Crystal Reports and Databases
We've been spending some time working on using Open Source database reporting tools. Tools like Jasper Reports (and iReport), Data Vision, and Agata Reports. For clients we typically have used a combination of Jasper Reports, and whatever their database engine comes with (ie, Informix 4GL). Internally for our own software packages, we have been using Jasper Reports. However, Business Objects recently released Crystal Reports XI, and the developer edition has a free runtime license (royalty free). For $595, the pricing can't be beat. Or can it?From what we've found out, there are two ways to generate a report in Crystal Reports (for usage inside a Java container). Only one of them works. The "first" way is to store [inside the report], the actual connection requirements for the database. This includes the JNDI name, server, host, username, password, etc... And once they are stored, there's no way to change them at run time (so your development and production environments BETTER be the same). Using this method, one can (supposedly) embed sub reports as needed, graphics, etc... The caveat is that no one at Crystal Reports Technical Support group has seen it work with any "mainstream" OS database. Like Postgres. McKoi. Cloudscape. HSQL. The "second" way to generate a report in Crystal Reports (for usage inside a Java container) is to pass in a ResultSet, and let the reporting engine iterate over the ResultSet. Sounds fine ... but you now can't use sub reports.
So, we have a few trouble tickets open with Business Objects to see if it can be solved. I'm doubtful at the moment.
But this brings up a few other questions ....
1. To reduce the number of sub reports, we could use an ETL tool and a "mini" data mart, and pre-compute much of what our sub reports do. Should we do this? What's the cost / benefit ratio?
2. Should we look at a "better" reporting solution? I'm told Impromptu is a pretty good product, and I've worked with JReport (but wasn't impressed). I've also tried Windward Reports ... again, not impressed.
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