in which case, you must define a query resource for use in the JasperReport.

Administrators can also manage OLAP resources in the repository, if their license supports Jaspersoft OLAP. For more information about OLAP and Mondrian resources, see the Jaspersoft OLAP User Guide.

OLAP Resources Created by Administrators

Resource Type

Description

Mondrian XML/A Source

A server-side XMLA source definition of a remote client-side XML/A connection.

OLAP Client Connection

Specifies how to retrieve data for an OLAP view. An OLAP client connection is either a direct Java connection (Mondrian connection) or an XML-based API connection
(XML/A connection).

OLAP View

If you implement Jaspersoft OLAP, a view of multidimensional data based on an OLAP client connection and an MDX query. Like JasperReports, OLAP Views are collections of individual resources that define how to access and present the data.