JBoss.orgCommunity Documentation

Chapter 1. Introduction

1.1. What is BIRT?
1.2. JBoss BIRT Integration Functionality Overview

1.1. What is BIRT?

BIRT plugin is an Eclipse-based open source reporting system for web applications based on Java and J2EE. BIRT consists of two main components: a report designer based on Eclipse, and a runtime component that can be added to your app server. BIRT also offers a charting engine that lets you add charts to your own Web application.

With the help of BIRT you can generate a great number of reports to be used in your application:

  • Lists

  • Charts

  • Crosstabs, or cross-tabulation, or matrix

  • Letters and Documents

  • Compound Reports

You can find more detailed information on the BIRT plugin, its report types and anatomy on the BIRT Homepage.

To understand the basic BIRT concepts and to know how to create a basic BIRT report, refer to the Eclipse BIRT Tutorials. What extensions JBoss Tools provides for Eclipse BIRT you'll find out in the next sections.

1.2. JBoss BIRT Integration Functionality Overview

The key feature of JBoss BIRT Integration is the JBoss BIRT Integration Framework, which allows to integrate a BIRT report into Seam/JSF container. The framework API reference is in the JBoss BIRT Integraion Framework API Reference chapter of the guide.

This guide also covers functionality of JBoss Tools module which assists in integration with BIRT. The integration plug-in allows you to visually configure Hibernate Data Source (specify a Hibernate configuration or JNDI URL), compose HQL queries with syntax-highlighting, content-assist, formatting as well as other functionalities available in the HQL editor.

To enable JBoss Tools integration with BIRT you are intended to have the next:

  • Eclipse with JBoss Tools installed (how to install JBoss Tools on Eclipse, what dependences and versions requirements are needed reed in the JBoss Tools Installation section)

  • BIRT Report Designer (BIRT Report Designer 2.3.2 you can download from Eclipse downloads site)

  • BIRT Web Tools Integration ( BIRT WTP Integration 2.3.2 you can download from Eclipse downloads site)

Note:

Versions of BIRT framework and BIRT WTP integration should be no less than RC4 in order to the BIRT facet works correctly.