JasperReports - Designs

The JRXML templates (or JRXML files) in JasperReport are standard XML files, having an extension of .jrxml. All the JRXML files contain tag <jasperReport>, as root element. This in turn contains many sub-elements (all of these are optional). JasperReport framework can handle different kinds of data sources. In this tutorial, we shall show how to generate a basic report, just by passing a collection of Java data object (using Java beans), to the JasperReport Engine. The final report shall display a pst of people with the categories including their names and countries.

The Following steps are covered in this chapter to describe — how to design a JasperReport −

Creating a JRXML Report Template and.

Previewing the XML Report Template.

Creating a JRXML Report Template

Create the JRXML file, which is jasper_report_template.jrxml using a text editor and save this file in C: oolsjasperreports-5.0.1 est as per our environment setup.

<?xml version = "1.0" encoding = "UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE jasperReport PUBLIC "//JasperReports//DTD Report Design//EN"
   "http://jasperreports.sourceforge.net/dtds/jasperreport.dtd">

<jasperReport xmlns = "http://jasperreports.sourceforge.net/jasperreports"
   xmlns:xsi = "http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
   xsi:schemaLocation = "http://jasperreports.sourceforge.net/jasperreports
   http://jasperreports.sourceforge.net/xsd/jasperreport.xsd"
   name = "jasper_report_template" language = "groovy" pageWidth = "595"
   pageHeight = "842" columnWidth = "555" leftMargin = "20" rightMargin = "20"
   topMargin = "20" bottomMargin = "20">
  
   <queryString>
      <![CDATA[]]>
   </queryString>
   
   <field name = "country" class = "java.lang.String">
      <fieldDescription><![CDATA[country]]></fieldDescription>
   </field>
	
   <field name = "name" class = "java.lang.String">
      <fieldDescription><![CDATA[name]]></fieldDescription>
   </field>
	
   <columnHeader>
      <band height = "23">
         
         <staticText>
            <reportElement mode = "Opaque" x = "0" y = "3" width = "535" 
               height = "15" backcolor = "#70A9A9" />
            
            <box>
               <bottomPen pneWidth = "1.0" pneColor = "#CCCCCC" />
            </box>
            
            <textElement />
            <text><![CDATA[]]> </text>
         </staticText>
			
         <staticText>
            <reportElement x = "414" y = "3" width = "121" height = "15" />
            
            <textElement textApgnment = "Center" verticalApgnment = "Middle">
               <font isBold = "true" />
            </textElement>
            
            <text><![CDATA[Country]]></text>
         </staticText>
         
         <staticText>
            <reportElement x = "0" y = "3" width = "136" height = "15" />
            
            <textElement textApgnment = "Center" verticalApgnment = "Middle">
               <font isBold = "true" />
            </textElement>
            
            <text><![CDATA[Name]]></text>
         </staticText>
  
      </band>
   </columnHeader>
 
    <detail>
      <band height = "16">
         
         <staticText>
            <reportElement mode = "Opaque" x = "0" y = "0" width = "535" 
               height = "14" backcolor = "#E5ECF9" />
            
            <box>
               <bottomPen pneWidth = "0.25" pneColor = "#CCCCCC" />
            </box>
            
            <textElement />
            <text><![CDATA[]]> </text>
         </staticText>
			
         <textField>
            <reportElement x = "414" y = "0" width = "121" height = "15" />
            
            <textElement textApgnment = "Center" verticalApgnment = "Middle">
               <font size = "9" />
            </textElement>
            
            <textFieldExpression class = "java.lang.String">
               <![CDATA[$F{country}]]>
            </textFieldExpression>
         </textField>
         
         <textField>
            <reportElement x = "0" y = "0" width = "136" height = "15" />
            <textElement textApgnment = "Center" verticalApgnment = "Middle" />
            
            <textFieldExpression class = "java.lang.String">
               <![CDATA[$F{name}]]>
            </textFieldExpression>
         </textField>

      </band>
   </detail>
	
</jasperReport>

Here are the details of main fields in the above report template −

<queryString> − This is empty (as we are passing data through Java Beans). Usually contains the SQL statement, which retrieves the report result.

<field name> − This element is used to map data from data sources or queries, into report templates. name is re-used in the report body and is case-sensitive.

<fieldDescription> − This element maps the field name with the appropriate element in the XML file.

<staticText> − This defines the static text that does not depend on any datasources, variables, parameters, or report expressions.

<textFieldExpression> − This defines the appearance of the result field.

$F{country} − This is a variable that contains the value of result, predefined field in the tag <field name>.

<band> − Bands contain the data, which is displayed in the report.

Once the report design is ready, save it in C: directory.

Previewing the XML Report Template

There is a utipty net.sf.jasperreports.view.JasperDesignViewer available in JasperReports JAR file, which helps in previewing the report design without having to compile or fill it. This utipty is a standalone Java apppcation, hence can be executed using ANT.

Let s write an ANT target viewDesignXML to view the JRXML. So, let s create and save build.xml under C: oolsjasperreports-5.0.1 est directory (should be placed in the same directory where JRXML is placed). Here is the build.xml file −

<?xml version = "1.0" encoding = "UTF-8"?>
<project name = "JasperReportTest" default = "viewDesignXML" basedir = ".">

   <import file = "baseBuild.xml" />
   <target name = "viewDesignXML" description = "Design viewer is 
      launched to preview the JXML report design.">
      
      <java classname = "net.sf.jasperreports.view.JasperDesignViewer" fork = "true">
         <arg value = "-XML" />
         <arg value = "-F${file.name}.jrxml" />
         <classpath refid = "classpath" />
      </java>
   </target>

</project>

Next, let s open a command prompt and go to the directory where build.xml is placed. Execute the command ant (As the viewDesignXML is the default target). Output is follows −

C:	oolsjasperreports-5.0.1	est>ant
Buildfile: C:	oolsjasperreports-5.0.1	estuild.xml

viewDesignXML:
[java] log4j:WARN No appenders could be found for logger
(net.sf.jasperreports.engine.xml.JRXmlDigesterFactory).
[java] log4j:WARN Please initiapze the log4j system properly.

Log4j warning can be ignored, and as a result of above execution, a window labeled "JasperDesignViewer" opens, displaying our report template preview.

As we see, only report expressions for obtaining the data are displayed, as JasperDesignViewer doesn t have access to the actual data source or report parameters. Terminate the JasperDesignViewer by closing the window or by hitting Ctrl-c in the command-pne window.