The datatype is set to java.math.bigdecimal and we are calling JasperReport APIs in java to download the report in excel,we are not using JasperServer. In iReport Designer, when I set the following property - <property name="net.sf.jasperreports.export.xlsx.detect.cell.type" value="true"/> in properties expression for that textfield,I am able to generate XLS file with values being considered as numeric which is correct. But for some of the reports when I preview in XLS i am getting empty file.