JasperReports Library - First Steps

  • Primary Audience: Java developers
  • Secondary Audiences: script and other software developers (PHP, Perl, C/C++, web services)

Step 1: Download JasperReports project files

Environment Commands
Linux Download and extract jasperreports-{ver}-project.tar.gz to a new folder, e.g.: /opt/jasperreports-{ver}
Windows Download and extract jasperreports-{ver}-project.zip to a new folder, e.g.: c:\program files\jasperreports-{ver}

JasperReports is a library that you embed in another application. "Installing" JasperReports simply means including the JasperReport "jar" file in the classpath of your application along with other required jar files. JasperReports can be downloaded from the Releases tab on the JasperReports Library Project Home Page.

Step 2: Download and install Ant

JasperReports uses the Ant build tool from the Apache Foundation to compile source files, build the distribution files, generate the JavaDoc documentation, and run the samples.

Download Ant from http://ant.apache.org. For installation instructions, visit http://ant.apache.org/manual/index.html.

Step 3: Start the sample database

   Note: For Windows 7, command prompt is required to be run in 'Run As Administrator' mode.

Environment Commands
Linux
  • prompt> cd /opt
  • prompt> cd jasperreports-{ver}/demo/hsqldb
  • prompt> ant runServer
Windows
  • prompt> cd \program files
  • prompt> cd jasperreports-{ver}\demo\hsqldb
  • prompt> ant runServer

Step 4: Run the sample applications

The JasperReports project files include a complete set of sample applications and reports that show how individual JasperReports features can be used.

Open another Command Prompt window and run the following commands in sequence to see some of the features available in the barcode sample application. As you become comfortable with the ant -p command, move on to other samples.

Environment Commands
Linux
  • prompt> cd /opt
  • prompt> cd jasperreports-{ver}\demo\samples
  • prompt> dir
  • prompt> cd barbecue
  • prompt> ant -p
  • prompt> ant javac
  • prompt> ant compile
  • prompt> ant fill
  • prompt> ant view
  • prompt> ant viewDesign
  • prompt> ant run
  • prompt> dir build\reports
  • prompt> ant clean
Windows
  • prompt> cd \program files
  • prompt> cd jasperreports-{ver}\demo\samples
  • prompt> dir
  • prompt> cd barbecue
  • prompt> ant -p
  • prompt> ant javac
  • prompt> ant compile
  • prompt> ant fill
  • prompt> ant view
  • prompt> ant viewDesign
  • prompt> ant run
  • prompt> dir build\reports
  • prompt> ant clean

Suggested Next Steps

  • Get a free copy of JasperReports Library Ultimate Guide
  • Download and install the Eclipse-based designer, Jaspersoft Studio.
  • Compile the source files, generate the JavaDoc API documentation, or build the distribution JAR files. Execute the Ant tasks declared in the build.xml file found in the root directory of the project tree (type ant –p at the jasperreports-{ver} root directory).

Comments

Submitted by yama818 on July 8, 2021 - 4:35pm

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BUILD FAILED
C:\jasper\jasperreports-6.17.0\demo\hsqldb\build.xml:6: Problem: failed to create task or type antlib:org.apache.ivy.ant:configure
Cause: The name is undefined.
Action: Check the spelling.
Action: Check that any custom tasks/types have been declared.
Action: Check that any <presetdef>/<macrodef> declarations have taken place.
No types or tasks have been defined in this namespace yet

This appears to be an antlib declaration.
Action: Check that the implementing library exists in one of:
        -C:\apache-ant\apache-ant-1.10.10\lib
        -C:\Users\xxxxxxxxxx\.ant\lib
        -a directory added on the command line with the -lib argument

Total time: 0 seconds
----------

It was resolved when I downloaded apache-ivy-2.5.0-bin.zip from http://ant.apache.org/ivy/, unzipped it, and copied ivy-2.5.0.jar to <ANT_HOME>\lib.
I don't know if this is the correct solution.

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