Index

• Description and features
• Reasons to use RReport
• Data population
• Components
• Customers
• RReport Visual Builder
• Using the API
• Uses of RReport
  • Standalone application
  • Web application (Servlet)
• Other versions
  • RReport Visual Builder for the Java[TM] platform
  • RReport Visual Builder for .NET

Add printing/reporting capabilities to your Java[TM] application or Web application. RReport will solve a one of the most common problems for Java[TM] programmers, report design and printing.

RReport can also be used in Web application in order to create HTML or PDF reports.

Architecture
Reports templates are created using RReport Visual Builder. They are stored as files with extension .rep. The templates are read at runtime and the data for the report is extracted from database , arrays or provided by your program. Finally the report can be printed, or exported to DHTML or PDF.
It runs on Java[TM] platform version 1.1 or later

• main features are

• Report fields can be populated using:

- database (JDBC[TM] drivers): RReport will connect to your database and retrieve the data to be printed. It will also take into account your table relationships (primary and foreign keys).

- arrays and JTables: you can provide an array of objects as data source for a part of the report.

- programatically: you can set the value of each single object in the report also using the API from your program.

- user defined data sources: You can create your own objects that implement the RSource interface in order to provide the data. For example, a Enterprise Bean could implement these interface.

• Components of the reports:

- fields (format, alignment)
- expressions
- current page number and date
- images
- combos
- areas
- JComponents

- checkbox
- background
- borders
- lines
- rectangles
- nested areas
- groups of areas

- page frame
- page header/footer
- report header/footer
- areas "Listener"
- charts (*)
- barcodes (*)

• Some users of RReport

- Hewlett Packard
- Bank of America
- Kellogg Canada
- Rational Software
- EDS

- Unisys Corp.
- Elmos Semiconductor AG
- Sodke & Associates
- Qualcomm Inc.
- Baxter Healthcare

- Cisco Photonics AB
- Boss International
- HP Consulting
- GE Aviaction Service Operation
... and many more....

RReport Visual Builder

The Visual Builder is the tool the developer uses for creating the reports templates (*.rep files) which will be loaded in the final application. It is a graphical tool which allows an easy design of the templates by means of dragging and dropping objects and editting properties. The reports can be tested by just pressing the preview or the PDF/DHTML button.

Using the API

We recommend to use RReport Visual Builder in order to create your report templates. However whenever a template is loaded at runtime all objects can be accessed and manipulated using RReport API (see Javadoc[TM] files). For example the following line:

((RField) report.getAreaByName("Detail").getItemByName("company")).fontColor=java.awt.Color.red;

would change the color of the text field called "company" in the detail area of the report.

It is also possible to create a report from scratch using the API, without the Visual Builder. For example:

// create report
RReport rep=new RReport((Frame) MainWin);

//create area
RArea HDR_PurchaseOrder= new RArea();
HDR_PurchaseOrder.width=16.429;
HDR_PurchaseOrder.height=4.074;
rep.setReportHeader(HDR_PurchaseOrder);

// add field to the area
RField lbltitle=new RField();
lbltitle.name="lbltitle";
lbltitle.x=0.132; // position and size
lbltitle.y=0.079;
lbltitle.width=7.339;
lbltitle.height=0.82;
lbltitle.setdefaultValue("Purchase Order");
lbltitle.FontColor=java.awt.Color.red;
lbltitle.FontType=new java.awt.Font("Arial",java.awt.Font.BOLD,18);
HDR_PurchaseOrder.add(lbltitle);

Using RReport in your Java[TM] Applications

RReport can be used in your Java[TM] applications in order to be able to preview and print reports. It supports printing api 1 ( java.awt.PrintJob) and printing api 2 ( java.awt.print.PrinterJob).

The software supports 2 preview windows, one of them is pure Awt (RReportWindow) and the other one(RReportJWindow) is a Swing component for Swing applications.

You can display and print a report in a few lines like for example:

// load report from file
RReportJ2 report=new RReportJ2(this);
if (!report.importReport("DBorder.rep")) System.exit(0);

// create preview window
RReportJWindow Win= new RReportJWindow(report,this);
// this will print the Header Area and all dependent areas
report.prepare();
report.endReport();
// show preview window
Win.show();

 

Using RReport in your Web Applications

If you are building a web application and you need to print a report we advise you to use RReport in order to create DHTML or PDF reports in the server. This report will be displayed by the browser in the client computer and printed using the browser's print button.

RReport includes a ready to use servlet that will assist you in this task. The servlet is able of loading and running the reports you have previously defined and then it sends the output as DHTML or PDF to the client browser.

For example, the following servlet call:

http://localhost:8080/rreport/servlet/RReportServlet?DEBUG=ON&
REPORTFILE=file://order.rep&IMAGESDIR=../webapps&FORMAT=DHTML&IMAGESPREFIX=/rreport/

will load a report from the file "order.rep", and produce a DHTML output. It is also possible to execute your own java classes when the report is loaded or to pass parameters to the reports.