Finding a Java report writer

[Trimtrom]

Hello

I am a VB programmer moving to Java.

With VB I always used Crystal Reports as a report writer. I am
planning to do some private database Java work, and I was wondering
what Java programmers do when they want to produce database reports. I
presume that none of the free IDEs such as JBuilder come with a report
writer built in.

I am especially interested in free opensource software, as I am a
rather penniless programmer. The report software would need to
integrate seamlessly with a Java database application, but I haven't
decided what database I am going to use yet.

I would be grateful for recommendations for free or very cheap
software.

Many thanks,

Trimtrom

 

[Roedy Green]

I was wondering
what Java programmers do when they want to produce database reports

see http://mindprod.com/jgloss/reportgenerator.html

 

[Richard Wheeldon]

I would be grateful for recommendations for free or very cheap
software.

http://jasperreports.sourceforge.net/

There are also a lot of ways to generate PDFs and web pages
if you decide to roll your own,

Richard

 

[David Segall]

Hello

I am a VB programmer moving to Java.

With VB I always used Crystal Reports as a report writer. I am
planning to do some private database Java work, and I was wondering
what Java programmers do when they want to produce database reports. I
presume that none of the free IDEs such as JBuilder come with a report
writer built in.

I am especially interested in free opensource software, as I am a
rather penniless programmer. The report software would need to
integrate seamlessly with a Java database application, but I haven't
decided what database I am going to use yet.

I would be grateful for recommendations for free or very cheap
software.

Many thanks,

Trimtrom

 

[David Segall]

Hello

I am a VB programmer moving to Java.

With VB I always used Crystal Reports as a report writer. I am
planning to do some private database Java work, and I was wondering
what Java programmers do when they want to produce database reports. I
presume that none of the free IDEs such as JBuilder come with a report
writer built in.

I am especially interested in free opensource software, as I am a
rather penniless programmer. The report software would need to
integrate seamlessly with a Java database application, but I haven't
decided what database I am going to use yet.

I would be grateful for recommendations for free or very cheap
software.

Many thanks,

Trimtrom

My background (and finances) are similar and I have summarised my
transition at <http://ide.profectus.com.au>.

If all you are seeking is a replacement for Crystal Reports ignore the
above and check out iReport <http://ireport.sourceforge.net/index.php>
which is a GUI front end for JasperReports
<http://jasperreports.sourceforge.net/>.

Most Java database applications, including the above, work with any
JDBC compliant database. Even Microsoft provides a JDBC driver. I have
listed the results of my search for a database at
<http:/database.profectus.com.au>

 

[Chris Uppal]

My background (and finances) are similar and I have summarised my
transition at http://ide.profectus.com.au.

Just curious, but what is that thing in the photo at the top of the page ?

-- chris

 

[Rhino]

Hello

I am a VB programmer moving to Java.

With VB I always used Crystal Reports as a report writer. I am
planning to do some private database Java work, and I was wondering
what Java programmers do when they want to produce database reports. I
presume that none of the free IDEs such as JBuilder come with a report
writer built in.

I am especially interested in free opensource software, as I am a
rather penniless programmer. The report software would need to
integrate seamlessly with a Java database application, but I haven't
decided what database I am going to use yet.

I would be grateful for recommendations for free or very cheap
software.

I've never used Crystal Reports; in fact, I have never knowingly looked at
any output from Crystal Reports.

However, I have found some free ways to generate reports from Java. Perhaps
this will supplement the information that others have given in their replies
to your questions.

One of the techniques I use is to write HTML pages from Java programs. I've
got some examples if you need them but they're a bit more involved than you
probably want. There's nothing very automated about this technique but it
lets you write pretty much anything you'd ever want; you just have to keep
writing println statements until everything you want it written to the
report. This doesn't use anything but native Java facilities so it doesn't
cost anything but time.

The other technique I've started using lately is the iText classes, which
can be found for free at http://www.lowagie.com/iText/. You can use these
classes in Java programs to write files in any of these formats: PDF, RTF,
HTML and XML. Again, you need to compose the content of these reports but
it's not terribly difficult coding for the most part; you just have to take
some time to write the statements.

With both techniques I've mentioned, you can access JDBC to get database
data and use that data in your reports.

 

[David Segall]

Just curious, but what is that thing in the photo at the top of the page ?

-- chris

Oh dear, and I thought it was so clever. It is the latest, greatest
Java machine from <http://www.rancilio.com/eng/classe10oro.html>.
Please tell me that you live in China and only drink tea.

 

[Alex Molochnikov]

Try Scribe. The Personal edition is free.

www.reportgenerator.org

Alex Molochnikov
Gestalt Corporation

 

[Roedy Green]

One of the techniques I use is to write HTML pages from Java programs.

I was thinking along the same lines. I have been using HTML to show
markup for various proposed reports. I dawned on me that composing
HTML is ever so much easier than doing this is "real" Java.

It is common to find a printer driver that will accept PostScript. I
wonder how long before it becomes common for them to accept HTML, or
at least for there to be 3rd party printer drivers much the way you
can get ones to produce PDF. This one would accept HTML and convert
it to printer intermediate form and send it on to a printer.

Perhaps HP might even invent a printer that accepts HTML as one of its
printer control languages.

 

[Hal Rosser]

Hello

I am a VB programmer moving to Java.

With VB I always used Crystal Reports as a report writer. I am
planning to do some private database Java work, and I was wondering
what Java programmers do when they want to produce database reports. I
presume that none of the free IDEs such as JBuilder come with a report
writer built in.

I am especially interested in free opensource software, as I am a
rather penniless programmer. The report software would need to
integrate seamlessly with a Java database application, but I haven't
decided what database I am going to use yet.

I would be grateful for recommendations for free or very cheap
software.

It appears that Crystal Reports will also work with Java, so you may not
have to go through another learning curve for doing reports.
http://www.businessobjects.com/jump/xi/

 

[Rhino]

I was thinking along the same lines. I have been using HTML to show
markup for various proposed reports. I dawned on me that composing
HTML is ever so much easier than doing this is "real" Java.

It is common to find a printer driver that will accept PostScript. I
wonder how long before it becomes common for them to accept HTML, or
at least for there to be 3rd party printer drivers much the way you
can get ones to produce PDF. This one would accept HTML and convert
it to printer intermediate form and send it on to a printer.

Perhaps HP might even invent a printer that accepts HTML as one of its
printer control languages.

Or use a print CSS to control the printed output, just the way you would
with a regular web page. Then you don't need to mess with PostScript at all.

 

[Chris Uppal]

Oh dear, and I thought it was so clever. It is the latest, greatest
Java machine from <http://www.rancilio.com/eng/classe10oro.html>.
Please tell me that you live in China and only drink tea.

I don't, but not to worry -- almost /anyone/ would be more likely to recognise
the trappings or apparatus of the coffee cult than me ;-)

-- chris

 

[Jon Martin Solaas]

My background (and finances) are similar and I have summarised my
transition at <http://ide.profectus.com.au>.

You can add Compuware OptimalJ to the gui product list ... It's
netbeans based and supports j2ee RAD, kindof 4gl-ish ...

 

[steve]

Just curious, but what is that thing in the photo at the top of the page ?

-- chris

obviously the guy likes coffee, but knows little about jpeg expansion