jackson

Submit data to multi-dataset/multi-source with web-based reporting tool — RAQ Report

2009-06-05T20:17:00.000-07:00

Background

When developing data input module based on web, users always have to provide a data submission solution. The complexity of the solution is determined by the complexity of the input web-page.

Some conditions in an increasingly complex order are showed below:
1. There is only one record on the web-page.
2. Records correspond to a table of a database.
3. Records correspond to many tables of a database.
4. Records correspond to many tables of different databases.

Difficulty

1. Keep the transactional database consistency, especially when there are several databases.

2. Convert data type. The type of submitted data from web page is unrecognized; as a result, it has to be converted to proper type in database in the background.

3. Update the mapping relationship between field and the input cell on web page, especially a record corresponds to several cells indifferent expansion regions, or a field corresponds to a expression composed by several cells.

Someone may say that all these difficulties can be solved by writing program. However, the program has no commonality, and the workload will be huge.

Solution

RAQ Report is a professional web-based reporting tool. For users’ convenience, RAQ Report provides an almost perfect data submission solution: Multiple Database/Dataset Input Report.

With the Multiple Datasource/Dataset Input Report solution of RAQ Report, users can relate different tables from different databases, and submit data to multiple tables/databases, and keep the transactional consistency of database easily.

Easy Operation

1. Design an input report.
2. Define the Update attribute of the report. As shown below:

3. Release the report.

Source: Knowledge Base of RAQ Report
Original Post: Submit data to multi-dataset/multi-source with web-based reporting tool - RAQ Report
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Useful Links:
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Java Products and software download;
Vara Prasad S Manjula’s Blog;
Jackson’s Reporting Review

Tag after data input module, multi data source, multi dataset, RAQ Report, transactional database consistency, web-based reporting tool

RAQSOFT: Innovative Techology Makes Progress.

For more about reporting tool, you are welcome to refer to freezea's blog.

Video: Inside The Google Holodeck

2009-05-31T20:09:00.000-07:00

At this past week’s Google I/O event in San Francisco, Google brought a contraption it calls the “Holodeck,” for event-goers to experience. Basically, it’s a near-360 degree way to view Google Street View in fast motion, high definition video. Danny Sullivan posted a bunch of pictures of the thing earlier in the week.

Unfortunately, Google only allows it to show the area at and around the actual Google campus in Mountain View, as I’m sure it doesn’t want any legal complaint from those caught sunbathing in their backyards. Also, while it does zoom past the area where the Google Goats were kept, it unfortunately failed to catch any of them on tape. Luckily, I did that for you a few weeks ago.

Google’s Holodeck isn’t quite as cool as the Star Trek Holodeck, but give them a few years, I’m sure they’ll figure out how to do that as well.

Data input solution after changing data source dynamically in RAQ Report

2009-05-30T21:10:00.000-07:00

Problem

Sometimes, users may change the data source of input report template through RAQ Report API dynamically. However, after releasing the input report template with tag, an error message “Can’t find data source!” usually appears when users are inputting data in the web page.

Analysis

Through API of RAQ Report, users can only change the name of the data source of report template dynamically, but not change the data source in updated attribute correspondingly. As a result, the data sources in input template and updated attribute are different. Then, when users are inputting data, the system can’t find correct data source, and an error message pops up.

Solution

After changing the data source of report template, users should change the data source of updated attribute correspondingly.

With RAQ Report, users only need to get the corresponding relations between input report attribute and updated attribute, and change the data source of updated attribute.

Example

ReportDefine rd = (ReportDefine)ReportUtils.read(raq);
INormalCell cell = rd.getCell(2, (short)1);
//Get input report attributes.
InputProperty ip = cell.getInputProperty();
ArrayList al = ip.getUpdateList();
UpdateProperty up = (UpdateProperty)al.get(0);
//Get corresponding relations between input report attribute and updated attribute.
Object relations = up.getRelation();
if(relations instanceof com.runqian.report4.usermodel.input.TableRelations){
TableRelations trs = (TableRelations)relations;
System.out.println(trs.getDataSourceName());
//Set the data source of updated attribute.
trs.setDataSourceName("northwind");
up.setRelation(trs);
ArrayList ups = new ArrayList(1);
ups.add(up);
ip.setUpdateList(ups);
cell.setInputProperty(ip);

Source: Knowledge Base of Java Reporting Tool
Original Post: Data input solution after changing data source dynamically in RAQ Report
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Tag after API, data input, data source, dynamic data source, input report, input report template, java, RAQ Report, web input, web reporting

RAQSOFT: Innovative Techology Makes Progress.

For more about reporting tool, you are welcome to refer to freezea's blog.

Analyse the error of database connection factory in web report development

2009-05-29T21:20:00.000-07:00

Problem

For the users of web report tool, when developing web report, they need to configure dataset at first. When data source is complicated, they often want do some special handling to dataset. With the dataset factory listener class of RAQ Report, they can realize this idea.

However, users may meet a few problems in the use of dataset factory listener class. Next, we will introduce the common problems to help users to develop web report correctly with RAQ Report.

Error information

Error code 500 Message: : Failed to generate dataset factory: com.runqian.report4.dataset.SQLDataSetFactory Error source: : In dataset ds1, datasource report/core_epm is setted falsely or not running, please check data source: Abnormity: : Failed to generate dataset factory: com.runqian.report4.dataset.SQLDataSetFactory Error source: : In dataset ds1, datasource report/core_epm is setted falsely or not running, please check data source: at com.runqian.report4.model.CalcReport.calcDataSet(Unknown Source:317) at com.runqian.report4.usermodel.Engine.calc(Unknown Source:96) at ep.verify.expression.VerifyExpression.reportExpressionCalc(VerifyExpression.java:57) at ep.commons.init.InitShowReportParams.verifyReport(InitShowReportParams.java:63) at ep.commons.init.InitShowReportParams.(InitShowReportParams.java:43) at org.apache.jsp.reportJsp.showReport_jsp._jspService(showReport_jsp.java:68) at org.apache.jasper.runtime.HttpJspBase.service(HttpJspBase.java:133) at javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:856)

Possible Reasons

1. Check the contxet of public void beforeCreated method which is setted to the IDataSetFactoryListener interface. If there is only connection in it, you’d better to set dataset factory. Then, if the connection in context is closed, data can be got from dataset factory.

2. Print connection. If it isn’t empty, the reason may be that datasource is configured repeatedly. If data source information is configured in reportConfig.xml before, users are not allowed to configure it in custom codes again. Or else, it will report error. To solve the problem, users only need to delete those configuration codes.

Source: Knowledge Base of Java Reporting Tool
Original Post: Analyse the error of database connection factory in web report development
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Tag after data source, database connection factory, dataset factory listener class, error analysis, free reporting tool, Java report, RAQ Report, web report, Web reporting tool

RAQSOFT: Innovative Techology Makes Progress.

For more about reporting tool, you are welcome to refer to freezea's blog.

Better integration solution of Web reporting tool

2009-05-29T00:39:00.001-07:00

Background

Report development is only a part of application program, therefore, the integration of Web reporting tool is of great importance.

All the traditional Web reporting tools provide an independent report server without exception. With an independent report server, the application architecture is shown below:

The application architecture of traditional reporting tool

The disadvantages of an independent report server:
● The independent report server communicates with application program via network protocol, and this degrades system performance seriously.
● It is unable to use all the advantageous functions of application server, such as the cluster capability, the management capability of connection pool, etc.
● Report server has an independent management mechanism of user permissions, which can not adapt the requirements of particular user role management from various industries and applications. It is insufficient, while it force application program to obey its rules.
● With too few APIs and weak control, it is hard to integrate.

Solution

RAQ Report is a professional Web reporting tool.
As a pure Java reporting software, RAQ Report provides integration as Jar package to programmers. Without independent report server, application infrastructure, and independent management mechanism of user permissions, RAQ Report can help programmers to implement integration conveniently. Its application architecture is shown below:

The application architecture of RAQ Report

The advantages of no independent report server:
● The server of RAQ report is submitted as Jar package or application of application server. Therefore, it can get integrated with application program seamlessly to achieve the peak operating efficiency.
● Share the cluster capability and the management capability of connection pool of application server.
● Make unified deployment. Use the user role management mechanism of Web application directly to avoid the incompatible problem of two management mechanisms. Provide a unified login screen, and end users need not to log in twice.

Source: Knowledge Base of Web Reporting Tool
Original Post: Better integration solution of Web reporting tool
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Tag after Java reporting software, RAQ Report, Report Deployment, Web reporting tool

RAQSOFT: Innovative Techology Makes Progress.

For more about reporting tool, you are welcome to refer to freezea's blog.

Contenture Wants To Fail Whale Your Ad Network

2009-05-13T21:09:00.000-07:00

The web is increasingly filling up with ads. Many sites, including this one, have a bunch of them all around with the hopes that you’ll find one relevant to you, and click on it. Of course, most of you don’t. And if you do, it may be by accident. As you can tell, I’m not exactly bullish on the model. But the problem is that there are few alternatives. Contenture is trying to offer one.
The service has been getting some buzz over the past few months, but mostly because no one seemed to know what the hell it was all about. An email today finally revealed their model. Contenture wants to be the “anti-ad network.” What it means by that is that it wants sites to adopt their monthly-fee based network to offer visitors the option to do things like turn off ads. Yes, this would basically turn your site to the subscription-based model.
But there’s a somewhat interesting twist. Contenture wants to sign up a bunch of sites to this model and have users pay one flat monthly fee to have access to all of these sites. That money would then be distributed to all of these sites. These sites could determine what Contenture subscribers get as a part of their subscription. Some may lose the ads, some may have special commenting ability, etc.
A similar model has been tried by the likes of TipJoy and others, but grouping sites together and offering users a place to pay one-fee for multiple sites is interesting if nothing else. Plus the site has a comic homepage that features a drunk Twitter Fail Whale and makes fun of its competitors. That’s pretty cool in our book.
The service is still in private beta testing, but apparently it’s getting ready to launch on May 21.

Don’t let sub report uglifies your report

2009-05-13T03:29:00.000-07:00

Background

In Web Report, Sub report is a inportant technology, which is used to deal with some complex reports that can’t be achieved by basic models. In other words, you can design a relatively independent part of a report as a sub report, and add it to the main report.

For users’ consideration of report’s neatness, it’s very important to align the gridlines of main report and sub report.

Then, is it easy? No.

Difficulty

For traditional reporting tools, the report frame is built on some basic controls. As this type of reporting tools is not Excel-like/grid-shaped construction, it is impossible to design accurate aligned gridlines.

For new grid-shaped reporting tools, the report frame is formed by straight lines. As they have a real construction of the gridline, if they follow the method of the traditional-control reporting tools (it’s called embedded), unaligned gridlines will bring down the neatness and beauty of report, and even affect the reusing of the report. For example, report data with unaligned gridlines can’t be organized in the form of Excel or export to Excel.

In aligning gridlines, the biggest difficulty is how to align rows and columns between main report and sub report.

Solution

As a real Excel-like reporting tool, RAQ Report pays great attention to details in report design. With the combination of cell expansion and sub report model, RAQ report made the model of Imported Sub Report. With imported sub report, users can align gridlines easily.

Easy Operation

1. Design main report and sub report separately.

2. Import the sub report into the main report, and select the import type: Imported.

3. Browse and release it.

Graphic illustration

Source: Knowledge Base of Web Reporting Tool
Original Post: Don’t let sub report uglifies your report
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Tag after align gridlines, insert sub report, RAQ Report, sub report, web report design, web report Java reporting tool

RAQSOFT: Innovative Techology Makes Progress.

For more about reporting tool, you are welcome to refer to freezea's blog.

Google News Gets An Update. Still Sucks.

2009-05-11T22:46:00.000-07:00

I’m sorry, but for as good as Google is at organizing the world’s data, Google News absolutely sucks. Now, to be fair, I’m going to focus on Google News from a tech news perspective, because that’s what I follow. Maybe it’s better in other areas, but I doubt it’s much better. I bring this up because a new update to the service today promised “More ways to see the story.” Okay, that’s true, as long as you don’t mind seeing stories that range from partially unrelated to entirely unrelated.
Now, when you click on the “all XXXX news articles” link below each story cluster in Google News, you are taken to a page with a range of content. This includes not only major publication headlines, but blog headlines, picture thumbnails, a timeline of articles on the topic, and even quotes about the topic. The problem, as you can see in my screenshots below, is that Google cannot seem to cluster stories together correctly.
If it sees a story is about say, a religious app being banned on the iPhone, it will cluster that with a story about iPhone ad data — even though the two are not the same story at all. Yet when you click to go to the new area, it indicates that they are the same story, as you can do things like “Search the story.” On any given day there are probably a dozen different stories about the iPhone (at least), and I guess it’d be fine (but silly) if Google wants to cluster them all together. But it doesn’t even do that. There are several clusters containing iPhone items. It seems to be just random which ones go where.

The problem is that Google uses an algorithm to do this clustering. As the vastly superior news aggregator Techmeme, learned quite a while ago, there needs to be some human curation involved. While an algorithm may not be able to see the difference in iPhone stories (or Microsoft stories, or anything else in my example below for that matter), a human could.
Further, the biggest problem with Google News when it comes to tech news is that many of the items that appear are laughably old. It’s fine if you want to say it’s for the masses to get a better overview of what’s going on, but at least indicate that these topics aren’t breaking items just because some site decided to write about it again a day or two days or a week after someone else published the story first.

The timeline view kind of indicates the age of a story, but if you see it’s far from its peak, then don’t make it a top item on Google News. Almost all of the top items right now are far from their peaks.
I could go on. Many of the headlines Google News chooses to use are complete nonsense and give readers absolutely no idea what a story is about. And the excerpts below the titles are often a gibberish mixture of author names, cities the story is based in and random links that don’t appear as links in the excerpts — giving you excepts like, “By Austin Modine Get more from this author Facebook has once again.” Brilliant.

Make title area always aligned with data area in web report

2009-05-10T18:07:00.000-07:00

Background

Have you ever experienced this case? When designing a web report, the column number of data area is less than that of title area. But after expansion, the column number of data area is much bigger than that of title area in display. As a result, the web report seems irregular.

Example

Take a cross report with horizontal expansion as an example. The design interface is shown below:

In design, the data area has only 4 columns, while the title area has 5 columns.

After expansion, the preview of the report is shown as below:

You can see that the data area has 7 columns and title “Product” and “Date: 2008.12.17″ are at wrong positions. This brings down the neatness and beauty of the report greatly.

How to make title area always aligned with data area?

We can calculate the column number of data area after horizontal expansion and move the corresponding grids in title area right. Then, which ones to move? How to solve the spare area? Fill up blank cells or extend some cells? All these problems are difficult to be solved.

Solution

As a real Excel-like reporting tool, RAQ Report provides a perfect solution to this problem. Not matter how data area expands, with the combination of stretch rules and cell extension, RAQ report can keep specified cells center, right, or left easily. With this function, the beauty of report is guaranteed.

Easy Operation

1. Find cells that need to be aligned right.

2. Check the “Stretch” property of their left cell as show below:

Graphic Illustration

Source: Knowledge Base of Web Reporting Tool
Original Post: Make title area always aligned with data area in web report
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Tag after cell alignment, report design, table header, table title, web report, web reporting, web-based Java reporting tool

RAQSOFT: Innovative Techology Makes Progress.

For more about reporting tool, you are welcome to refer to freezea's blog.

Set pagination for mergence cell with web reporting tool

2009-05-09T18:57:00.000-07:00

Background

Mergence cell is widely used in web report. However, the page break of mergence cell may cause a lot of troubling problems if users don’t have a professional web reporting tool.

For group report, mergence cell is usually the title of a group. Then, if this group has too much to be displayed on one page. Users often hope the title can be displayed in the mergence cell in each page.

As a result, report programmers commonly have to count how many pages and rows the group occupies, and display the title in corresponding mergence cells.

When the content of a mergence cell is a large text, there is a bigger problem.

As the content is too long to be displayed in one page, it has to be split and displayed in pages. In order to split the content, report programmers have to count that how many words can be displayed in one page. However, as the font sizes of server and browser-side may be different, this is really difficult.

Imagine that if all these functions are to be realized by programming, anyone will be driven crazy.

Then, how to solve it?

Solution

As a professional web-based Java reporting tool, RAQ Report takes great effort to reduce users’ workload. For users’ convenience, RAQ Report provides a wonderful function for the pagination of mergence cell. With RAQ Report, you only need to check some options.

Graphic Illustration

As the content of this cell is too long, it is displayed in two pages for page break.

As the content of mergence cell SP is too long, it is displayed in two pages for page break.

Source: Knowledge Base of Web Reporting Tool
Original Post: Set pagination for mergence cell with web reporting tool
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http://tongrui.net/;

RAQSOFT: Innovative Techology Makes Progress.

For more about reporting tool, you are welcome to refer to freezea's blog.

Save printing configuration at client-side with Java reporting tool – RAQ Report

2009-05-08T19:44:00.000-07:00

Background

For users' convenience, RAQ Report provides a lot of printing properties. Such as page margins (left margin, right margin, top margin, bottom margin), paper direction (vertical or horizontal), paper type, paper size, etc. With these available options, users can print their reports accurately. Users can set the properties for printing easily in the Print tab below easily.

(Users can set the properties for printing easily in the Print tab easily.)

Sometimes, users may wish that their printing configurations can be saved at client-side. As a result, they can print reports directly without setting each time. As a professional Java reporting tool, RAQ Report realized this wonderful function after thorough research.

Commonly, a client-side computer links to a printer. So the function is designed to save the printing configuration of each report.

Then, another problem appears. A printer/report may be used by several users. Therefore, the printing configuration of each user should be saved.

Solution

With RAQ Report, it is easy to solve the problem. Users only need to call the API of RAQ Report, and write program with user information to save printing configuration.

Operation

Add servlet in web.xml:

<servlet-name>com.runqian.report4.usermodel.PrintSetupServlet</servlet-name>

<servlet-class>com.runqian.report4.usermodel.PrintSetupServlet</servlet-class>

</servlet>

<servlet-mapping>

<servlet-name>com.runqian.report4.usermodel.PrintSetupServlet</servlet-name>

<url-pattern>/servlet/PrintSetupServlet</url-pattern>

</servlet-mapping>

Add savePrintSetup="yes"

Then, a clientPrintSetup.properties configuration file will be generated automatically for saving printing configuration.

RAQSOFT: Innovative Techology Makes Progress.

For more about reporting tool, you are welcome to refer to freezea's blog.

Wonderful solution for complex data input in web report

2009-05-07T19:20:00.000-07:00

In the real application of web report business, data input may be very complex. According to this condition, it is very important to provide data validity check. When inputted data is found illegal, there should be a prompt message box to remind users.

For illegal data, users can have 3 choices:
1. Submit data without remaining check.
2. Modify data before submitting again.
3. Ignore current invadity check, and continue other check.

These requirements are common in web input report business, because sometimes data validity check is only used to warm users, but not to prevent users from submitting data. For example, users may need to submit data no matter what invalid data error comes out.

At the same time, these requirements are fussy and frustrated. Do users have to realize the function by programming?

No, with RAQ Report, users can realize this complex function easily.

RAQ Report is a professional Web-based reporting tool pays a lot of attention to users’ requirement. Therefore, users can solve all the common problems in web report easily with RAQ Report without writing program. Such as radio button for single choice or multiple choices, drop-down list, automation computation, automation sequential number, data validity check, and batch operations, etc.

Compared with open source control can be downloaded from Internet, RAQ Report has many advantages:

1. RAQ Report is a commercial product, so the quality and performance is better. While open source controls are only developed by programming enthusiast, so no one can guarantee its qualiti and performance.

2. The company RAQSOFT will maintain and updata RAQ Report. But for open source controls, it is impossible to ask the makers to modify for you. If you want to modify them by yourself, the workload may be huge.

3. RAQ Report is designed and developed congruously, so you can develop a application project with it. However, if you use many open source controls in a project, the application may be very unstable.

4. RAQ Report has a graphical design interface, and it can increase the efficiency of web data maintain and input greatly.

Source: Knowledge Base of Java Reporting Tool
Original Post: Wonderful solution for complex data input in web report
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Tag after complex data input, Excel-like web-based Java reporting tool, input report, prompt message box, RAQ Report, web report, web reporting

RAQSOFT: Innovative Techology Makes Progress.

For more about reporting tool, you are welcome to refer to freezea's blog.

Implement validity check in input report with web reporting tool

2009-05-05T22:04:00.001-07:00

Background

For web input report, users often need to input data at the client-side. Then, the function of validity check is very important. For example, it needs to check if the input data is number or the input type is right.

How to implement validity check?

Solution

As a professional Java reporting tool, RAQ Report always tries best to make users convenient. To implement validity check, RAQ Report provides two ways.

1. Setting input data type of cell. By this, validity check can be realized automatically if data type is set as data value or E-mail. With RAQ Report, users can set the input data type of cell easily in the General tab below:

2. Writing validity check expression for a cell. Input validity check expression, and realize validity check manually. For example, input the validity check expression “${C5}>=0 && ${C5}<=100″ into the cell to ensure that the data value is between 1 and 100. Users of RAQ Report can write validity check expression for a cell in the Validation tab below:

However, if the input value is null, how to prompt users to input data? You can write JavaScript code in JSP to solve this problem.The JavaScript code in JSP is as follows:

function check(){
var checkWord=document.getElementById('report1_A1');
for(var i=0;i<checkWord.value.length;i++){
if(checkWord.value.substring(i,i+1)<"0″"9"<checkWord.value.substring(i,i+1)){
alert("Please input data");
checkWord.value="";
checkWord.focus();
return false;
}
}
}

Source: Knowledge Base of Java Reporting Tool
Original Post: Implement validity check in input report with web reporting tool
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Tag after data input report, RAQ Report, validation check expression, validity check, web report, Web reporting tool

RAQSOFT: Innovative Techology Makes Progress.

For more about reporting tool, you are welcome to refer to freezea's blog.

How to customize prompt confirm message box for web input report?

2009-05-04T19:16:00.000-07:00

Background

For web input report, users often need input data at the client-side. Then, if a prompt message box will appear when users submit input data to confirm submit success, it will be very convenient.

Sometimes, users have to customize prompt message box according to real requirement. Then, how to achieve it?

Solution

RAQ Report is a professional Web-based reporting tool pays a lot of attention to users’ requirement. Therefore, users can solve all the common problems in web report easily with RAQ Report. Such as radio button for single choice or multiple choices, drop-down list, automation computation, automation sequential number, data validity check, and batch operations, etc.

For this problem, RAQ Report provides a wonderful solution. Therefore, you can easily customize prompt box with RAQ Report. As it is a pure Java reporting tool,you only need to write JavaScript Code in a JSP file.

For example, if users want to add “cancel” in the prompt message box, they just need to set “cancel” as the value of promptAfterSave.

The JavaScript Code is as follows:

   <input type="submit" name="Submit2" value="submit" onclick="firm()" />
  
   function firm()
  
   {
  
   // Use the return value of prompt box（true or false）
  
   if(confirm("NeedSave"))
  
   {
  
   //If true is selected, call _submitTable( report1 )
  
   _submitTable( report1 );
  
   return true;
  
   }
  
   else
  
   {
  
   //Or else cancel it;
  
   //alert("If false is selected, false will be returned");
  
   return false;
  
   }
  
   }
  
   </script>

Graphic Illustration

Source: Knowledge Base of RAQ Report
Original Post: How to customize prompt confirm message box for web input report?
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Tag after customize, Excel-like Java reporting tool, message box, prompt confirm message, RAQ Report, submit input data, web input report, web report, Web reporting tool

RAQSOFT: Innovative Techology Makes Progress.

For more about reporting tool, you are welcome to refer to freezea's blog.

Achieve checking multiple selections and batch deletions in row input report with RAQ Report

2009-05-03T22:04:00.000-07:00

Background

For users of report, efficiency is very important. However, sometimes users have to do some simple operation time and again.

For example, there are a lot of data on a web page when making a row input report. Users may want to delete the data of 28 rows. If they have to click the “Delete” button every time when they delete a row, the page will be refreshed 28 times. That’s very inefficiency.

Then, how to solve it?

Solution

RAQ Report is a pure Web-based Java reporting tool. As it is a professional Web reporting tool, RAQ Report can help users to achieve batch selection and deletion in a row input easily.

Operation

With RAQ Report, you only need 4 steps.

Step 1: Design the report as shown below:

Note: A2 is set as checkbox. Set “Off” 0 and “On” 1.

Step 2: In the jsp file, add batch deletion javascript as follows:

function deleteRows(){
var report = document.getElementById('report1′);
for(var i=report.rows.length-2;i>0;i-){
var row = report.rows[i];
if(!row.all.tags("input")[0].checked) continue;
var cell = row.cells[1];
report.currCell = cell;
_deleteRow(report);
}
}

Step 3: In the jsp file, add checkbox javascript as follows:

function selcheck() {
var objs = report1.getElementsByTagName("input");
for(var i=0; i<objs.length; i++) {
if(objs[i].type.toLowerCase() == "checkbox" )
objs[i].checked =event.srcElement.checked;
}
}

Step 4: In the jsp file, add operating button javascript as follows:

<table>
<tr>
<td style="background-color:">
<div noWrap style="color:;">
Select all:<INPUT type="checkbox" onclick="selcheck()">
<span style="cursor:pointer" onclick="_insertRow( report1 )">Insert</span>
<span style="cursor:pointer" onclick="_appendRow( report1 )">Add</span>
<span style="cursor:pointer" onclick="deleteRows()">Delete</span>
<span style="cursor:pointer" onclick="_submitRowInput( report1 )">Submit</span>
</div>
</td>
</tr>
</table>

Graphic Illustration

Source: Knowledge Base of RAQ Report
Original Post: Achieve checking multiple selections and batch deletions in row input report with RAQ Report
Related Articles:
Dynamically add or delete a row when inputting data;
Make drop-down box for multiple choices with reporting tool;
Dynamic Row & Automatic Computation for Input Report;
Wonderful data input with reporting tool;
Useful Links:
Knowledge Base of Java Reporting Tool;
Jackson’s Reporting Review;
BIRT Multi-Select Statements;
Reporting Insights from Raqman;

RAQSOFT: Innovative Techology Makes Progress.

For more about reporting tool, you are welcome to refer to freezea's blog.

Realize remote design with web-based reporting tool — RAQ Report

2009-05-03T05:08:00.001-07:00

Background

With the popularity of B/S application, users want to do report design at browser side with web-based reporting tool. They would like to link database and design report template at browser. Moreover, they wish to deploy template to server and browse their designed report on line too.

Difficulty

1. Link database. For the consideration of security, browser side can’t link database directly with jdbc or odbc. As a result, there must be a long distance data server. This server is used to receive data access request from long distance user, send the request to database, and transmit processing result back to user.

2. Set the access authority of report template on server. Users should be able to access, modify and save the report template on server. However, some other files on server aren’t allowed to be modified. Therefore, there must be a file server, which is used to determine which files are accessible, and which users are allowed to access them.

3. Remote design is provided for business personnel, so the interface must be user-friendly. Users should be able to do remote design by just drag and drop. Therefore, the semantic layer must support complex functions like generate parameters, expressions, display formats automatically.

Solution

As a professional web-based reporting tool, RAQ Report spends a lot of time and money on this problem. At last, a wonderful solution is worked out by the prominent developers of RAQ Report. With it, users can realize remote design with ease/

Operation

1. Delpoy remote design server.

2. Download client-side and start remote designer.

3. Log in long distance server.

4. Link long distance data server and file server.

5. Design, preview and save report.

Graphic Illustration

Source: Knowledge Base of Java Reporting Tool
Original Post: Realize remote design with web-based reporting tool — RAQ Report
Related Articles:
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Don’t let sub report uglifies your report;
High-Efficiency Report Design ;
Useful Links:
Knowledge Base of RAQ Report;
Freezea’s Report Lesson;
Live in Reporting;
BIRT: Launch a BIRT RCP Application through Java Web Start;

Tag after B/S application, browser side, RAQ Report, remote design, report design, web report, web reporting, web-based Java reporting tool

RAQSOFT: Innovative Techology Makes Progress.

For more about reporting tool, you are welcome to refer to freezea's blog.

Connect to data source when making web report with Java reporting tool — RAQ Report

2009-05-02T00:42:00.000-07:00

Background

When users are making web report, they always have to connect to data source. As users’ data requirements are differ in thousand ways, so users often need to define data source by themselves. Sometimes, this may be very complex.

Solution

As a professional Java web-based reporting tool, RAQ Report givesout two methods to solve this problem.

1. Connect to data source with the API of RAQ Report. And the program is as follows:

context.setDefDataSourceName("demo");
context.setConnection("demo",con);
DataSourceConfig dsoc = new DataSourceConfig(2,
true, "GBK", "GBK", false);
context.setDataSourceConfig("demo", dsoc);

2. Connect to data source with jdbc. And the program is as follows:

public java.sql.Connection getConnection() throws Exception {
Connection conn=null;
try{
Class.forName("org.hsqldb.jdbcDriver");
}catch(ClassNotFoundException cne){
cne.printStackTrace();
}
try{
conn= DriverManager.getConnection("jdbc:hsqldb:hsql://localhost:9001/runqianDB","sa","");
}catch(SQLException e){
e.printStackTrace();
}
return conn;
}

When develop web reporting project, users can connect to data source easily with these two methods provided by RAQ Report. Accoding to real business, users can choose a better one.

Source: Knowledge Base of Java Reporting Tool
Original Post: Connect to data source when making web report with Java reporting tool — RAQ Report
Related Articles:
Change data source dynamically while updating web input report;
7 shortnesses of displayTag;
Submit data to multi-dataset/multi-source with web-based reporting tool — RAQ Report;
High-Efficiency Report Design ;
Useful Links:
Excel-like Web-based Java Reporting Tool;
Freezea’s Report Lesson;
Reporting Insights from Raqman;
How To: Create a Crystal Report from ADO.NET Dataset using Visual Basic .NET Introduction:;

Tag after API, connect data source, define data source, develop web reporting, java reporting tool, jdbc, RAQ Report, web report

RAQSOFT: Innovative Techology Makes Progress.

For more about reporting tool, you are welcome to refer to freezea's blog.

Categories -- Print & Export

2009-05-01T02:14:00.000-07:00

Save printing configuration at client-side with Java reporting tool – RAQ Report

Export image format PDF files with page break in web reporting tool

Export high precision time data from web report to Excel/Word file

Submit data to multi-dataset/multi-source with web-based reporting tool -- RAQ Report

2009-05-01T02:09:00.000-07:00

Background

When developing data input module based on web, users always have to provide a data submission solution. The complexity of the solution is determined by the complexity of the input web-page.

Some conditions in an increasingly complex order are showed below:

1. There is only one record on the web-page.

2. Records correspond to a table of a database.

3. Records correspond to many tables of a database.

4. Records correspond to many tables of different databases.

Difficulty

1. Keep the transactional database consistency, especially when there are several databases.

2. Convert data type. The type of submitted data from web page is unrecognized; as a result, it has to be converted to proper type in database in the background.

Someone may say that all these difficulties can be solved by writing program. However, the program has no commonality, and the workload will be huge.

Solution

RAQ Report is a professional web-based reporting tool. For users' convenience, RAQ Report provides an almost perfect data submission solution: Multiple Database/Dataset Input.

With the Multiple Datasource/Dataset Input solution of RAQ Report, users can relate different tables from different databases, and submit data to multiple tables/databases, and keep the transactional consistency of database easily.

Easy Operation

1. Design an input report.

2. Define the Update attribute of the report. As shown below:

3. Release the report.

RAQSOFT: Innovative Techology Makes Progress.

This post is from freezea's blog. You are welcomed cc it anywhere, and please indicate the source.
If you would like to read more articles about reporting tool, you are also welcome to refer to my blog.

Export image format PDF files with page break in web reporting tool

2009-04-30T20:05:00.000-07:00

Background

In real application of web report, users often want to export report to PDF files. However, when users export web report to PDF file with API, there is usually no page break As a result, the exported PDF file may be very large, and the PDF file is of text mode.

Solution

RAQ Report is a Excel-like web-based Java reporting tool, and it provides a perfect solution to solve this problem.

With the API of RAQ Report, users can export web report as PDF file easily. Moreover, RAQ Report can export PDF files as image format with page break. As a result, the PDF file won’t be very large.

The only thing users need to do is setting the page break mode and image format for exporting web report to PDF file. The codes are as follows:

import java.io.FileOutputStream;
import java.io.OutputStream;
import com.runqian.report4.model.ReportDefine;
import com.runqian.report4.model.engine.ExtCellSet;
import com.runqian.report4.usermodel.Context;
import com.runqian.report4.usermodel.Engine;
import com.runqian.report4.usermodel.IReport;
import com.runqian.report4.util.ReportUtils;
public class ExportToPdf {
public static void main(String[] args) {
try{
String report = "D:/toExcel.raq"; //The location of report template
String pdfPath= "D:/test.pdf";
String licenceFile = "D:/2009-12-31V4.0Windows.lic"; //The location of authorization file
//Read report template
ReportDefine rd = (ReportDefine) ReportUtils.read( report );
//Second step: set report authorization file，and compute report.
ExtCellSet.setLicenseFileName( licenceFile );
Context context = new Context();
Engine enging = new Engine( rd, context);
IReport iReport = enging.calc();
ReportUtils.exportToPDF(pdfPath,iReport,true,true);
}catch(Exception e){
e.printStackTrace();
}catch(Throwable t){
t.printStackTrace();
}
}
}

The parameters of function exportToPDF(pdfPath,iReport,true,true):

The first parameter pdfPath is the path of the PDF file.

The second parameter iReport is the object of the report.

The third parameter is the page break mode of the PDF file. True means page break, while false means no page break.

The fourth parameter is the format of the PDF file. True means image, while false means text.

With this wonderful function, users can export perfect PDF file easily.

Source: Knowledge Base of Web Reporting Tool
Original Post: Export image format PDF files with page break in web reporting tool
Related Articles:
7 shortnesses of displayTag;
Comparison between RAQ Report and Crystal Report;
Business Objects - Get Crystal Report 2008 Prompts using InfoStore from CMS Repository;
Comma separated Column value in Crystal Report;
Useful Links:
Excel-like Web-based Java Reporting Software;
Freezea’s Report Lesson;
Jackson’s Reporting Review;
*****## R.MARAN. ## *****;

Tag after Excel-like reporting tool, export image format PDF file, export pdf, page break, RAQ Report, web report, web reporting API

RAQSOFT: Innovative Techology Makes Progress.

For more about reporting tool, you are welcome to refer to freezea's blog.

Hide rows by adjusting row height in web report design

2009-04-29T19:31:00.000-07:00

When design report, we often display all the content of web report. However, according to some special conditions, we may need to hide some corresponding rows in web report design.

Most designers choose to hide rows with condtion control. But in some conditions, it is very inconvenient. However, with RAQ Report, users can hide rows with some more flexible methods.

Here, I introduce a method which control row height with conditions to hide rows.

In grouping web report, when computing the sum of a group, it often need to hide the result. It can be realized by hiding rows according to conditions, but this may be inconvenient sometimes. In this condition, it can be also realized by adjusting row height.

Take 6.3.raq in the Quick_Start_Examples in the RAQ Report installation package. In this report, there is a sum of company number in each group. When the sum is 0, it should be hided.

With RAQ Report, users just need to write the height expression of the row as if(C3{}==7,0,8). Then, when the data of cell C3 is 0, the row height will be set as 0. So the row turned to invisible.

You could download RAQ Report from this URL: http://www.raqsoft.com/download/install-package/

Source: Knowledge Base of Web Reporting Tool
Original Post: Hide rows by adjusting row height in web report design
Related Articles:
Generating a Simple Crystal Report using VS 2005;
Comparison between RAQ Report and Crystal Report;
Hiding Detail Section In Crystal Reports (.Net);
The DataReport Designer;
Useful Links:
Excel-like Web-based Java Reporting Software;
Freezea’s Report Lesson;
Jackson’s Reporting Review;
My Tutorial;

RAQSOFT: Innovative Techology Makes Progress.

For more about reporting tool, you are welcome to refer to freezea's blog.

Export high precision time data from web report to Excel/Word file

2009-04-28T19:31:00.000-07:00

Background

When exporting web report to Excel/Word file, the precision of high precision time data will decrease. That is because of the display format of Excel/Word. For example, if there are time data of millisecond, it will changed to second after being exported to Excel/Word.

This is troublesome for users of web report. then, is there a way to keep the precision of time data?

Solution

The answer is yes!

As a professional web-based Java reporting tool, RAQ Report pays a lot of attention to details. For this problem, RAQ Report provides a wonderful function — str().

Easy Operation

Users only need to write the function as str(value(),”yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm s.S”) as shown below. Then, time data can be displayed correctly after being exported to Excel/Word file.

Source: Knowledge Base of Web Reporting Tool
Original Post: Export high precision time data from web report to Excel/Word file
Related Articles:
7 shortnesses of displayTag;
Comparison between RAQ Report and Crystal Report;
HTML report dengan VB;
Exports generated crystal report into Excel Format & download;
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Excel-like Web-based Java Reporting Software;
Freezea’s Report Lesson;
Jackson’s Reporting Review;
Dotnet SourceCode;

RAQSOFT: Innovative Techology Makes Progress.

For more about reporting tool, you are welcome to refer to freezea's blog.

Make drop-down calendar for web application with web reporting tool

2009-04-27T18:45:00.000-07:00

Background

A drop-down calendar will be very convenient for end users, it can increase efficiency greatly. The developers of client-side program all know this.

Programmer have 3 choices:

1. Develop a drop-down calendar by themselves.

It is a waste of time and energy. Like the tyre of a car broken, and you don’t mend it or buy a new one, but produce one yourself.

2. Download a free control from Internet. There are many disadvantages:
(1) Open source controls are only developed by programming enthusiast, so no one can guarantee its qualiti and performance.
(2) It is impossible to ask the makers to modify code for you. If you want to modify them by yourself, the workload may be huge.
(3) If you use many open source controls in a project, the application may be very unstable.

3. Buy a commercial web reporting development tool.

Solution

In fact, this is the best choice, and RAQ Report is a wonderful development tool which can solve all the problems easily.

RAQ Report is a professional Web-based reporting tool pays a lot of attention to users’ requirement. Therefore, users can solve all the common problems in web report easily with RAQ Report without writing program. Such as radio button for single choice or multiple choices, drop-down list, automation computation, automation sequential number, data validity check, and batch operations, etc.

Moreover, common functions have been encapsulated in RAQ Report, and users can use them without writing programs. Such as export Excel/Word file, printing, page break, image upload, etc.

Easy Operation

With RAQ Report, the only thing users need to do is setting Edit style. As shown below:

Graphic Illustration

Source: Knowledge Base of Web Reporting Tool
Original Post: Make drop-down calendar for web application with web reporting tool
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7 shortnesses of displayTag;
Comparison between RAQ Report and Crystal Report;
A few tricks working with Crystal Report Designer;
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Useful Links:
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Freezea’s Report Lesson;
Jackson’s Reporting Review;
SharePoint, ASP.NET and more;

RAQSOFT: Innovative Techology Makes Progress.

For more about reporting tool, you are welcome to refer to freezea's blog.

Design web report with graphical interface of reporting tool

2009-04-26T19:17:00.000-07:00

Background

In the business of web input report, developers often need to design graphical interface for it.

If they have to use popular SSH structure (strust + spring + hibernate), the workload will be huge. Moreover, if they want to make it universal, it will be more difficult.

In this condition, I believe that programmers will miss those days in which client side programming was popular. For users’ data input, programmers can make a web input report with graphical interface easily with tools like Powerbuilder (PB).

Solution

Now, you have a wonderful choice!

RAQ Report is a professional web-based Java reporting software, it has a powerful programming class libraries without code. As a result, users can solve common problems in web programming easily. Such as drop-down box, automatic computation, sequential number generation, validity check, etc.

Moreover, common functions have been encapsulated in RAQ Report, and users can use them without writing programs. Such as export Excel/Wordfile, printing, page break, image upload, etc.

With the real Excel-like design interface of RAQ Report, the alignment of controls is very convenient. You can see the design interface of RAQ Report shown below. Is it much better than those client-side design tools?

Compared with open source control can be downloaded from Internet, RAQ Report has many advantages:

2. The company RAQSOFT will maintain and update RAQ Report. But for open source controls, it is impossible to ask the makers to modify for you. If you want to modify them by yourself, the workload may be huge.

4. RAQ Report has a graphical design interface, and it can increase the efficiency of web data maintain and input greatly.

Graphic Illustration

A web input report with graphical interface is showed as below:

Source: Knowledge Base of Java Reporting Tool
Original: Design web report with graphical interface of reporting tool
Related Articles:
Make dynamic association filtering for report’s data input;
Make drop-down box for multiple choices with reporting tool;
Make radio button effortlessly with reporting tool;
Make title area always aligned with data area ;
Useful Links:
Excel-like Web-based Java Reporting Software;
Freezea’s Report Lesson;
Reporting Insights from Raqman;
The business questions your performance measures should answer;

RAQSOFT: Innovative Techology Makes Progress.

For more about reporting tool, you are welcome to refer to freezea's blog.

Implement high precision computation in Java reporting tool -- RAQ Report

2009-04-23T18:36:00.000-07:00

Background

For many reporting softwares, in order to accelerate operation speed, inputted decimal fractions will be set as double precision by default. However, in real business of web report, users sometimes need high precision computation of decimal fractions.

For example, in a financial report, when computing (5588.4 + 288.4)* 0.7, if we input “(5588.4 + 288.4)* 0.7″ in the cell, the operation result of the reporting tool is 4113.75999, while the precise result is 4113.76.

How to solve it?

Solution

RAQ Report is a professional Java Web-based reporting tool. With the function decimal() of RAQ Report, it’s very easy to solve the problem. Users just need to write the expression: (decimal(’5588.4′) +decimal(’288.4′))* decimal(’0.7′) in the cell. Then, users can get the precise result.

Source: Knowledge Base of Web Reporting Tool
Original Post: Implement high precision computation in Java reporting tool — RAQ Report
Related Articles:
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Useful Links:
Excel-like Web-based Java Reporting Tool;
Freezea’s Report Lesson;
Software Configuration Management;
Over 480 Open Source Applications and Resources;
Jackson’s Reporting Review

Display current page number and page amount with RAQ Report extHtml Tag

2009-04-22T02:14:00.001-07:00

Background

Sometimes, in real business of web report, the volume of data may be very huge. Then, when reading, displaying and exporting the report, problems like low speed, memory overflow, and system crash may appear.

How to solve the problem?

As a professional Java Web reporting tool, RAQ Report always tries best to make users convenient. RAQ Report provides advanced paging tag extHtml which expands the functions of original Html tag, and realizes reading, displaying, and exporting data by page. Therefore, it decreases memory footprint, enhances operating efficiency, and avoids memory overflow.

Then, how to display a specific page or several specific pages in cell with RAQ Report extHtml paging tag?

Solution

There are two solutions.

1. Supposed that the number of default cache page is 100, set the value of cachePageNum as 1. Input expression “beginRow/20+1” in a cell to display current page number, and input the expression “totalCount/20” in a cell to display total number of pages. If the value of cachePageNum is not set as 1, the value of beginRow will not change, and the current page number will be 1 all the time.

2. Set the data type of a cell as html, and input the js code below to the cell.

document.write(report1_getCurrPage());

</script>

Then the current page number will be displayed when clicking “next page”.

Input the expression “=floor(query(‘SELECT count(*) FROM Dataset ’/20,0)+1” in a cell to display total number of pages.

RAQSOFT: Innovative Techology Makes Progress.

Change data source dynamically while updating web input report

2009-04-20T18:46:00.000-07:00

Background

In web-based input report, users sometimes need to change data source dynamically. For example, in a web report, inputted data often need to be saved to different databases according to end users’ different options.

Then, how to achieve it?

Solution

RAQ Report is a professional Web-based Java reporting tool, and it can help users to make report easily.

As a real Excel-like reporting tool, RAQ Report provides a wonderful solution to change data source dynamically while updating web report. With RAQ Report, users only need to call RAQ Report API. Then, data sources will be dynamically changed when it’s runing.

ReportDefine rd = (ReportDefine)ReportUtils.read(raq);
INormalCell cell = rd.getCell(2, (short)1);
InputProperty ip = cell.getInputProperty();
ArrayList al = ip.getUpdateList();
UpdateProperty up = (UpdateProperty)al.get(0);
// Get the corresponding relation
Object relations = up.getRelation();
if(relations instanceof com.runqian.report4.usermodel.input.TableRelations){
TableRelations trs = (TableRelations)relations;
System.out.println(trs.getDataSourceName());
trs.setDataSourceName(“northwind”);
up.setRelation(trs);
ArrayList ups = new ArrayList(1);
ups.add(up);
ip.setUpdateList(ups);
cell.setInputProperty(ip);

RAQSOFT: Innovative Techology Makes Progress.

How to achieve batch selection and deletion in row report with RAQ Report

2009-04-20T06:07:00.001-07:00

Background

For users of report, efficiency is very important. However, sometimes users have to do some simple operation time and again.

Then, how to solve it?

Solution

RAQ Report is a pure Web-based Java reporting tool. As it is a professional Web reporting tool, RAQ Report can help users to achieve batch selection and deletion in a row input easily.

Operation

With RAQ Report, you only need 4 steps.

Step 1: Design the report as shown below:

Note: A2 is set as checkbox. Set “Off” 0 and “On” 1.

Step 2: In the jsp file, add batch deletion javascript as follows:

function deleteRows(){
var report = document.getElementById(’report1′);
for(var i=report.rows.length-2;i>0;i–){
var row = report.rows[i];
if(!row.all.tags(”input”)[0].checked) continue;
var cell = row.cells[1];
report.currCell = cell;
_deleteRow(report);
}
}

Step 3: In the jsp file, add checkbox javascript as follows:

function selcheck() {
var objs = report1.getElementsByTagName(”input”);
for(var i=0; i<objs.length; i++) {
if(objs[i].type.toLowerCase() == “checkbox” )
objs[i].checked =event.srcElement.checked;
}
}

Step 4: In the jsp file, add operating button javascript as follows:

<table>
<tr>
<td style=”background-color:”>
<div noWrap style=”font-family: Ming;font-size:13px;color:;”>
Select all:<INPUT type=”checkbox” onclick=”selcheck()”> 
<span style=”cursor:pointer” onclick=”_insertRow( report1 )”>Insert</span> 
<span style=”cursor:pointer” onclick=”_appendRow( report1 )”>Add</span> 
<span style=”cursor:pointer” onclick=”deleteRows()”>Delete</span> 
<span style=”cursor:pointer” onclick=”_submitRowInput( report1 )”>Submit</span>
</div>
</td>
</tr>
</table>

Graphic Illustration

RAQSOFT: Innovative Techology Makes Progress.

Display process bar in cell directly with reporting tool -- RAQ Report

2009-04-18T18:59:00.000-07:00

Background

For users of report, graphics is much more intuitive than data. As a result, statistical chart is widely used in report. However, sometimes users may want to display the process bar in cell directly to compare data.

Solution

RAQ Report is a professional Web-based Java reporting tool, and it can help users to make all kinds of complex reports with statistical chart.

At the same time, as RAQ Report is a real Excel-like reporting tool, users can display process bar in cell directly with it. Moreover, users even can make process bar with data in cell.

Example

Design a report like the one below:

A3=&B3
B3= ds1.select(Order ID,true,,ShipVia)
C3= ds1. ShipVia
D3=(C3/C3[`0]{}[1])*100
E3=”<table width=”+D3[`0]{}[A3]+”% border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0> <tr> <td bgcolor=#990033><div color=#ffffff align=right>”+C3+”</div></td> </tr> </table>”

Graphic Illustration

RAQSOFT: Innovative Techology Makes Progress.

Realize default value/sequential number with reporting tool

2009-04-18T06:47:00.001-07:00

Background

Default value is commonly used in the data input interface of Web report. With it, some fields of newly added record can be generated automatically. Sometimes it is for the convenience of users. Sometimes, it is used when users aren't allowed to input these fields.

Sequential number is a particular case of default value. It has a steady increment or decrement, while complex default values don't have this rule.

Difficulty

For a Web report without dynamic addition and deletion, it may be not very difficult to realize default value/sequential number in input interface.

However, for a Web report with dynamic addition or deletion, it will be very difficult, especially for sequential number.

One of the most important characteristics of sequential number is that it is non-repetitive. But under B/S mode, in the condition of concurrent access, users’ browsers don't need to interact with server for addition or deletion of row. Otherwise, the interaction cost is too must huge. Therefore, it is very difficult to keep sequential number non-repetitive in every browser in B/S mode.

Solution

For users' convenience, RAQ Report provides thoughtful function of default value/sequential number. With RAQ Report, client-side browser can dynamically compute the starting value of sequential number by expression, and realize perfect sequential number function through flexible rules of steady increment or decrement.

Easy Operation

1. Set Report style as Row report and set Input type as Input Report. As shown below:

2. Write starting value expression and define rules for steady increment or decrement. As shown below:

Graphic Illustration

RAQSOFT: Innovative Techology Makes Progress.

Make importable drop-down box with reporting tool

2009-04-17T05:06:00.000-07:00

Background

For its outstanding advantages, drop-down box is common in the data input interface of Web report. However, usually it is only for selection. If drop-down box can be used for both selection and data input, it will be more useful.

Difficulty

To make importable drop-down box, difficulties below need to be solved.

1. Make a drop-down box which can be used for both selection and input.

2. Judge user's input is display value or truth value.

3. If user's input is display value, it needs to be matched to corresponding truth value.

4. Add a switch used to decide whether users are allowed to input a new value.

5. For multiple choices, it needs to provide controls like empty and check all.

Solution

According to users’ requirements in real business, RAQ Report provides a complete set of drop-down boxes. With RAQ Report, the only thing users need to do is checking needed options in the properties box of edit style. As shown below:

Graphic Illustration

RAQSOFT: Innovative Techology Makes Progress.

Make dynamic association filtering for report’s data input

2009-04-16T08:30:00.000-07:00

Background

The data of report usually have various interrelations. Therefore, when designing a data input interface, we usually meet two drop-down boxes with direct relations. In this condition, dynamic association filtering will be very helpful for data input.

For example, one is province, and another is city. Then, after selecting a province, only the cities of that selected province should be available.

Difficulty

It is very difficult to realize dynamic association filtering by writing JavaScript. According to the example above, difficulties are as follows:

1. Save a JavaScript dataset which contains all the cities.

2. In the province drop-down box, keep a record that which cell is the city drop-down box. Then, when the value of the province drop-down box changed, the dynamic association filtering of corresponding cell will be triggered.

3. Write dynamic association filtering algorithm. Each time the value of the province drop-down box changed, the algorithm will be used. Therefore, the efficiency of the JavaScript should be much high. But it is very difficult.

Above is only a case with two drop-down boxes. In fact, there are some more complex situations.

Sometimes, a drop-down box controls several drop-down boxes. When the value of it changed, the values of all related drop-down boxes should be changed correspondingly.

Another complex condition is cascade association filtering. It means that drop-down box A controls drop-down box B, and drop-down box B controls drop-down box C, and so on.

Even if dynamic association filtering can be realized by writing programs, the workload must be very huge.

Solution

For users’ convenience, RAQ Report provides the function of dynamic relation filtering directly. With RAQ Report, users only need to define condition expression for dynamic association filtering and select a trigger cell. As shown below:

Graphic Illustration

RAQSOFT: Innovative Techology Makes Progress.

Make drop-down box for multiple choices with reporting tool

2009-04-15T06:35:00.000-07:00

Background

Drop-down box has many advantages. Such as simplifying data input, avoiding wrong input and realizing the mapping between display value and code, etc. Therefore, it is very common in the input interface of Web report.

Usually, drop-down box is made for single choice. But in real business, the value of a field may have several choices. In this condition, a drop-down box for multiple choices will be helpful.

Take an employee information report for an example. An item is specialty foreign languages, and someone may be good at several foreign languages. If users have to design a column for each foreign language, the structure of the report will make users crazy. Then, if users can make a drop-down box for multiple choices, and those selected foreign languages can be saved in only one field, the problem will be solved.

Difficulty

It seems that the function is easy to realize. But this is not the case. Main difficulties are as follows:

1. The data submitted from multiple choices box to background is an array. Before saving it into database, programmers have to write program to transform it to a string separated by comma.

2. The data saved in database is a string. Before modifying the data in multiple choices box, programmers have to write program to transform the string to an array, and then display it in the input interface.

3. When there are too many options, drop-down box will be inefficient. In this condition, a drop-down tree will be helpful. However, as leaf node allows multiple choices, and branch node doesn’t allow doing this, programmers have to set different properties for them. Therefore, it is much more difficult.

Solution

As a professional Web reporting tool, RAQ Report does everything to make users feel convenient. With thorough consideration of corresponding detail, RAQ Report provides a multiple choices option for many edit styles directly. Such as drop-down list, drop-down dataset, and drop-down tree, etc. With this wonderful function, users can realize multiple choices easily.

Easy Operation

1. Set Report style as Row report and set Input type as Input Report. As shown below:

2. Define the edit style of the report. Such as drop-down list, drop-down dataset, and drop-down tree, etc.

3. Check the Multi Selection option in the properties box of edit style.

Graphic Illustration

RAQSOFT: Innovative Techology Makes Progress.

Categories -- Something Else

2009-04-14T08:16:00.001-07:00

Categories -- Else about Report

2009-04-14T08:15:00.000-07:00

Implement high precision computation in Java reporting tool -- RAQ Report

Display current page number and page amount with RAQ Report extHtml Tag

How to achieve batch selection and deletion in row report with RAQ Report

Give you enough string functions in reporting tool

The matching between code and display value in reporting tool

Do you want more date time functions in reporting tool?

Built-in dataset: an innovation in reporting tool

Make cell unassailable to random content

How to insert local report with report wizard?

7 shortnesses of displayTag

Preformatted Paper Printing of RAQ Report

The Integration Solution of WEB Report—with RAQ Report

Categories -- Web Input Report

2009-04-14T08:14:00.000-07:00

Wonderful solution for complex data input in web report

Implement validity check in input report with web reporting tool

How to customize prompt confirm message box for web input report?

Achieve checking multiple selections and batch deletions in row input report with RAQ Report

Realize remote design with web-based reporting tool — RAQ Report

Make importable drop-down box with reporting tool

Make dynamic association filtering for report’s data input

Make drop-down box for multiple choices with reporting tool

Dynamic Row & Automatic Computation for Input Report

Dynamically add or delete a row when inputting data

Import Excel files easily in reporting tool

Highlight current row and column when inputting report data

Make radio button effortlessly in reporting tool

Save report's inquiry condition for convenience

Dropdown tree makes report's data input faster

Dynamic appearance can make a report seems clearer

The Function of Data Inputting

Categories -- Report Design

2009-04-14T08:13:00.000-07:00

Connect to data source when making web report with Java reporting tool — RAQ Report

Hide rows by adjusting row height in web report design

Make drop-down calendar for web application with web reporting tool

Design web report with graphical interface of reporting tool

Submit data to multi-dataset/multi-source with web-based reporting tool -- RAQ Report

Change data source dynamically while updating web input report

Display process bar in cell directly with reporting tool -- RAQ Report

Realize default value/sequential number with reporting tool

Make title area always aligned with data area

Don't let sub report uglifies your report

Easy pagination of mergence cell

How to arrange card type reports with ease?

How to easily set page break as you like?

How to fix report head easily?

High-Efficiency Report Design

Categories -- Reporting tool

2009-04-14T07:26:00.001-07:00

Are you seeking for a user-friendly Java development tool?

A good Java installation package can make things much easier

Comparison between RAQ Report and Crystal Report

The Excel-like Design Style of Reporting Tool

Making Java Report by Drag and Drop?

The Basic Standard of Excel-like IDE

The Procurement Cost of Web Reporting Tool

Reporting Tool: Open Source or Charge?

Dynamic Row & Automatic Computation for Input Report

2009-04-13T19:38:00.001-07:00

Background

With the popularization of B/S mode, data input is transferred to web page gradually, and the most common requirements of data input are dynamic addition and deletion of row, and automatic computation.

Dynamic addition and deletion of row means that users can add new rows or delete some existing rows when input data. Except for data, newly added rows should have the same properties with existing rows.

Automatic computation means to compute some other cell values according to the cell values inputted by user. It can simplify data input and avoid wrong input.

For an input report which allows dynamic addition and deletion of row, its automatic computation is more complex. The data of newly added rows need to be added to the expressions, such as sum(), count(), etc. While the data of deleted rows should be subtracted from them.

Difficulty

In html page, it is difficult to realize the automatic computation of input report with dynamic rows. While in C/S mode, it's easy to realize

In pure html pages, only JavaScript is a universal reporting tool. In theory, writing automatic computation expression with JavaScript is feasible. But in real business, it is infeasible. Two main reasons are as follows:

1. As a script programming language, JavaScript's efficiency is relatively low.

2. The function of JavaScript is relatively weak. Writing versatile program to realize the function with it, the amount of code will be very big. Then, web page will be too big to download.

Then, in order to realize the automatic computation with JavaScript, the only way is writing program according to specific condition. It means to write a piece of JavaScript code for each kind of report. However, this method has no commonality, and the workload will be too huge.

Solution

RAQ Report is a wonderful Web reporting tool. In order to reduce the workload of users, RAQ Report invented a new algorithm after intensive study. With this algorithm, users can realize the automatic computation of input report with dynamic rows easily.

Easy Operation

1. Design the report.

The Excel-like IDE of RAQ Report

2. Set Report style as Row report and set Input type as Input Report. As shown below:

3. Write automatic computation expression according to business requirement.

Graphic Illustration

RAQSOFT: Innovative Techology Makes Progress.

Import Excel files easily into reporting tool

2009-04-13T07:07:00.000-07:00

Background

As Excel is easy to use, a great number of end users like to make report, save and submit data with it. Therefore, before involving a reporting tool or starting an information project, users may have had a lot of Excel files. Then, it will be helpful if the report styles and data of these Excel files can be imported into reporting tool.

Accordingly, the requirement should be divided in two:

(1) Import the report style of Excel file into reporting tool.

(2) Import the data of Excel file into reporting tool.

Difficulty

(1) Import the report style of Excel file into reporting tool

As the purpose is to reduce the workload of redesigning report style, imported report style must be exactly the same with that in Excel file. Or else, users have to re-modify it, and the function is meaningless.

For most reporting softwares, the design mode is a combination of control (drag and drop) and band, rather than Excel-like mode. Therefore, the design interface is different with Excel, and it is usually impossible to import the report style of Excel file directly.

What about importing report style by programming?

For the design interface of common reporting softwares is divided into several regions by bands, and programmers can't get the dynamical relations between the content of Excel file and bands, programmers have to import all the content into only one band. Then, it is impossible to use the characteristics of band.

Then, someone may wish to use the characteristics of band by writing several programs for reports of different styles, and fixing the number of rows for each region. However, with the powerful mergence cell of Excel, there may be innumerable report styles, and only a few of them fit band style. Consequently, it is also infeasible.

(2) Import the data of Excel file into reporting tool

It means to import the data of Excel file into report, and submit the data to database. Then, the requirements are as follows:

1. Report can submit the data to database.

2. Report can match cells with database fields and records freely.

3. There is a one-to-one relationship between report cell and the data of Excel file.

4. Check data validity and user rights before submitting data to database.

Moreover, even for a simple manifest report, it is difficult to import the data of an Excel file with uncertain number rows. Programmes have a lot of problems to answer. How to import the data into html input interface? How to update newly additive rows to database? How to establish the relation with database? Although it can be realize by programming, the workload will be huge and the commonality must be bad.

Solution

As a real Excel-like reporting tool, RAQ Report provides a perfect solution for users. With wonderful Excel-like design mode, its report style is compatible with Excel naturally, and can be imported seamlessly. Combined with the free connection technique for database and report, users can easily import the data of Excel file into RAQ Report, and then submit the data to database after checking data validity and user rights.

Easy operation

1. Import the report style of Excel file.

2. Set Input type as Input Report, and define the logic of Update and Validation.

3. Release the report on web.

4. Import the data of Excel file and save the report.

For an Excel file with uncertain number of rows, users just need to set Report style as Row report.

Graphic Illustration

RAQSOFT: Innovative Techology Makes Progress.

Highlight current row/column when inputting report data

2009-04-12T08:14:00.000-07:00

Background

Sometimes, there are too many records in a Web report. Therefore, it may be dazzled for users' data inputting. Especially when the report is too wide, users may be confused and forget which cell is the current cell after dragging scroll bars horizontally or vertically.

Then, it will be very convenient for users if reporting tool can highlight current row and column in data inputting.

Difficulty

Most reporting tools don't provide this function, and programmers have to realize it by programming. Then, two main problems need to be solved are as follows:

(1) Get the current location of the cursor.

(2) Reload onClick event or similar focus event.

However, as common reporting tools don't open these properties, it is difficult for programmers.

Solution

Now, there is a wonderful available choice for users! As a professional Web reporting tool, RAQ Report provides this function with easy operation, the only thing users need to do is defining corresponding properties in JSP, like background color and border.

Graphic Illustration

RAQSOFT: Innovative Techology Makes Progress.

Make radio button effortlessly with reporting tool

2009-04-11T07:39:00.001-07:00

Background

Radio button and drop-down box are two common styles in the data input interface of Web report.

When there are not too much options, radio button is better than drop-down box.

Think about your usage of these two styles in Web report. With drop-down box, you have to click the mouse at least twice. While only once is enough with radio button. Moreover, radio button is more intuitive as you can get to know available options at a glance.

An example is shown below:

Difficulty

Some programmers may think that it is easy to make a radio button by programming. In fact, it is much more difficult in real business. Users have to pay great attentions to the problems below:

(1) Dynamic number of options. In a radio button, the number of options is dynamically determined by data.

(2) The widths of the radio button. It is dynamically determined by the number of options.

(3) The width of the cells at the right side of the radio button. When the width of the radio button changed, they need to be changed dynamically.

(4) The locations of the cells below the radio button. When the radio button is too wide to be displayed in a row, they need to be changed dynamically.

Solution

With RAQ Report, users can make radio button effortlessly in Web report now. All things users need to do are defining options and set the number of options for each row easily. Then, RAQ Report will do anything else.

Graphic Illustration

The screenshot of RAQ report’s IDE

A report with radio button made by RAQ Report

RAQSOFT: Innovative Techology Makes Progress.

Save report's inquiry condition for convenience

2009-04-10T10:17:00.001-07:00

Background

In a Web report application with input parameters, users often need to inquire some records, and each user often use same inquiry conditions. Therefore, it will be very convenient for users if their inquiry conditions can be saved.

Difficulty

In fact, it is very difficult to realize this wonderful function with common reporting software, problems below need to be solved first:

(1) Relate to user. Each user's inquiry conditions should be saved only for oneself, and others should be unable to refer to them.

(2) Relate to report module and inquiry module. That's because under different report module or inquiry module, user's inquiry conditions are different.

(3) Storage format. As the number and names of parameters are different in different modules, the storage format of inquiry condition must be flexible.

(4) Storage location. For inquiry condition is related to user, the direct idea is to save it with cookies. However, as user may inquire on different computers, it isn't perfect. Therefore, the best method is to save inquiry conditions on server.

(5) Interface design. The parameter input interface should provide a drop-down box which fetches saved inquiry conditions from server. Besides, an option is needed to decide whether to save current inquiry conditions. If user chooses to save, it should provide an edit box for storage name.

(6) Server-side programs. First, it should decide to use saved inquiry conditions or current inquiry conditions according to browser-side input. To use saved inquiry conditions, it has to fetch them from database. To use current inquiry conditions, it needs to deal with the storage of them.

(7) Commonality. As every module is different, the commonality of the function must be strong. Or else, programmers have to realize the function for each module one by one. The workload is horrible!

From above problems, it is very easy to find the complexness of the function.

Solution

RAQ Report is a wonderful Web reporting tool. For users’ convenience, RAQ Report took great effort to realize the function. As a result, with the Parameter Template and Parameter Handler Class of RAQ Report, users can realize the function of saving inquiry conditions much faster and easier.

Operation

1. Design a parameter template with three more parameters: Whether to save, saveName, and listSave.

2. Design a parameter table for the parameter handler class. When input parameters needs to be saved, the parameter handler class saves them in the designed parameter table which contains userName, reportName, saveName, argName and saveValue. The SQL statements are as follows:

CREATE TABLE param (

userName varchar(100) not null ,

reportName varchar(100) not null ,

saveName varchar(100) not null,

argName varchar(100) not null,

saveValue varchar(200) )

Then, user can visit the parameter template. If he selects saved parameter value for inquiry, it will be fetched from database in parameter handler class. Also, he is allowed to input new parameter for inquiry and choose whether to save the newly inputted parameter.

Graphic Illustration

RAQSOFT: Innovative Techology Makes Progress.

Give you enough string functions in reporting tool

2009-04-09T08:41:00.000-07:00

Background

String functions are widely used in all applications and reporting tool is no exception. However, common reporting tools only provide some common string functions. Such as substring acquisition, blank deleting, character conversion (character←→Unicode), string length, case conversion (lower←→upper), etc. When other string functions are needed, programmers have to realize them by programming.

Background

Some string functions may be easy, while some may be very difficult. As the number of string functions is huge, it is impossible for programmer to realize all of them one by one.

Take string splitting for an example.

String splitting means to split a string to a string array according to separators. It seems easy, but difficult in fact. The reasons are as follows:

(1) The definition of separators should be flexible according to different requirements.

(2) The number of separators is variable in a string. There may be only one separator or several separators.

(3) Users should be allowed to decide whether to split with the separators between two quotation marks, or brackets.

According to reason (3), it is easy to find that parameter options are important in string function.

Solution

As a pure Java reporting tool, RAQ Report provides a complete set of string functions for users’ convenience. Moreover, every string function has several flexible parameter options. With these powerful string functions, users can realize their sting operations with great ease.

Example

Take the string splitting function Split ( ) of RAQ Report for an example as shown below:

Syntax:

split( srcExp,sepExp{,boolExp})

Argument:

srcExp The string to be split.

sepExp The separator.

boolExp The parameter option which decides whether to split with the separator between two quotation marks, or brackets. True means to split, while false means not. The default value is false.

Examples:

(1) =split("ab;cd;ef;tg;tt",";") The return value is ["ab","cd","ef","tg","tt"].

(2) =split("ab;c'd;e'f;tg;tt",";",false) The return value is ["ab","c'd;e'f","tg","tt"].

(3) =split("ab;c[d;e]f;tg;tt",";",true) The return value is ["ab","c[d","e]f","tg","tt"].

Graphic Illustration

RAQSOFT: Innovative Techology Makes Progress.

Keep the matching between code and display value in reporting tool

2009-04-07T09:51:00.001-07:00

Background

In business system, same data from a database table may be used in several reports. Then, if the names of them are changed, all corresponding historical data need to be changed synchronously. In this condition, the workload will be huge.

In order to solve this problem, programmers usually add code fields when designing basic data table. Then, fact table refers to the code values of data from database. By dynamic matching, names are displayed in report according to the content of basic data table. So long as the code values remain, the names can be changed to anything.

Difficulties

The simplest matching method is to relate basic data table with fact table according to code values, and display the names of data directly in cells. This method needs no programming or client-side Java script for dynamic matching. However, as a cell only stores a name, if its value is used in another cell, this method can't work.

If cells store codes, and display names, the problem can be solved. However, it needs to write script for dynamic matching. Moreover, if there are a mass of records in basic data, the script may be very long for web page to be download quickly.

There is a more complex condition in which name is stored in several fields, and display value needs to be got from expression. Then, it has to get name from those fields before matching with code value.

The troublesome problem also occurs in data input.

As it is impossible to ask users to input code, Web reporting tool should provide a dropdown box for users to choose name directly.

Sometimes, there are too many options. If all these options can be classified into many grades, and users can make choice grade by grade, it will be very convenient. Then, if Web reporting tool provides dropdown tree or dynamic filter, this aim can be realized easily.

With the problems mentioned above, I believe you have found that the matching of code and display value is not simple, and it can cause enormous problems in real business. If all the problems are to be solved by coding, the workload is too big for anyone.

Easy Solution

Fortunately, for the convenience of all the users, RAQ Report takes great effort to solve this problem. As a pure Java reporting tool, RAQ Report provides an overall solution to this problem.

1. Cells have two attributes, value and display value, and their expressions can be defined flexibly.

2. There are several easy and flexible edit styles, such as dropdown list, dropdown view, dropdown dataset, dynamic filter, etc, and they are enough to satisfy the requirements of different business systems.

Graphical Illustration

RAQSOFT: Innovative Techology Makes Progress.

Make input report seems clearer by dynamic appearance

2009-04-07T05:13:00.001-07:00

Background

Sometimes, we will meet a manifest table with abundant rows of records, and it may be very dazzled. Therefore, we feel difficult to read it, even we may misread it.

Based on this manifest table, users of Web reporting tool have various requirements:

1. Set odd rows and even rows with different background color. This may make report clearer.

2. When a row is selected, its background color will be changed to another. Then, users can focus on there interested row exactly.

3. Change the background color of records satisfying some conditions to a same one. When users want to look over only one kind of records, this function will be very useful.

4. When users are amending data, change the background color of cells which have been amended. When there are a mass of cells, it will help users to correctly judge whether a cell has been amended or not.

Through these requirements, you can find that the dynamic modification of background can be very helpful in practical business. However, if users have to write programs to satisfy these requirements, the loss may outweigh the gain.

Solution

As a professional Web reporting tool, RAQ Report is good at making input report. For users’ convenience, RAQ Report provides a complete easy solution to dynamically control cell appearances with expressions. Therefore, cell appearances, including font name, font size, foreground color, background color, etc, can be determined by the values of current cell, current row, current column, even a cell in different rows and columns with main-sub relation.

Take dynamic modification of background color for an example, RAQ Report provides many ready JavaScript functions. As a result, it will be very convenient and simple for users, as they only need to designate color value.

Operation

In input report design, users only need to define expressions for cell appearances according to business requirement. Such as foreground color or background color.

If users want to dynamically control background color on web page, they only need to define corresponding color value in JSP, and set corresponding TAG attributes.

Graphic Illustration

Different background color in odd and even rows, and rows satisfying conditions

The background color changed when the column is selected

The background color changed when the content changed.

RAQSOFT: Innovative Techology Makes Progress.

Make cell unassailable to random content with reporting tool

2009-04-06T05:43:00.000-07:00

Background

Sometimes, the data of a cell may exceed the original cell size. Then, what should we do?

For common reporting tools, there are two major methods.

A method is to dynamically widen cell according to data, or heighten cell by wrapping text. However, users sometimes want to fix the width and height of cell.

Another method is to adjust font like Excel. However, this method is suitable only when data length is not much wider than cell size. Or else, data may be too small to be read.

Therefore, they all have disadvantages.

Solution

As a pure Java reporting tool, RAQ Report provides a wonderful method by combining these two methods ingeniously. It can both wrap text and shrink font when data is excessive. Then, font is shrunken less for better readability. Moreover, RAQ Report can operate not only a character cell, but also a graph cell.

Operation

Users just need to select a page break mode and decide whether to wrap text after report design.

Interesting Example

Now, I will input “wonderful reporting tool” in a cell. With different resizing mode, the display effect is different.

Fix the size of the cell.

Adjust cell size to content automatically.

Adjust font size to content automatically.

Wrap text when needed.

Adjust font size and wrap text for best performance.

RAQSOFT: Innovative Techology Makes Progress.

Arrange card type reports easily with reporting tool

2009-04-05T04:58:00.001-07:00

Background

Card type report is usually used in practical applications, such as employee information card, ID card, business card, etc. Card type report’s characteristic is that the area of each card is small, and many cards need to be arranged on a piece of paper. Moreover, there is a gap between two pages for clipping.

Have you ever been frustrated with a condition like this when you are making card type report with reporting tool? Then, how to do it?

With common reporting tool, the most direct method is to calculate the numbers of rows and columns can be deployed on a piece of paper according to the sizes of paper and card. However, as users usually want to configure the numbers of rows and columns, it has to do complex dynamic computations to get the gap between two cards according to users' configuration before printing and displaying.

For the title of card type report, there are two modes, one card one title and one paper one title. Then, it should allow users to choose the mode they like. For the one paper one title mode, it needs to independently deploy the title first, and then deploy the remaining data area.

Solution

As a pure Java reporting tool, RAQ Report does a lot of work on this problem for users' convenience. As a result, users can make card type reports with it easily. They just need to set parameters of print and page break after report design.

Graphic Illustration

Print parameters needed to be set.

Page break parameters needed to be set.

RAQSOFT: Innovative Techology Makes Progress.

Are you seeking a user-friendly Java development tool?

2009-04-04T05:51:00.001-07:00

Background

"I am learning Java, and I find it really troublesome. Especially when I want to create a form, I have to write all the controls. So I ask all of you for help. Is there a Java development tool which can add control directly without writing so much boring code like Visual Basic 6.0?"

I read the post above in a famous Java forum. In a short time, many kind members gave their own answers to the question, and those various answers listed about 10 Java development tool including Eclipse. However, they didn't really solve the problem.

Maybe you have the same question with the guy. Then, is there a Java development tool which can change the web application develop mode from Java's B/S web application coding to C/S graphical programming mode like VB?

What about Eclipse? Programmers familiar with it know that it isn't a good interface design tool. Combined with development modes of various Java web application frameworks, it provides developers flexibility. However, it also increases programming complexity.

For example, there is development project to make a Business MIS (Management Information System) based on webapps and database with Java, and most Web pages are used to do addition, cancellation, amendment, inquiry to database.

According to a common MIS project, it needs a great number of people to work on the project. Artists will design the html interfaces of all pages, and system architects will choose various architectures (struts, spring, habernate, etc.) to build application programs' basic frameworks, and engineers familiar with Java performance optimization will build underlying performance controls.

Even if we have enough budgets and time to do such a mass of work above, programmers will take a lot of time to study those complex architectures. Moreover, we have to deal with various frustrating problems caused by those complex architectures in the maintenance phase.

Solution

In fact, we have a better choice. We can use RAQ Report to realize our aims easily. RAQ Report is a pure Java reporting tool with real Excel-like design style. You can imagine the feeling of satisfying all the needs of end users with RAQ Report. I believe it is wonderful for project leader, programmers, and end users.

Maybe you will doubt is it really that a Java reporting tool can realize so many functions without writing code. Well, you can refer to the examples below.

Please remember that all those examples are designed with a graphical designer without writing complex Java code.

Examples

1. The input page of Employee ID.

1) The access relation between cells and database can be implemented with simple definition.

2) The data of Title, Region, and City are from the code table in database, users can choose in the dropdown list.

3) Double click the photo, and then users can select, upload or save a photo.

2. User can insert, add, delete, and submit a record easily in the graphical interface without programming.

3. With the legality check function of RAQ Report, if users input an illegal record, a prompt box will appear. Then, users can modify it in the graphical interface with ease.

4. Sometimes, there are easy relations between different fields, and users can describe these relations with simple expressions. Then, the automatic computation of RAQ Report can help a lot.

RAQSOFT: Innovative Techology Makes Progress.

Set page break as you like with reporting tool

2009-04-03T05:32:00.000-07:00

Background

Report always needs printing, while printing always needs page break.

A kind of common page break is automatic page break by paper size and page margins. Before printing or displaying, it will calculate that how many rows and columns can be displayed in each piece of paper according to page size and page margins. However, this mode is easy only when the height and width of rows and columns are fixed.

As data are dynamically fetched from database, if they exceed the width of cells, they will widen or heighten cells. Therefore, users have to fetch data and judge whether the data will exceed the width of cells first. Then, they can calculate that how many rows and columns can be displayed in each piece of paper.

Another kind is page break by fixed row number. It means that each piece of paper display fixed number of rows, and the remaining will be displayed in following pages. Users always use this mode for orderly format or preformatted paper printing.

For it needs not to do complex calculations, this mode seems easier. However, as users' requirements are various, data may exceed the width of cells. It means that the data have to wrap text without change the width and height of cells. Then, the only solution is to shrink font. Nevertheless, it is difficult. For best display effect, the final font is decided with complicated calculations according to both width and height of cells.

In addition, there is another problem about empty rows. As data are dynamically fetched from database, the number of rows is unfixed, and there may be empty rows in the last page. Therefore, users have to supplement these empty rows. Then, how many empty rows are there? It is difficult to know, and users have to do dynamic calculations according to practical condition.

Moreover, there are more complex page break modes. For example, page break with automatic adaptation to paper size. This mode is usually used in reports with dynamically horizontal expansion. As users want to print report in a piece of paper without horizontal page break, and the column number is unfixed, it needs to adjust column width according to final column number.

To sum up, page break is important, and the page break modes provided by a reporting tool can influence the work efficiency of users greatly.

Solution

As a pure Java reporting tool, RAQ Report is doing well in this aspect by providing a series of simple and useful modes. After report design, users only need to select a page break mode and a zoom mode, and set related parameters like Rows per page, Print type of vertical break, Print type of table header and footer, etc.

Graphic Illustration

Zoom mode

Page Break Mode

The effect of supplementing empty rows.

RAQSOFT: Innovative Techology Makes Progress.

A good Java installation package can make things much easier

2009-04-02T05:23:00.000-07:00

Background

Since the birth of Java, it is always connected with all kinds of configuration files. Following the configuration habit of Java, the installation deployments of most pure Java products are troublesome.

As a result, programmers come from other programming language commonly feel unconformable and difficult with the environment configuration of Java.

Difficulties

A Java reporting tool is often composed of two parts, designer and server. Commonly, they are independent programs.

As an independent tool, the installation deployment of report designer is relatively simple.

It just needs an installation package. However, as it is pure Java, it must depend on Java environment. As user's computer may have installed a Java environment before, it does not want to install another during the installation of designer. Moreover, the two may be of different versions and conflict. Nevertheless, if you do not install a new one, you have to write a configuration file to configure the installation directory of Java.

As report server is often deployed on J2EE application server, its installation deployment is more complex.

First, publish the report server as a war package. Second, configure the database connection pool. Last, configure according to the requirement of application. For example, RAQ Report needs to configure semantic layer files, authorization files, log files, etc. For application, it needs to configure application directory, port number, etc.

Beside those above, there is another trouble, the joint of designer and server.

As they both run independently, report made by designer needs to be deployed to server, and this makes the development process troublesome. Moreover, you can look over report in web page only after deployment. As a result, users have to establish the web page framework on server first. After that, they can design report and look over the display effect. This increases the difficulty of fast usage experience.

Solution

As a pure Java reporting tool, RAQ Report gives a more perfect solution to installation package for users’ convenience. The main advantages of it are as follows:

1. Integrate report designer and server. Users need not to develop any server-side program, and they can look over the report made in designer in web page directly. This makes fast experience easy for users.

2. Being saved, designed report can be deployed to the application of server directly. This increases the development speed by avoiding secondary deployment.

3. After designing, it can generate a war package for deployment directly. During the generation process, users can configure a series of application parameters with a friendly interface. Such as semantic layer files, authorization files, log files, etc.

4. The report designer supports simultaneous development of several applications and it can start/stop several applications simultaneously. As it has a plugin menu for all the applications, users can click corresponding buttons easily. This helps users with less development experience of Web applications a lot.

Graphic Illustration

Preview in Brower

Stop Default Application

Release Report

Start Default Application

The plugin menu for application

Backup/Resume application

Generate war packages for deployment to different applications, and provide a friendly wizard to configure parameters.

RAQSOFT: Innovative Techology Makes Progress.

How to insert local report with report wizard?

2009-04-01T07:09:00.000-07:00

Background

Generally speaking, the report wizard of reporting tool can help users to make a report step by step. Due to its strong regularity, common report wizard can only make simple reports, such as grid report, group report and cross report. However, reports in real business are more complex.

Difficulties

Combined report is one kind of complex report. Each part of a combined report may be regular. For example, it maybe composed of a grid report part and a group report part. However, for this kind of report, you can only make one part report with the wizard. Then, you have to modify it all by yourself.

Another problem is about template invalidation. For example, you may have designed a uniform template with header and footer, and set its appearance properties. If you are asked to insert a grid report, you need to first make a grid report with the wizard. After that, you have to copy the header and footer to it, and set all the appearance properties with the format painter. If your reporting tool does not support format painter, you have to set all the appearance properties one by one. It means that the uniform template you designed does not play a role in the whole process.

Solution

For the convenience of users, RAQ Report provides a report wizard with Insert Local Report function to solve this problem. As a result, you only need to finish the appearance and other irregular parts by yourself. Then, the wizard will help you to insert a local report step by step. By the way, you can insert several local reports in a template.

Example

Make a report with template.

Select the cell to insert local report.

Choose “Insert > Local Report”.

Click Next.

Click Create Grid Report.

It generated expressions automatically.

The preview of the report

RAQSOFT: Innovative Techology Makes Progress.

7 shortnesses of displayTag

2009-03-30T18:33:00.000-07:00

Today, I want to share my using experience of displayTag with you. It is an open source suite of custom tags, which is mainly used to display data.

The functions of displayTag are abundant, such as data display, combination with css, extraction and display of data subset, automatic generation of hyperlink and sequence number, page break, grouping, group summary, data export, subreport, multi-report display, report head and bottom, dynamic column, data prewarning, condition summary, etc.

In use process, I find some shortness of displayTag:

1. The reports generated by displayTag usually involve some regular rules, and it can not make reports with merging cells, multi-layer report head, or left report head.

2. It is impossible to make complex reports, for example, multi-source subdivision report.

3. Although it has a great combination with css in display, it can not apply the style of css to exported Excel/Word/PDF files. As a result, if you want to export distortionless Excel/Word/PDF files, you have to write three specialized display classes for each kind.

4. For page break, its memory footprint is large, while the performance is poor. That is because it fetches all the records at a time, and then displays them in pages. Moreover, the style of background data storage is one record one object.

5. For displayTag does not involve print function, You have to use the print function of web page. If you need a precise print, you have to develop the function all by yourself, and you can not use displayTag then.

6. As displayTag can not freeze report head, when there are a great number of records, you can not fix the report head and browse with the scroll bar.

7. For summary, displayTag is unable to do operations cross row groups, and it can only realize easy group summary, global summary, and a part of condition summary.

To sum up, the functions which displayTag has realized are exquisite, and as a display package, it is simple to use. However, it is not applicable to make practical reports with complex styles and various requirements.

How to fix report head easily with reporting tool?

2009-03-29T18:16:00.000-07:00

Background

Sometimes, we will meet a report with large height and width like the one below. If its report heads have not been fixed, when we drag the scroll bar, they will move with the data area. This will be very inconvenient for users to read the content.

A report with large height

Solution

Fortunately, RAQ Report can easily fix only the top report head or the left report header, or both of them at the same time. Moreover, the only thing you need to do is to set the properties of report head.

Example

Next, we will take this report for an example to show how to fix report heads easily.

If you want to fix the top report head, select the rows to be fixed as the top report head, and set their Row Type as Table Header. Then, the first cells of these rows will be displayed as report head region. As shown below:

The screenshot of the report IDE

(Set as the red box shows, and the result is showed as the blue one)

(If you want to freeze the left report head, the operation is similar.)

Graphic Illustration

The screenshot of the report

Print report on a specified paper with reporting tool

2009-03-29T07:38:00.000-07:00

Background

Sometimes, we want to print a report on a preformatted paper. Such as invoice, bill, credential, etc. With traditional reporting tools, it will be very difficult.

Solution

But now, it will be very easy. With the background picture mode of RAQ Report, we can solve the problem of preformatted paper printing very easily.

Example

Following the example below, you can have a try of preformatted paper printing.

Step 1: Open the report IDE of RAQ Report, and create a new report.

(Tip: You can choose Normal Report or Input Report in "Properties > Report Properties > Input type". If the data of the report for preformatted paper printing are fetched from database, you can create a Normal Report. If it needs to input data and backfill them into the database, you should create an Input Report.)

Step 2: Choose "Insert > Background", and the Report Properties dialog box is shown below:

The Background picture tab in the Report Properties dialog box

Select Each page in the Display Mode drop-down box. Then, the background picture will be displayed in each page. Click the button Next to the URL/class name box to select the path of the background picture for preformatted paper printing. Click the OK button to close the Report Properties dialog box, and the background picture is displayed in current report as shown below:

The screenshot of the report IDE (The aligned gridlines are marked red.)

Step 3: Drag the gridlines of report to align them with the gridlines of background picture as shown above. After adjusting the size of each cell, input needed information in appropriate positions. (Make sure that characters are in blank areas.)

(If the data are fetched from database, you can write expressions in cells directly like Normal Report. If it needs to input data and backfill them into the database, you have to set the properties of cells to which data will be inputted as Editable.)

Step 4: Choose "Properties > Report Properties", and check the Print background at the lower left in the Print tab. It means to print the report with the background picture. (If uncheck it, it means to print the report without the background picture.) As shown below:

The Print tab in the Report Properties dialog box

Step 5: Save the report as bill.raq.

Step 6: Click the buttons and to preview the report in browser as shown below:

The preview of the report for preformatted paper printing

Comparison between RAQ Report and Crystal Report

2009-03-28T06:52:00.000-07:00

Overview:

In Java environment, RAQ Report has obvious advantages in deployment, integration, application and application program interface as a pure Java reporting tool.

In non-Java environment, both RAQ Report and Crystal Report operate in the independent report service mode. Therefore, there is no much difference.

In report design, RAQ Report is obvious more convenient in report plotting than Crystal Report. More important, the data models of RAQ Report make its ability of making complex reports much better than that of Crystal Report. Therefore, the report design efficiency of RAQ Report is much higher than that of Crystal Report.

In report display, there is no much difference between RAQ Report and Crystal Report. RAQ Report only has a few details better than Crystal Report.

Detail Comparison:

Item	RAQ Report	Crystal Report
Deployment and Integration (Java Environment)
Application Integration	Embed applications directly.	Need to deploy an independent server.
Load Balance	Use the load balance system of application server directly.	Need to deploy an independent load balance system.
Database Connection	Use the connecting pool of application server directly.	Need an independent database connection, and this may be a performance bottleneck.
Server Deployment	Pure Java and cross-platform application. There are many successful cases in Unix, Linux and Windows.	Platform-dependent and the configurations in different operating systems will be complex.
Application Program Interface	Abundant, complete and well knit J2EE application program interfaces.	Non-J2EE interface and it connects through network protocol, and statistical chart often adopt the old CGI mode.

Deployment and Integration (Non-Java Environment)	Like Crystal Report, operate in the independent report service mode.	Operate in the independent report service mode.

Report Design
Simple Data List	Support.	Support.
Group Report	Support.	Support.
Cross-tab Report	Support and the cross-tab report can mix or have all kinds of changes like other report types.	Support, but the cross-tab report can not mix with other report types or have any change as an independent type.
Chart	Support.	Support
Horizontal Expansion	Support	Very difficult.
Main-Sub Report	Available and do not need the concept of sub report.	It needs the concept of sub report, and data can not communicate.
Sub Report	Support with unlimited layers, Gridlines can align and zoom. Both horizontal report and vertical report can position automatically.	Support, but it is usually two layers. Horizontal report can not position automatically.
Gridline	Excel-like operations.	Fussy and difficult.
Preformatted Paper Printing	Simple and easy with the base image drawing mode.	Fussy and difficult with the precision measure mode.
Import Excel File	Support, and previously made spreadsheet reports can be used directly.	Non-support, and previously made reports need to be made again.

Report Display
·Display in HTML Mode	Support.	Support.
·Precise Print	Support.	Support.
·Export to PDF File	Support.	Support.
·Export to Excel File	Support distortionless export.	Export data only, and it is difficult to use them.
·Text with Format	Support.	Non-support.
·Print with Page or Column Break	Support both vertical and horizontal print with page break. Page break is forcible.	Support vertical page break only, and can not make column break.
·Other Print Control	Print several pages on a piece of paper. Supplement empty rows. Zoom.	Zoom.

Input	Powerful input function which supports all kinds of control, like drop-down calendar.	Absolutely non-support.

As the comparison is made according to the materials we have got, there may be some inaccuracies in the description of other product’s function. Therefore, it is provided for your information only.

Dynamically add or delete a row when inputting data

2009-03-24T21:49:00.000-07:00

Background

When inputting data, users often need to add, delete and insert rows dynamically. Moreover, the newly added rows should automatically generate the same properties with existing rows. Such as edit style, auto computation and validation.

It’s not easy to achieve these functions with common reporting tools. Especially for group report and subdivision input report, it’s more complex. Because users should be able to select a report region, and insert, delete or add rows in the selected region.

Difficulties

To achieve these functions by programming, there are a lot of difficulties.

1. It’s required to keep a record of each addition, modification, and deletion.

2. It’s needed to write complex javascript to achieve dynamic addition and deletion.

3. For group report and subdivision input report, the report region selected for addition and deletion needs to be identified intelligently.

4. Users have to take many details into consideration. For example, when adding a row, properties like edit style, auto computation, validation need to be dynamically parsed to the newly added row. For these properties often relate to the data of current row, it will be of great difficulty. Moreover, as some automatic computations are global, their expressions need to be dynamically parsed according to the data of all rows. The summation function sum () is an example.

5. The new row may have some default properties like dynamic sequential number.

Solution

As a wonderful Web reporting tool, RAQ Report takes great effort to solve this problem. As a result, the Row report mode of RAQ report has fundamentally solved the above problems of dynamic additions and deletions. With RAQ Report, users can achieve these functions easily.

Easy Operations:

1. Set Report style as Row report and set Input type as Input Report. As shown below:

2. Define properties like Edit style, Auto compute, Sequential Number and Validation according to requirements.

3. Add properties like insertRowLabel, appendRowLabel, deleteRowLabel to the jsp file.

Graphic illustration:

Dropdown tree makes report’s data input faster

2009-03-22T21:36:00.000-07:00

Background

In order to simplify user’s data input and avoid erroneous input, reporting tools often provide a variety of drop-down boxes for users to choose. However, when there are too much data, drop-down box is troublesome too.

If data are cascaded, it will be much easier. In this condition, a drop-down tree will be helpful. For example, we need to select city A when designing an input report. Obviously, it’s very difficult to select A in a drop-down box which lists all cities in the world. Suppose A is in region B, country C. If we can select C in all countries first, and then select B in corresponding regions of C, and select A in corresponding cities of B at last, it will save plenty of time.

Difficulties

To achieve the above drop-down tree, there are several problems to be solved.

1. Make a drop-down tree with javascript.

2. Ensure the versatility of the drop-down tree. As there are various tree structures of data, the data of the drop-down tree are hard to define. As there is no fixed mode of grade number or the relation condition between grades, they both need to be determined dynamically.

3. Add access control to the drop-down tree.

a) In some applications, users are allowed to select only leaf nodes; while in some others, all nodes are available.

b) In some applications, users are only allowed to make single selection; while in some others, multi selection is allowed.

c) These options are only for these users, while those options are only for some others.

Obviously, it is of great difficulty to achieve the above three functions by programming.

Solution

Fortunately, the input module of RAQ Report has achieved the function of drop-down tree. In the input module, RAQ Report takes a lot of details into thoughtful consideration, including the relation condition between cascaded grades, loop search, single selection and multi selection, optional control of leaf nodes and root node , user permissions, etc.

Easy Operation

It’s very easy to achieve these functions with RAQ Report. In the design of input report, you just need to define the relation condition between cascaded grades in drop-down tree, and set the properties of loop search, single selection and multi selection, optional control of leaf nodes and root nodes, user permissions, etc.

Graphic illustration

Do you want more date time functions in reporting tool?

2009-03-21T07:44:00.001-07:00

Background

When designing a report, users often need a lot of date time functions. However, most reporting tools only provide some common functions as follows: functions today(), now() which are used to get current date or time, and functions year(), month(), day(), hour(), minute() or second() which are used to get corresponding year, month, day, hour, minute or second from a date time. In addition, there are some data type conversion functions, which are used to convert date time to string or convert string to date time.

However, that’s far from enough, as users may often have complex requirements like the ones below:

1. Calculate age accurately. Many reporting tools have no specialized function to do this. Some provide, but as the accuracy is only year or month, the result may be not exactly right. Take a child born in May 23, 2000 for example. He is only 7 years old, not 8 in May 20, 2008. It is easy to find that users can get the exactly right age only through a function with day accuracy.

2. Calculate the beginning or the end of a time period. With functions like weekbegin(), weekend(), monthbegin(), monthend(), yearbegin and yearend(), users can calculate the beginning or the ending of a week, a month or a year. Besides, calculating the beginning or the ending of a quarter is also very common. However, almost no reporting tool provides corresponding quarter functions.

3. Calculate the difference between two dates or two time points. For dates, users sometimes need to calculate the number of days between two dates, the date which is N days away from a specific date, or just last day, last month, last year and so on. The case for time point is similar. Requirements for these functions are common. However, most reporting tools neglect them. As a result, users have to write functions by themselves.

Solution

RAQ report is the best choice to solve these problems. For users’ convenience, RAQ Report provides much more date time functions specifically to meet users’ needs and wants. As shown below:

Built-in dataset: an innovation in reporting tool

2009-03-16T18:25:00.001-07:00

Background

Users often ask for technical support when meeting difficult problems in designing reports. However, as technical support can’t link to users’ databases, they can’t preview users’ reports and find exactly the causes of the problems. Then technical support can only guess and give users advices like “Try method A”, “Or try method B” and so on. It’s not just a waste of time. What’s more, after trying again and again, users may still can’t solve their problems at last.

Is there any way to enable technical support to browse and debug a report without linking to user's database?

Solution

For users’ convenience, RAQ Report makes great effort to solve this problem. As a result, RAQ report invented a method－Built-in Dataset. It means to store the data of a report into the report template. Then, there is no need to link to user's database when previewing the report.

With the help of built-in dataset, technical support can solve users’ problems in shortest time.

Only built-in dataset may create another problem. When the dataset of a report is converted to built-in, users need to save the report as a new one, or else the original report would be covered and the dataset has to be edited again. Moreover, after the modified report is sent back by technical support, users have to modify the original report according to it again.

Don’t worry. In order to reduce users’ workload, RAQ report provides the function of Recovering Built-in Dataset. That is to say, users can recover datasets of SQL or other types when they are converted to built-in dataset.

Built-in dataset makes no obstacle between technical support and users. That’s great!

Easy Operation

In the configuration dialog box of dataset, users just need to click a button to convert a dataset to a built-in dataset or recover a built-in dataset.

Make perfect title area for report with reporting tool

2009-03-15T04:24:00.001-07:00

Background

In designer, report is usually designed in a specific format. Title is in the top center. Other relevant informations such as date, unit are on the right or left. As shown below:

However, when the report is a cross report with horizontal expansion, the title “Product” and “Unit:$” are at wrong positions after expansion. As shown below:

Furthermore, if the report is too broad after expansion, it needs to be broken horizontally. Users often hope the title and other relevant informations can be displayed on each page. Some reporting tools require users to realize these functions by programming. It’s too difficult and tedious.

Solution

As a real Excel-like reporting tool, RAQ Report provides a perfect solution to this problem. With its non-linear report model, RAQ report only needs two steps to solve all these problems.

1. Select “Head Title” as the row properties of the title area.

2. Except for cells need to be aligned right or left, check Stretch as the Page Break property of other cells as show below:

Graphic Illustration

Then, the report will be neat and beautiful as shown below:

Make title area always aligned with data area

2009-03-12T22:15:00.000-07:00

Background

Have you ever experienced this case? When designing a report, the column number of data area is less than that of title area. But after expansion, the column number of data area is much bigger than that of title area in display. As a result, the report seems irregular.

Example

Take a cross report with horizontal expansion as an example. The design interface is shown below:

In design, the data area has only 4 columns, while the title area has 5 columns.

After expansion, the preview of the report is shown as below:

You can see that the data area has 7 columns and title “Product” and “Date: 2008.12.17” are at wrong positions. This brings down the neatness and beauty of the report greatly.

How to make title area always aligned with data area?

Solution

Easy Operation

1. Find cells that need to be aligned right.

2. Check the “Stretch” property of their left cell as show below:

Graphic Illustration

Don’t let sub report uglifies your report

2009-03-11T03:56:00.000-07:00

Background

Sub report is a technology, which is used to deal with some complex reports that can’t be achieved by basic models. In other words, you can design a relatively independent part of a report as a sub report, and add it to the main report.

For users' consideration of report’s neatness, it’s very important to align the gridlines of main report and sub report.

Then, is it easy? No.

Difficulty

For traditional reporting tools, the report frame is built on some basic controls. As this type of reporting tools is not Excel-like/grid-shaped construction, it is impossible to design accurate aligned gridlines.

For new grid-shaped reporting tools, the report frame is formed by straight lines. As they have a real construction of the gridline, if they follow the method of the traditional-control reporting tools (it’s called embedded), unaligned gridlines will bring down the neatness and beauty of report, and even affect the reusing of the report. For example, report data with unaligned gridlines can’t be organized in the form of Excel or export to Excel.

In aligning gridlines, the biggest difficulty is how to align rows and columns between main report and sub report.

Solution

Easy Operation

1. Design main report and sub report separately.

2. Import the sub report into the main report, and select the import type: Imported.

3. Browse and release it.

Graphic illustration

Set pagination for mergence cell with reporting tool

2009-03-08T22:52:00.000-07:00

Background

Mergence cell is widely used in report. However, the page break of mergence cell may cause a lot of troubling problems if users don’t have a professional reporting tool.

As a result, report programmers commonly have to count how many pages and rows the group occupies, and display the title in corresponding mergence cells.

When the content of a mergence cell is a large text, there is a bigger problem.

Imagine that if all these functions are to be realized by programming, anyone will be driven crazy.

Then, how to solve it?

Solution

As a professional Java reporting tool, RAQ Report takes great effort to reduce users’ workload. For users' convenience, RAQ Report provides a wonderful function for the pagination of mergence cell. With RAQ Report, you only need to check some options.

Check your needed mode

Graphic Illustration

As the content of this cell is too long, it is displayed in two pages for page break.

As the content of mergence cell SP is too long, it is displayed in two pages for page break.

Wonderful data input with reporting tool

2009-03-07T00:44:00.001-08:00

Background

With the continual development of information technology, the application of enterprise-level reporting tool is also improved gradually. At first, it was stand-alone data operation, and on-line file processing later. Then, OA software appeared before the brilliant shining of standard financial software and QgESS software. After that, the concepts of business process reengineering appeared, such as MRPⅡ, ERP, EPM, BI, etc. Today, there are a lot of reporting softwares available. However, too many choices only make users confused.

Some industries need to flexibly submit data with different data types, but traditional reporting tools can not satisfy their requirements. Users of this kind are often in the industries like finance, consultation, chemical engineering, smelting, communication, etc. With the increase of this kind of application, users are eager for a Web reporting tool which can realize wonderful data input dynamically.

Solution

RAQ Report provides complete data input proposal for data acquisition with great changes and flexible requirements. Therefore, it can meet all kinds of Web data acquisition requirements.

The input model of RAQ Report is a professional tool which can develop all kinds of data acquisition systems quickly. It can implement all kinds of normal/complex input applications, and the design process is easy and efficient.

The input model of RAQ report divides data acquisition into two basic modes, Row Input and Freestyle Input.

Row Input is used to process simple quick input. It can add, insert, delete rows conveniently, and save the single-line data inputted instantaneously.

Freestyle Input can be used to make complex data input formats. Compared with Row Input, the input format of it is more flexible.

With Freestyle Input, you can implement data acquisition requirements of any complex format.

Conclusion

As a pure Java reporting tool, RAQ Report can make report efficiently, deploy quickly, and implement seamless integration with existing J2EE projects. Therefore, it gains the approval and praise of more and more users. At the same time, RAQ Report is insisting on the realistic attitude for product optimization and technology innovation, and striving to provide more powerful and complete report solutions!

The Excel-like design style of reporting tool

2009-03-04T18:44:00.001-08:00

Background

Designing reports with traditional reporting tools of control drag and drop style, we are often troubled by the alignment of gridlines. Especially when the report has a multi-level complex report header, it has a huge workload and usually can not achieve a perfect effect.

With its unique spreadsheet design style, Excel avoids the trouble of the alignment of gridlines. Therefore, wide end users have a special liking to it, and ask for a reporting software with an Excel-like design interface.

As a result, many report companies emulated Excel, and they thought the only thing was to add a table control.

Difficulty

However, end users are not so easy to be satisfied with only a table control, and they ask for various design capabilities of Excel. Such as merge/split cells, word wrap, shrink to fit, format painter, etc. Then, cell properties are even more, such as border, background, foreground, font, size, etc.

The ideal requirement of end users is an Excel-like reporting tool with a complete set of report operational models. With it, they can easily make all kinds of reports, no matter simple or complex.

Simple report means linear report, such as freestyle report, grid report, group report, cross report, etc. Complex report means nonlinear report, such as multi-source report, irregular group report, symmetrical row/group report, etc. With operational capability, Excel-like design models will really become end users' favorite design style.

As end users like Excel so much, they may have made a great number of Excel templates before. When they are making reports, users hope that they can import these templates directly to avoid the trouble of designing again. Similarly, they also hope that they can export reports made with reporting tool to Excel templates to make a second operation conveniently.

Solution

Above is the ideal standard of Excel-like reporting tool. Perhaps some people will say that it is too hard, and there can not be such a perfect reporting tool. Luckily, RAQ Report meets all the requirements above and becomes the leader of the new generation of reporting softwares. Of course, besides the perfect Excel-like design style, RAQ Report has many revolutionary functions, such as strong correlation semantics model, multi-source input model, etc.

For more about RAQ Report, you can refer to its Overview.

Related articels:

The Basic Standard of Excel like Report IDE

High-efficiency report design with Excel-like reporting tool

2009-03-03T03:05:00.000-08:00

Background

Have you ever seen a reporting software which has a more suitable interface to design static reports than Excel?

I believe that those who have made or read a certain number of reports will say no to this question. Exactly, Excel's interface is the best choice for static report design, as it has incomparable advantages in efficiency, operation and setting.

Then, drag and drop reporting tool and Excel-like reporting tool, which is better?

This dispute has once appeared in the professional reporting tool industry. After all, those senior reporting tools are using the drag and drop style. However, RAQ Report gives a resounding answer by releasing an Excel-like reporting tool: Even in professional reporting tools, the efficiency of Excel-like reporting tool is much higher than that of drag and drop reporting tool.

Even for non-professionals, Excel is a reporting tool easy to use. It only needs a little time to grasp the basic knowledge, and everyone can make a table with beautiful interface from scratch quickly.

Example

Next, with an example, we will see RAQ Report inherits the characteristic of Excel to what extent.

The Excel-like Design Interface of RAQ Report

The main design interface at the left side is the most common Excel-like spreadsheet. If you set format there, you will find that RAQ Report is totally the same with Excel in static style setting.

1. Cell's width, height, background, foreground, display format, line break, gridline, etc.

2. Content’s font, font size, bold, italic, and underline, etc.

3. Data’s horizontal alignment and vertical alignment.

4. Format painter.

In format definition, RAQ Report and Excel have no difference. Moreover, besides these inheritances in static format, RAQ Report also inherits the cell expression of Excel.

For example, in Excel, if you want to make a summary of the data of A3-D3 in E3, you should write "=SUM(A3:E3)" in E3. Then, if you want to do this in RAQ Report, you will find that it is similar with that in Excel.

Like Excel, RAQ Report also can automatically adjust the expression in the cell whose position changed. If you insert a new column between B3 and C3 in the table above, then the expression in F3 (original E3) will adjust to "=SUM(A3:E3)" automatically. Similarly, if you insert a new row or column in RAQ Report, corresponding expressions will also adjust automatically. Moreover, flexible expressions, such as "A2+B3-A4" and "(A1+E2*D4)/C3", can also be operated correctly.

Besides inheriting the design style of Excel, RAQ Report realizes dynamic data extension which Excel can not realize. Please look at the report below:

Its design interface is shown below:

In terms of efficiency, RAQ Report is certainly a powerful reporting software to make reports like the one above. Due to the advanced Excel-like design style, RAQ Report can improve the efficiency by 90%. Compared with traditional reporting tools, RAQ Report exactly can improve the efficiency of Web report design, shorten development cycle, and reduce development cost.

As a result, RAQ Report is so popular with large report designers, programmers and project managers.

For more about RAQ Report, you can refer to its Overview.

Related articels:

The Basic Standard of Excel like Report IDE

The Excel like Design Style of Reporting Tool

Can we make Java report just by drag and drop?

2009-03-01T03:30:00.000-08:00

Background

Most Java reporting tools, especially those have some BI characteristic, often claim to end users that their products are simple to use. Some reporting tools promise that they can allow end users to make various statistical reports follow their own inclinations, andeven make a report just by drag and drop.

Has report development become so easily?!

The fact is that programmers are still struggling against various reports. Both reporting softwares and OLAP products seldom allow end users to use them directly, therefore, end users are still using Excel.

For end users, making a simple Web report (with row grouping or simple cross) with these common reporting softwares is ok, as they can do with the wizard and the semantic layer. However, end users can not make most complex reports by dragging and dropping the relations of data structure which they do not understood. Therefore, it is impossible for end users to make all the report with these common reporting softwares.

Drag and drop can only set the positions of data items, but they even can not do this very well. As current reporting tools' editing styles are commonly based on controls, and it is a general editing proposal of graphical primitive, it absolutely does not show the regularity of table. However, real successful table products like Excel are not based on controls. For summary conditions, grouping rules and operation formulas, which have to be dealt with in complex reports, drag and drop can do nothing at all. Therefore, end users have to understand the operation model of report first, and then, write abstract expressions. This is not much easier than coding.

Solution

Then, is it impossible for end users to make Web reports by themselves?

Yes, it is possible of course!

However, they can only make those simple reports with universal reporting tools. In order to make complex industry reports, they must use reporting tools with industry characteristics. In other words, programmers must add industry experience into some technical reporting tools, and set the styles and templates of report. Then, end users only need to input parameters and indicators to make various complex reports. The degree of difficulty is determined by the functions and integration of the reporting tool.

To sum up, it is not easy to make complex reports by drag and drop as others said.