Export options "As Excel" and "As XLSX" take longer and are not loading JRPrint from cache in versions 4.5.x and later

Issue

Some users of JasperReports Server have noticed that the "As Excel" and "As XLSX" export options seem to take longer to generate than others. It is suspected that these options require re-executing the report (vs. other export options, which use the cached JRPrint object from the first execution of the report).

Explanation

It is true that the "As Excel" and "As XLSX" options require additional processing and may take slightly longer than other export options. The reason why is because as of 4.5.x, these options override the default pagination settings in the report (pagination ON) and render the reports WITHOUT pagination. This setup requires manipulation of the report and a re-compilation of the JRPrint object (the cached object cannot be used).

Due to popular demand, this was introduced as the default behavior for Excel-related export options in 4.5.x. Users generally disabled pagination in various ways for Excel output prior to 4.5.x, and this made the default output more congruent with user expectations (no need for page headers/footers in Excel rows).

For those who wish to continue exporting to Excel WITH pagination (and without the need for re-compilation of the JRPrint object), the "As Excel (paginated)" and "As XLSX (paginated)" options are available as well.