Downloading BIRT runtime and installation of eclipse plug-in for BIRT Report Designer

Birt Runtime Download

Below is the link for all the birt runtime versions starting from BIRT 2.2.2 to BIRT 4.2.1(latest) version :
On below link select your required birt version and download birt-runtime-(your version here).zip package e.g.: birt-runtime-4_2_1.zip.

Birt Download page for all the version

Eclipse Plugin Link for BIRT

To install Birt report designer on eclipse go to Help>Install New Software and add link from below table for required BIRT Version.

Birt Report designer version BIRT 4.2.x	Eclipse Plugin link http://download.eclipse.org/birt/update-site/4.2	Description BIRT 4.2.0/4.2.1 Release builds. In Juno Work with Eclipse platform 4.2.x
BIRT 3.7.x (This Release Repo NOT available yet)	http://download.eclipse.org/birt/update-site/3.7	BIRT 3.7.0 Release builds. In Indigo Work with Eclipse platform 3.7
BIRT 2.6.x	http://download.eclipse.org/birt/update-site/2.6	BIRT 2.6.0 Release builds. In Helios Work with Eclipse platform 3.6
BIRT 2.5.x	http://download.eclipse.org/birt/update-site/2.5	BIRT 2.5.0/2.5.1/2.5.2 Release builds In Galileo Work with Eclipse platform 3.5
BIRT 2.3.x	http://download.eclipse.org/birt/update-site/2.3	BIRT 2.3.0/2.3.1/2.3.2/2.3.2.1/2.3.2.2 Release builds In Ganymede Work with Eclipse platform 3.4.x
BIRT 2.2.x BIRT 2.1.x	http://download.eclipse.org/birt/update-site	BIRT 2.2.0/2.2.1/2.2.2/, 2.1.0/2.1.1/2.1.2/2.1.3 Release builds

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Introduction to birt reporting tool

• Birt stands for Business Intelligence Reporting Tool.
• Birt  reporting tool has nice report designer which comes with nice eclipse plug-in where user can generate all kind reports.
• This reporting tool generate .rptdesign file for your report.which you can deploy on web server containing birt runtime.

 

Basic overview of how birt works:

• Every report needs data from database,xml or from some where. Similarly in BIRT we need create data source which will provide data to report.Below are the type data sources provided by birt:
  1. JDBC Data Source :This data source allows to fetch data from database using JDBC.User need to provide jar of database.
  2. XML Data Source :This data source fetch data from the xml file. XML file path can be static or dynamic.
  3. Web Services Data Source :This data source fetch data from web service.
  4. Scripted Data Source :This data source allows birt engine to fetch data from java collections like list,map..etc.
  5. Flat Flat File Data Source
  6. Custom Data Source : Allows to create own custom data sources.
• After creating JDBC Data Source we can create a data set which defines sql query for fetching data and define columns,
• Similarly data sets can be created using other data sources.
• Multiple data sources and multiple data sets can be created and combined to create complex report. 
• After creating data set it can be used to display in table’s ,grid’s and also in charts.
• Data set can be process using rhino JavaScript supported by birt for e.g. calculating sum,converting date formats and many more other javascript functions.
• After creating report .rptdesign file needs to be deployed on the web application server. The report should be deployed under web application provided by birt run-time.

Advantages using BIRT

• Comes with nice eclipse report designer plug-in.
• Easy deployment process.
• Complex report can be easily generated by combining multiple data sources
• Nice support of rhino JavaScript which is very help full.
• Supports different type of charts.
• Event provided by BIRT is also very use full.

 

Disadvantages of BIRT

• Little bit learning curve
• Birt report need to be deployed on web application provided by birt runtime or needs to be integrated to web application.
• Integrating birt using birt api in web application is tedious task.

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