Exit Functions
During the running of a report, the display of the report is done by Logi Report Engine. You have no control over this. However, Logi Report functionality allows you to interact with this mechanism at 3 points:
- After the parameter a report uses has been initiated.
- At the point Logi Report Engine is about to run the report. If the report contains parameters, the parameters at this stage will have been initiated, and you have given the parameter values.
- Immediately after Logi Report Engine displays the report result.
At any or all of these three points you have the option of executing a class of your choice. Logi Report develops three Exit functions for you: After Init Parameter, Before Run, and After Run. These functions enable you to develop an action to be called before, after, or during the process of running a report. A status will then be returned. If the returned status is true, Logi Report Engine will go on running. If false, Logi Report Engine will stop at this point. This topic describes the properties and interfaces the Exit functions contain, and how to use the Exit functions to call a program you develop.
This topic includes the following sections:
Exit Function Properties
Open a report in Logi Report Designer, then in the Report Inspector, select the node that represents the report tab and you will find the three Exit function properties: After Init Parameter, After Run, and Before Run.
- After Init Parameter
When running the report, after you specify parameters in the parameter dialog, this function allows you to call a program developed by yourself. - After Run
Allows you to call a program developed by yourself after running a report. - Before Run
Calls a program developed by yourself just before running a report.
Executive Interfaces
Logi Report provides you with three interfaces to implement the Exit functions.
This interface provides the following method:
- public boolean exec(String[] params) throws JURLExecuterException - This method is used to get the status of Logi Report Engine.
- Parameter
params - Array of strings, each element is defined and parsed by yourself. You can specify the PARAMETERs in the Report Inspector. If no PARAMETER is specified, params.length will be zero. - Return
Boolean value. If true, Logi Report Engine will continue running. If false, Logi Report Engine will stop at this point.
- Parameter
This interface provides the following method:
- public boolean exec(String[] params, EngineExecutor executor) throws JURLExecutorException - This method is used to get the status of Logi Report Engine.
- Parameter
params - Array of strings, each element of which is defined by yourself and also parsed by yourself. You can specify the PARAMETERs in the Report Inspector. If no PARAMETERs are entered, then params.length is zero.
executor - Executor of EngineExecutor, which is another interface Logi Report provides for exporting a report to HTML, TXT or PDF format within the Exit functions. - Return
boolean value. If true, Logi Report Engine will continue running. If false, Logi Report Engine will stop at this point.
- Parameter
This interface provides three methods:
- public boolean exportToHtml(String htmlFileName, boolean bChartApplet, boolean isMultiFile, boolean bUsingTable, boolean bHyperlink, boolean bPageNum, boolean bAbsolute, int iBrowser)
- This method is used to export the report result to HTML format.
- Parameter
HtmlFileName - Name of the HTML format result file with full path.
bChartApplet - A Boolean value which specifies whether or not a chart in an HTML file is an applet. This parameter is deprecated and not recommended to use.
isMultiFile - A Boolean value which specifies whether or not the HTML is generated to one or multiple files.
bUsingTable - A Boolean value which specifies whether or not to use the HTML table format for exporting HTML files.
bHyperLink - A Boolean value which specifies whether or not to generate hyperlinks.
bPageNum - A Boolean value which specifies whether or not to generate page number.
bAbsolute - A Boolean value which specifies whether or not the font size is absolute or relative.
iBrowser - An int value which specifies whether or not the web browser is IE. - Return
Boolean value for exporting status. If true, the report has been successfully exported and vice versa.
- Parameter
- public boolean exportToPdf(String pdfFileName)
- This method is used to export the report result to PDF format.
- Parameter
PdfFileName - The name of the PDF format result file with a full path. - Return
Boolean value for exporting status. If true, the report has been successfully exported and vice versa.
- Parameter
- public boolean exportToText(String textFileName, boolean isNormalText, boolean isRepeat, char delimiter)
- This method is used for exporting the report result to text format.
- Parameter
TextFileName - Name of the TEXT format result file with full path, where "true/false" sets whether or not the text file is of normal text format or of standard data format. A standard data format text file is a text file where each row represents a single record in a report. It can be used as a text data source for exchanging data with other applications.
isNormalText - A Boolean value which specifies whether or not a text file is in normal text format.
isRepeat - A Boolean value which specifies whether or not the contents will be repeated.
delimiter - A character which is be used in SDF (Standard Data Format). The delimiter will only be used when the "true/false" parameter is set to false. Delimiters can be ',' (the CSV format) or any other character. The default is ' ' (a blank), which is the SSV format. - Return
Boolean value for exporting status. If true, the report has been successfully exported and vice versa.
- Parameter
Reference: For API information, see the JURExecutor, JUREngineExecutor, and EngineExecutor interfaces of the jet.util package in the Logi Report Javadoc.
Using the Exit Functions
The following two examples show using the Exit functions to achieve specific goals.
Example 1: Using parameters in the Exit functions
In this example, we provide a simple application which will run at all the three times, Before Run, After Init Parameter, and After Run.
- Develop your Java files to implement the methods. In the example, copy the following code and save it as testa.java to
C:\LogiReport\Designer\help
(here it is assumed that you have installed your Logi Report Designer to the default directory).import java.io.*;
import java.awt.*;
import java.net.*;
import jet.util.*;
public class testa implements JURLExecuter
{
public boolean exec(String[] params)
{
System.out.println("testa : ");
for (int i = 0; i < params.length; i++)
{
System.out.print("\"" + params[i] + "\",");
}
System.out.println();
return true;
}
} - Compile testa.java to generate the class file testa.class in
C:\LogiReport\Designer\help
. - Modify the batch file setenv.bat in
C:\LogiReport\Designer\bin
by appending the pathC:\LogiReport\Designer\help
into the batch file's ADDCLASSPATH variable:set ADDCLASSPATH=%JAVAHOME%\lib\tools.jar;C:\LogiReport\Designer\help;
- Start Logi Report Designer, then open a report with parameter.
- In the Report Inspector, select the node that represents the report tab and specify the class and give parameters for the three functions, for example:
JURL:/ - The standard format, and followed by the class name.
testa - The class name in this example.
aa;bb;cc and 123;234;345 - The string type parameters of the class, which are divided by semicolons.
Param - A predefined Logi Report parameter used in the current report, which is introduced by the symbol @.As shown above, two types of Exit function parameters are supported. They are:
- String type parameters, such as aa, C:\, and so on. In this case, the string will be passed directly to the Exit function.
- Logi Report predefined parameters used in the current report, which are introduced by the @ symbol. In this case, the parameter value will be passed to the Exit function.
- Run the report, the report engine will call the class that you specified in the Report Inspector.
Example 2: Using Formulas in the Exit Functions
Logi Report allows you to use formulas in the Exit functions. To do this, you can use the Data Container Link feature which can return value of any formula to a parameter. Using the parameter in the Exit functions, you will get the value of the formula in the Exit functions.
- Create a formula and insert it into a report. You should place the formula in the child data component.
- Create a parameter with the same data type as the formula, leaving other options blank, and then insert it into the parent data component.
- Right-click the parent data component and select Data Container Link on the shortcut menu.
- In the Data Container Link dialog, select the Return Value tab, add the formula in the Fields in Child Data Container box to the Return Value box, then select OK.
Now, you have finished passing value of the formula to a parameter.
- Use this parameter in the Exit functions with the method described in Example 1. The final value of the formula will then be returned in the Exit functions.
Notes:
- When you use a Logi Report parameter as the parameter of the Before Run function, no Logi Report parameter value will be returned, instead the returned value will be the Logi Report parameter name with the @ symbol.
- If you want to use Logi Report parameters as the Exit function parameters, they must be used in the report. Otherwise, no value will be returned.
- When you want to publish a report that applies the Exit functions to Logi Report Server and run it there, you should publish both the report and the catalog file to Logi Report Server. In addition, you should add the path to the
-classpath
option in the batch file that starts Logi Report Server. - You can also apply formulas in the Exit functions by using returning values in subreports. In this case, you need to pass value of a formula in the subreport to a parameter in the primary report.