I just started learning how to use JasperReports and I think this is one of the best ideas to share what I learnt.
What is Jasper Report?
Jasper Reportsis an open source Java reporting tool that can generate dynamic content for a variety of targets, such as: screen, a printer, into PDF, HTML, Microsoft Excel, RTF, ODT, Comma-separated values or XML files.
It cannot run on its own and must be embedded in another client- or server-side Java application.
What is iReport?
iReport is an OpenSource program that can create complex reports which can use every kind of java application through JasperReports library. It is written in 100% pure java and it is distributed with its source codes according to the GNU General Public License. It is a visual tool to obtain XML files for JasperReports. It provides a WYSIWYG environment to design reports.
iReports is the Visual Report Designer for JasperReports library, which is the open source Java reporting library. You can also use JasperReports Server instead of JasperReports if you don’t want to create custom application for reports. JasperReports is easy to integrate with Java application.
JasperServer provides a web based interface to manage, schedule, and run the reports; a repository to store all the report resources like images, fonts, data sources and much more; a security service to decide who can execute which report; and a web services API to execute the reports from external applications (so you can generate reports from any kind of environment, like PHP or .NET).
In the big picture, iReport Designer allows you to design reports, JasperReports allows to execute them and generate output in a Java application, and JasperServer allows both end users and external applications to access, view, and publish your reports securely. JasperServer also makes reports interactive by adding drill down and drill up capabilities to your documents.
You can use iReport in two different ways-
a. Standalone installation
b. Using Plugins
This is all for now. If you have any question, please leave comment. To get further update, please follow this blog.
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