Writing plugin for iReport NB

I had not the time to write a plugin tutorial yet, but I can summarize here the steps.

An ireport plugin is just a plugin for NetBeans, so basically all the NetBeans plugin development tutorials will work just fine.

How to start:

1. Install the NetBeans 6.0.1 platform somewhere (you can install NetBeans 6.0.1 and configure it in a different version of NB as platform, or you can just downlaod the platform zip file here: http://download.netbeans.org/netbeans/6.0/final/zip/netbeans-6.0.1-200801291616-ml.zip

2. Add the platform to your NetBeans IDE (Tools->NetBeans platform)

3. Get the iReport source code from SVN (svn checkout --username anonsvn http://jasperforge.org/svn/repos/ireportfornetbeans)    or from a src distribution of iReport

4. Open the ireport project (it's the ireport directory itself), compile and run iReport

5. Start creating your new plugin (it can be part of the iReport suite, then you can export it using create NBM feature of NetBeans). Remember to add as dependency for your plugin the ireport-designer module.

Feel you free to contact me directly for any question about plugin development for iReport (giulio@jaspersoft.com)

Good Luck!

Giulio

Hi Giulio,

I just started migrating my DataBasePlugin from Classic to NB Version. (although the missing barcode will prevent me upgrading at all, but I hope sometimes the barcode support will come!?! )

I successfully added a window like the JasperServer Plugin does... so far no problem.

But now I need an external Jar for connecting to our Application-Server. Where do I have to put it that the IDE knows the needed classes?

When I use the ADD LIBRARY manager, it will add a new module (what I doesn't want)

I can see, that all your external libs are located under D:\iReport\iReport-nb-3.5.0-src\ireport\modules\ext

When I copy my jar within that directory my new PluginModule can't find the needed classes.

So where can I add those external jars needed for my plugin!?!??!

hoping for your support + regards from very sunny Germany

C-Box

Thx Giulio so far... now it works without the separate module. Is there no "GUI Wizzard" for adding an external jar (like in eclipse) instead of editing the xml by hand?!?

quite tricky the netbeans environment if you primary work with eclipse.

regards from sunny Germany

C-Box

Hi Guilio,

I just found some time again to migrate my plugin for new nb-ireport version further.

So I'm now able to load our designs from database and open the JRXML files in iReport - fine so far. :-)

code:

DataObject obj = DataObject.find(org.openide.filesystems.FileUtil.toFileObject(singleRep.getFile()));
                    OpenCookie ocookie = obj.getCookie(OpenCookie.class);
                    if (ocookie != null) {
                        ocookie.open();
                    }

Now I have a tree holding our designs. (see screenshot attached)

When I click at a node I want the corresponding design activated in "MainFrame". As there isn't any FileTree as in classic old version I can't find the way you did in classic version (there I looped through the opened files and found the ReportFrame).

So could you please give me a hint, how I can find the DesignFrame towards my ReportObject within the tree (I just have the opened file - I could also link the ocookie to my node-UserObject if needed)

quite complex the new structure :-O

tia

regards from rainy Germany

C-Box

well, the simple thing you are asking for is actually really complicated in NetBeans.

This is what can help a little bit. IReportManager allows you to add an JrxmlVisualViewActivatedListener:

public final void addJrxmlVisualViewActivatedListener(JrxmlVisualViewActivatedListener l)

If you are switching to preview or XML view, I assume you don't get any event, so be carreful.

My suggestion is to check if there is a visual view available after getting that event:

JrxmlVisualView view = IReportManager.getInstance().getActiveVisualView();
if (view != null) {  ....  }

If can be a good starting point...

Giulio

There are lots of problems with the source distribution building on my install of NetBeans.  The jasperreprots-components project is missing.  I completely removed it and the build then occurs.  There are a *ton* of warnings generated during the build and I'm not sure if they are important since the build completes without any errors and I can run whats there.  Are there supposed to be lots of warnings generated during this process?  and why the missing module?

Unfortunately it is no longer so easy. What you should do is check if the file has been modified in iReport (checking the isModified() in JrxmlEditorSupport). If it has not been modified, when the file is reloaded externally, no user prompt is displayed. If it is modified, force a jrxmlEditorSupport.saveDocument() and then make your changes.

giulio

I was able to successfully port my stuff to IR 3.5 after jumping thru some hoops:  namely going back to release 3.5.0 source distro and setting up part of module in NB 6.01 since 6.7 was complaining that adding an option pane required NB platform 6.5+.  The biggest problem right now is that I can't just distribute the module since I had to add a new data connection type to the IReportManager class.

But still happy I was able to get this stuff to work...

Hi Giulio,

I'm still looking for a way to get to know whether a JRXML is already openend or not within iReport and I searched your code how the instances are hold (seems to be the task of some openide classes) -> unfortunately without success .

Could you please give me (us) some hints how to access opened files (not just the ActiveVisualView) from a plugin????

would be really nice

tia

C-Box

Hi again,

back from holiday I had the hope that someone could help me out, but unfortunately it seems that I'm the only one who is

a) developing an iReport Plugin for new nb-version or

b) too stupid to find the right methods to control iReport remotely.

So again... is there any way to get the opened JRXML editor frames to close them by a plugin? Also I must know whether a JRXML was opened already or not (to prevent annoying "Reload question")

I struggeld with CloseCookie... and just found tutorials how to write own Netbeans IDE based apps... but not plugins that just use the given logic from e.g. iReport 3.5.X.

Please Giulio, if you find two minutes to point me into the right direction or if you have a manual, how to develop a plugin... you would make me happy!

regards from sunny Germany

C-Box

Hi there!

I developed an iReport plugin which works launching iReport inside the Netbeans Developer Studio.

Trying to deploy the nbm in a standalone iReport-Client fails...

It`s missing some dependencies which are available within Netbeans but not deployed to iReport...

I can't find any solution to get my plugin running.

Maybe someone here can give advices to me?

regards frank

Hi Giulio,

I'm fine thx for the question. Hope the same for you!??

Thx a lot for the nice code snipped... I didn't get it to work as module, as I still have NetBeans 6.0.1 and you dependecies requires new versions but I understood the code and I'm now able to close the files opened by my plugin. So you saved my summer and I can sleep better ( at least if Junior II is also sleeping between his breastfeedings ).

So I'm now just want to switch between openend files without reopening them (what I do now with simply OpenCookie.open() see code snippets in older post).

Is there a way to activate such a found JrxmlEditorSupport Component?

I already tried the "toFront" Method of the TopComponent. but it seems, it's not overriden in special for that purpose and just brings the whole (parent) window to front. (just as the apidoc tells).

public static void activateEditorByFile(File file) throws Exception{
        DataObject seachFileObj = getDataObjectByFile(file);
         Set<TopComponent> components = Collections.synchronizedSet(new HashSet(WindowManager.getDefault().getRegistry().getOpened()));
 
        for (TopComponent t : components) {
            JrxmlEditorSupport jrxmlEditorSupport = t.getLookup().lookup(JrxmlEditorSupport.class);
            if (jrxmlEditorSupport != null) {
                DataObject editorFileObj = jrxmlEditorSupport.getDataObject();
                if (editorFileObj.equals(seachFileObj)) {                    
                    t.toFront();
                    break;
                }
            }
        }          
    }

as I said: without success.

The code for STRG+TAB where you can easily change between opened docs seems to be within the core libs... so I can't take a look into the code how this is done.

The SHIFT + F4 also....

So... I don't want to reopen the files always if I navigate through my plugin, as iReport always ask if the external modified file should be reloaded. Would by glad, if you could help again.

regards from sunny Dresden /Saxony /Germany

C-Box

If everything would be such simple!

(meanwhile I got "jrxmlEditorSupport.view();" also to work, but will use your suggested one)

Thx so much!

C-Box

Hi Giulio big Guru,

I do have some troubles with the reload question of iReport that appears if the JRXML is changed externally,

The problem is, that when I load a JRXML via my plugin and save it back to database some verifications are done (field check, add some importdirective, check expression chunks and so on....)

This verification thread saves the JasperDesign back to JRXML and compiles this to a JasperFile and both (JRXML and JASPER) are saved in database finally.

So the file is changed outside iReport (but within my plugin) and even if there is nothing different (so when verify method has nothing changed) the question of reload pops up - but this is happen just if the JrxmlEditorSupportTopComponent is activated again. So if I still have an element selected I can change the Color (or any other attribute) of it, but when I then click into the editorpanel I get the question concerning reload caused by external changes (so this could happen even some minutes after the JRXML actually was verified&modified by plugin) - so it happens that some changes you made (especially complex expressions) are lost if the user activates the JrxmlEditorSupport Component later and answers "YES" to the reload-question.

So is there a chance to reload the jrxml by my plugin (right after it was saved in DataBase) to prevent that question???? Unfortunately "notifyUnmodified" or "reloadDocument" are protected inside the JrxmlEditorSupport.

Would be nice if you have a solution (again)

regards from today cloudy Germany

C-Box

Hi Guilio,

I did as you told and it seems to work. Now I pass the JasperDesign from JrxmlEditorSupport to my verifythread and just modify it.

I finally used the JrxmlEditorSupport.saveDocument() method. I guess it's the same as SaveCookie.save() ?

thx for your time, great work (as always)

regards from today sunny Germany

C-Box

Yes, it something similiar.

We store all designs and compiled objects in database for printing purpose within our ERP System.

Pictures and Fonts are also managed via the plugin and stored as we need it within EJB JBoss Appserver where no filesystem access is allowed.

So I guess JasperServer is something similiar but for normal reporting purpose... we build some logic behind our whole printing stuff. ( so different JRXMLs are reused between different functions to minimized design effort).

So the plugin migration is nearly done, now I just want to change the JR libs from 2.0.5 to 3.5.2 ones within our project and hope that it will work!!!!

have a nice day... till next question I'll surely have...

C-Box

What class is not found? And in which context? Running a report? Loading your module? Is the class required by your module or is it supposed to be used by iReport code?

Hi Giulio,

just send me an eMail if the JasperBabylon Tool (Plugin) is available and I'll do my best to find proper german translations!

One question came up yesterday....

If I change multiple designs and save the whole parent node (it's childs represent the Jrxmls of such a so called "print-template-set") I do call the JrxmlEditorSuppoer.saveDocument() method of each sub child node. I debugged it successfully and each node calls this method... (so nothing is skipped)

BUT the one that is active within iReport doesn't seem to get the flag "unmodified"... so even after the save call it's boolean method "isModified" returns true... but just the one which is active.

The other ones returns false... what is correct... so what could cause this and how can I avoid that. (it's kind of confusing the end user if he saves the design back to database but the node is still red what means "modified")

regards from again sunny Germany

C-Box

Hi C-Box,

I faced the same problem with the JasperServer plugin when I load an image referenced in the report from the repository.
You get null because the jrxml is loaded in a different thread and may take few milliseconds, you are calling the getModel too fast.

Here is the solution I adopted (you can find the code for reference in the JasperServer plugin, it is a module of iReport). I created a listener (JrxmLookupListener) that extends LookupListener and I use it as follow: 

DataObject obj = DataObject.find(FileUtil.toFileObject(new File(fname)));
                       
                        OpenCookie ocookie = obj.getCookie(OpenCookie.class);
                        if (ocookie != null)
                        {
                            ocookie.open();
                           
                            RepositoryReportUnit reportUnit = ReportUnitNode.getParentReportUnit(node);
                              
                            // Add temporary info about where this jd comes from...
                            JasperServerManager.getMainInstance().getJrxmlReportUnitMap().put(fname , reportUnit);

                            if (rf.getDescriptor().getWsType().equals( ResourceDescriptor.TYPE_JRXML))
                            {
                                JrxmLookupListener listener = new JrxmLookupListener(obj, jrxmlListeners, reportUnit, rf.getServer());
                                jrxmlListeners.add(listener);
                            }
                        }

The listener listen to the DataObject lookup. When the JasperDesign is loaded, it is put in the DataObject lookup, and you can get it from there or using the JrxmlEditorSupport, it's the same thing.

Giulio

Hi anyone,