JasperDesign:How to manipulate it at run time

[2002 JI Open Discussion]

By: suyash - suyash

JasperDesign:How to manipulate it at run time

2003-05-08 23:04

HI !!

i m using jaser reports 0.4.5 & iReport for creating Jasper Designs. But my requirements is to add or remove some of Test fields from design at run time at users choice. User selects fields of table from GUI & clicks on generate report button. I need to show only those fields in the report.

Is it possible to do it in any way?

 

 

 

 

By: mike w - mwans

RE: JasperDesign:How to manipulate it at run time

2003-05-09 14:06

You may want to try dynamic query strings and use groups creatively to display only the data needed.

 

However, it is my understanding that you cannot change the attributes (page size, column number) of a report at runtime.

 

 

 

 

By: Teodor Danciu - teodord

RE: JasperDesign:How to manipulate it at run time

2003-05-10 12:20

 

Hi,

 

Some of the report settings can be changed

at runtime, even on a compiled report design

(JasperReport object), without need

for recompiling it.

You have to check the API to see what are those

settings that can be changed.

 

Adding and removing elements in a report design

is an effect that can be achieved using the

<printWhenExpression> functionality, but with

one condition:

The compiled report design has to contain all

possible elements.

Only at runtime, depending on the parameters

we pass to the report filling process, some of the

elements will appear and others will not.

But they all have to be there in the report design,

with their corresponding <printWhenExpression>.

 

Recent version of JasperReports let you rearrange

elements in bands by modifying the "x" and "width"

properties. But not the "y" and "height" properties

which could have implication in the consistency

of the overall report design.

 

Such changes are permitted because they do not

require report design recompilation.

They might suit some scenarios, but not all.

 

This is why in more complex situation,

it is impossible to alter the report design without

the need to recompile it.

And since the report compilation process is time

consuming, I always point out this solution:

 

Even if your users have the possibility to choose

themselves the information they want to have on

their reports, it does not mean they have to

describe their templates every time.

It is recommended that you offer your users the

possibility to define their templates once and then

use them over and over again. This way you

compiled them only when the users create or

modify them and not with every call.

Each user could create its own set of report

templates using a simple tool and could easily

reuse them instead of defining them every time

he/she wants to print.

 

I hope this helps.

Teodor