Home > Store

BIRT: A Field Guide, 3rd Edition

Register your product to gain access to bonus material or receive a coupon.

BIRT: A Field Guide, 3rd Edition

eBook (Watermarked)

  • Your Price: $35.19
  • List Price: $43.99
  • Includes EPUB and PDF
  • About eBook Formats
  • This eBook includes the following formats, accessible from your Account page after purchase:

    ePub EPUB The open industry format known for its reflowable content and usability on supported mobile devices.

    Adobe Reader PDF The popular standard, used most often with the free Adobe® Reader® software.

    This eBook requires no passwords or activation to read. We customize your eBook by discreetly watermarking it with your name, making it uniquely yours.

Description

  • Copyright 2011
  • Dimensions: 7" x 9-1/4"
  • Edition: 3rd
  • eBook (Watermarked)
  • ISBN-10: 0-13-265725-2
  • ISBN-13: 978-0-13-265725-9

More than ten million people have downloaded BIRT (Business Intelligence and Reporting Tools) from the Eclipse web site, and more than one million developers are estimated to be using BIRT. Built on the open source Eclipse platform, BIRT is a powerful report development system that provides an end-to-end solution–from creating and deploying reports to integrating report capabilities in enterprise applications.

The first in a two-book series about this exciting technology, BIRT: A Field Guide to Reporting, Third Edition, is the authoritative guide to using BIRT Report Designer, the graphical tool that enables users of all levels to build reports, from simple to complex, without programming.

This book is an essential resource for users who want to create presentation-quality reports quickly. The extensive examples, step-by-step instructions, and abundant illustrations help new users develop report design skills. Power users can find the information they need to make the most of the product’s rich set of features to build sophisticated and compelling reports.

Readers of this book learn how to

  • Design effective corporate reports that convey complex business information using images, charts, tables, and cross tabs
  • Build reports using data from multiple sources, including databases, spreadsheets, web services, and XML documents
  • Enliven reports with interactive features, such as hyperlinks, tooltips, and highlighting
  • Create reports using a consistent style, and, drawing on templates and libraries of reusable elements, collaborate with other report designers
  • Localize reports for an international audience

The third edition, newly revised, adds updated examples, contains close to 1,000 new and replacement screenshots, and covers all the new and improved product features, including

  • Result-set sharing to create dashboard-style reports
  • Data collation conforming to local conventions
  • Using cube data in charts, new chart types, and functionality
  • Displaying bidirectional text, used in right-to-left languages
  • Numerous enhancements to cross tabs, page management, and report layout

Sample Content

Table of Contents

Foreword      xix
Preface      xxiii
Acknowledgments     xxix


Part I: Installing BIRT      1

Chapter 1: Introducing BIRT Report Designers      3

Understanding BIRT components      3
Understanding Eclipse BIRT packages      4
About types of BIRT builds     5

Chapter 2: Installing a BIRT Report Designer      7

Installing BIRT Report Designer Full Eclipse Install       7
Installing BIRT RCP Report Designer      8
Troubleshooting installation problems     9
Installing a language pack       10
Updating a BIRT Report Designer installation     11
Updating BIRT RCP Report Designer installation     12

Part II: Getting Started      15

Chapter 3: Learning the Basics     17

About BIRT reports     17
Overview of the report design process     17
About the report design environment      19
Tutorial 1: Building a simple listing report     24
About report files and supported formats      45
Viewing sample reports     48

Chapter 4: Planning Your Report      51

Identifying the content of the report      52
Determining how the report will be viewed      53
Considering international reporting requirements     54
Deciding the layout and format of the report     54
Drawing a mock-up       56
Considering reuse of report components     56
Managing report design resources      57
Deciding how the report will be deployed     57

Part III: Accessing and Binding Data      59

Chapter 5: Connecting to a Data Source       61

About BIRT data sources      61
Connecting to a database using JDBC      62
Connecting to a text file     68
Connecting to an XML file      70
Connecting to a web service     72
Creating reusable data sources      73
Setting connection properties when a report runs     77
Troubleshooting data source problems     84

Chapter 6: Retrieving Data     85

About data sets      85
Selecting data      86
Viewing and changing output columns      107
Adding a computed field to a data set      108
Joining data sets     110
Verifying the data returned by a data set     112
Specifying the data to retrieve at run time     113

Chapter 7: Binding Data     117

Understanding column bindings     117
Creating column bindings     120
Editing and deleting column bindings     122
Copying data elements     123
More about column-binding expressions      124

Part IV: Designing Reports     125

Chapter 8: Laying Out a Report      127

Understanding the layout model      127
Creating the sections of a report      130
Placing report elements      138

Chapter 9: Displaying Text      149

Types of textual elements      149
Deciding which textual element to use      151
Using a dynamic text element     153
Using a label element     155
Using a text element       155
Displaying text from right to left      159

Chapter 10: Formatting Report Content     163

Formatting data     164
Formatting with styles     171
Formatting data based on conditions      181
Alternating row colors in a table     186
Specifying alignment of content in a table or grid      189
Adjusting the spacing of content in a report      190
Specifying auto-expand layout for HTML output      195
Displaying data values in one row     197
Displaying content across multiple columns     200
Specifying alternate values for display     202
Hiding elements based on conditions     204

Chapter 11: Sorting and Grouping Data 207

Sorting data     208
Grouping     213
Tutorial 2: Grouping report data      232

Chapter 12: Aggregating Data       253

Types of aggregate calculations     254
Placing aggregate data     257
Creating an aggregation     259
Filtering aggregate data     265
Calculating percentages     267
Creating a summary report     271

Chapter 13: Writing Expressions     277

Basic concepts      278
Using the expression builder      279
Manipulating numeric data      282
Manipulating string data     285
Manipulating date-and-time data      294
Using Boolean expressions      297

Chapter 14: Filtering Data       299

Filtering opportunities     299
Specifying conditions on row retrieval     300
Filtering data after row retrieval     304

Chapter 15: Enabling the User to Filter Data     317

About report parameters     317
Planning to use report parameters     318
User filtering options     319
Enabling user filtering at query run time      319
Enabling user filtering after data retrieval     326
Designing the presentation of report parameters     329
Testing the report parameters      351
Tutorial 3: Creating and using report parameters     352

Chapter 16: Building a Report That Contains Subreports     367

Creating the report structure      367
Tutorial 4: Building a report containing side-by-side subreports      372

Chapter 17: Using a Chart     399

Surveying the types of charts      399
Tutorial 5: Creating a stand-alone chart      406
Exploring the chart builder     419
Using a chart in a table       423

Chapter 18: Displaying Data in Charts       427

Linking data to a chart       427
Understanding the axes of a chart     430
Grouping and sorting category data     434
Grouping optional Y value data     438
Using multiple y-axes     442
Transposing chart axes       443
Filtering data      444
Changing default report parameters      444
Creating data bindings      445
Previewing data and chart      445
Creating a combination chart      447
Defining a meter chart      449

Chapter 19: Laying Out and Formatting a Chart       453

Overview of formatting     454
Formatting specific types of charts      454
Setting chart area format attributes     472
Formatting the chart legend, plot, and title       478
Formatting axis titles, markers, lines, and labels     488
Formatting a series      500

Chapter 20: Presenting Data in a Cross Tab 511

Tutorial 6: Creating a cross tab     512
Setting up data for a cross tab      527
Building a cross tab      537
Displaying empty rows and columns     550
Displaying user-defined values in row and column headings     551
Sorting cross tab data       554
Limiting the amount of data the cross tab displays      556

Chapter 21: Presenting Different Views of the Same Data     559

Ways to share data     560
Building a dashboard report     561

Part V: Enhancing Reports     575

Chapter 22: Designing a Multipage Report     577

Planning the page layout      577
Controlling pagination     578
Customizing the master page      587
Using multiple master pages     598

Chapter 23: Adding Interactive Viewing Features       601

Creating hyperlinks     601
Creating a table of contents     611
Adding interactive chart features     614
Adding interactive elements to an HTML report       618
Identifying report elements for data export     620

Chapter 24: Building a Shared Development Framework      623

Sharing report elements using a library      624
Designing libraries for a shared environment      629
Using a library      635
Sharing a report layout as a template     643

Chapter 25: Localizing Text       651

Overview of the localization process     652
Assigning a resource file to a report      653
Assigning resource keys      655
Editing a resource file      664
Previewing a report in different locales      665

Glossary     667
Index      739

Updates

Submit Errata

More Information

InformIT Promotional Mailings & Special Offers

I would like to receive exclusive offers and hear about products from InformIT and its family of brands. I can unsubscribe at any time.

Overview


Pearson Education, Inc., 221 River Street, Hoboken, New Jersey 07030, (Pearson) presents this site to provide information about products and services that can be purchased through this site.

This privacy notice provides an overview of our commitment to privacy and describes how we collect, protect, use and share personal information collected through this site. Please note that other Pearson websites and online products and services have their own separate privacy policies.

Collection and Use of Information


To conduct business and deliver products and services, Pearson collects and uses personal information in several ways in connection with this site, including:

Questions and Inquiries

For inquiries and questions, we collect the inquiry or question, together with name, contact details (email address, phone number and mailing address) and any other additional information voluntarily submitted to us through a Contact Us form or an email. We use this information to address the inquiry and respond to the question.

Online Store

For orders and purchases placed through our online store on this site, we collect order details, name, institution name and address (if applicable), email address, phone number, shipping and billing addresses, credit/debit card information, shipping options and any instructions. We use this information to complete transactions, fulfill orders, communicate with individuals placing orders or visiting the online store, and for related purposes.

Surveys

Pearson may offer opportunities to provide feedback or participate in surveys, including surveys evaluating Pearson products, services or sites. Participation is voluntary. Pearson collects information requested in the survey questions and uses the information to evaluate, support, maintain and improve products, services or sites, develop new products and services, conduct educational research and for other purposes specified in the survey.

Contests and Drawings

Occasionally, we may sponsor a contest or drawing. Participation is optional. Pearson collects name, contact information and other information specified on the entry form for the contest or drawing to conduct the contest or drawing. Pearson may collect additional personal information from the winners of a contest or drawing in order to award the prize and for tax reporting purposes, as required by law.

Newsletters

If you have elected to receive email newsletters or promotional mailings and special offers but want to unsubscribe, simply email information@informit.com.

Service Announcements

On rare occasions it is necessary to send out a strictly service related announcement. For instance, if our service is temporarily suspended for maintenance we might send users an email. Generally, users may not opt-out of these communications, though they can deactivate their account information. However, these communications are not promotional in nature.

Customer Service

We communicate with users on a regular basis to provide requested services and in regard to issues relating to their account we reply via email or phone in accordance with the users' wishes when a user submits their information through our Contact Us form.

Other Collection and Use of Information


Application and System Logs

Pearson automatically collects log data to help ensure the delivery, availability and security of this site. Log data may include technical information about how a user or visitor connected to this site, such as browser type, type of computer/device, operating system, internet service provider and IP address. We use this information for support purposes and to monitor the health of the site, identify problems, improve service, detect unauthorized access and fraudulent activity, prevent and respond to security incidents and appropriately scale computing resources.

Web Analytics

Pearson may use third party web trend analytical services, including Google Analytics, to collect visitor information, such as IP addresses, browser types, referring pages, pages visited and time spent on a particular site. While these analytical services collect and report information on an anonymous basis, they may use cookies to gather web trend information. The information gathered may enable Pearson (but not the third party web trend services) to link information with application and system log data. Pearson uses this information for system administration and to identify problems, improve service, detect unauthorized access and fraudulent activity, prevent and respond to security incidents, appropriately scale computing resources and otherwise support and deliver this site and its services.

Cookies and Related Technologies

This site uses cookies and similar technologies to personalize content, measure traffic patterns, control security, track use and access of information on this site, and provide interest-based messages and advertising. Users can manage and block the use of cookies through their browser. Disabling or blocking certain cookies may limit the functionality of this site.

Do Not Track

This site currently does not respond to Do Not Track signals.

Security


Pearson uses appropriate physical, administrative and technical security measures to protect personal information from unauthorized access, use and disclosure.

Children


This site is not directed to children under the age of 13.

Marketing


Pearson may send or direct marketing communications to users, provided that

  • Pearson will not use personal information collected or processed as a K-12 school service provider for the purpose of directed or targeted advertising.
  • Such marketing is consistent with applicable law and Pearson's legal obligations.
  • Pearson will not knowingly direct or send marketing communications to an individual who has expressed a preference not to receive marketing.
  • Where required by applicable law, express or implied consent to marketing exists and has not been withdrawn.

Pearson may provide personal information to a third party service provider on a restricted basis to provide marketing solely on behalf of Pearson or an affiliate or customer for whom Pearson is a service provider. Marketing preferences may be changed at any time.

Correcting/Updating Personal Information


If a user's personally identifiable information changes (such as your postal address or email address), we provide a way to correct or update that user's personal data provided to us. This can be done on the Account page. If a user no longer desires our service and desires to delete his or her account, please contact us at customer-service@informit.com and we will process the deletion of a user's account.

Choice/Opt-out


Users can always make an informed choice as to whether they should proceed with certain services offered by InformIT. If you choose to remove yourself from our mailing list(s) simply visit the following page and uncheck any communication you no longer want to receive: www.informit.com/u.aspx.

Sale of Personal Information


Pearson does not rent or sell personal information in exchange for any payment of money.

While Pearson does not sell personal information, as defined in Nevada law, Nevada residents may email a request for no sale of their personal information to NevadaDesignatedRequest@pearson.com.

Supplemental Privacy Statement for California Residents


California residents should read our Supplemental privacy statement for California residents in conjunction with this Privacy Notice. The Supplemental privacy statement for California residents explains Pearson's commitment to comply with California law and applies to personal information of California residents collected in connection with this site and the Services.

Sharing and Disclosure


Pearson may disclose personal information, as follows:

  • As required by law.
  • With the consent of the individual (or their parent, if the individual is a minor)
  • In response to a subpoena, court order or legal process, to the extent permitted or required by law
  • To protect the security and safety of individuals, data, assets and systems, consistent with applicable law
  • In connection the sale, joint venture or other transfer of some or all of its company or assets, subject to the provisions of this Privacy Notice
  • To investigate or address actual or suspected fraud or other illegal activities
  • To exercise its legal rights, including enforcement of the Terms of Use for this site or another contract
  • To affiliated Pearson companies and other companies and organizations who perform work for Pearson and are obligated to protect the privacy of personal information consistent with this Privacy Notice
  • To a school, organization, company or government agency, where Pearson collects or processes the personal information in a school setting or on behalf of such organization, company or government agency.

Links


This web site contains links to other sites. Please be aware that we are not responsible for the privacy practices of such other sites. We encourage our users to be aware when they leave our site and to read the privacy statements of each and every web site that collects Personal Information. This privacy statement applies solely to information collected by this web site.

Requests and Contact


Please contact us about this Privacy Notice or if you have any requests or questions relating to the privacy of your personal information.

Changes to this Privacy Notice


We may revise this Privacy Notice through an updated posting. We will identify the effective date of the revision in the posting. Often, updates are made to provide greater clarity or to comply with changes in regulatory requirements. If the updates involve material changes to the collection, protection, use or disclosure of Personal Information, Pearson will provide notice of the change through a conspicuous notice on this site or other appropriate way. Continued use of the site after the effective date of a posted revision evidences acceptance. Please contact us if you have questions or concerns about the Privacy Notice or any objection to any revisions.

Last Update: November 17, 2020