C
Compatible Mozilla/4.0EmbeddedWB-
Background
Most Java reporting tools, especially those have some BI
characteristics, often claim to end users that their products are
simple to use. Some reporting tools promise that they can allow end
users to make various statistical reports follow their own
inclinations, and even make a report just by drag and drop.
Has report development become so easily?!
The fact is that programmers are still struggling against various
reports. Both reporting softwares and OLAP products seldom allow end
users to use them directly, therefore, end users are still using
Excel.
For end users, making a simple Web report (with row grouping or simple
cross) with these common reporting softwares is ok, as they can do
with the wizard and the semantic layer. However, end users can not
make most complex reports by dragging and dropping the relations of
data structure which they do not understood. Therefore, it is
impossible for end users to make all the report with these common
reporting softwares.
Drag and drop can only set the positions of data items, but they even
can not do this very well. As current reporting tools' editing styles
are commonly based on controls, and it is a general editing proposal
of graphical primitive, it absolutely does not show the regularity of
table. However, real successful table products like Excel are not
based on controls. For summary conditions, grouping rules and
operation formulas, which have to be dealt with in complex reports,
drag and drop can do nothing at all. Therefore, end users have to
understand the operation model of report first, and then, write
abstract expressions. This is not much easier than coding.
Solution
Then, is it impossible for end users to make Web reports by
themselves?
Yes, it is possible of course!
However, they can only make those simple reports with universal
reporting tools. In order to make complex industry reports, they must
use reporting tools with industry characteristics. In other words,
programmers must add industry experience into some technical reporting
tools, and set the styles and templates of report. Then, end users
only need to input parameters and indicators to make various complex
reports. The degree of difficulty is determined by the functions and
integration of the reporting tool.
To sum up, it is not easy to make complex reports by drag and drop as
others said.
This post is from freezea's blog. You are welcomed cc it anywhere, and
please indicate the source.
If you would like to read more articles about reporting tool, you are
also welcome to refer to his blog at http://freezea.blogspot.com/.
Most Java reporting tools, especially those have some BI
characteristics, often claim to end users that their products are
simple to use. Some reporting tools promise that they can allow end
users to make various statistical reports follow their own
inclinations, and even make a report just by drag and drop.
Has report development become so easily?!
The fact is that programmers are still struggling against various
reports. Both reporting softwares and OLAP products seldom allow end
users to use them directly, therefore, end users are still using
Excel.
For end users, making a simple Web report (with row grouping or simple
cross) with these common reporting softwares is ok, as they can do
with the wizard and the semantic layer. However, end users can not
make most complex reports by dragging and dropping the relations of
data structure which they do not understood. Therefore, it is
impossible for end users to make all the report with these common
reporting softwares.
Drag and drop can only set the positions of data items, but they even
can not do this very well. As current reporting tools' editing styles
are commonly based on controls, and it is a general editing proposal
of graphical primitive, it absolutely does not show the regularity of
table. However, real successful table products like Excel are not
based on controls. For summary conditions, grouping rules and
operation formulas, which have to be dealt with in complex reports,
drag and drop can do nothing at all. Therefore, end users have to
understand the operation model of report first, and then, write
abstract expressions. This is not much easier than coding.
Solution
Then, is it impossible for end users to make Web reports by
themselves?
Yes, it is possible of course!
However, they can only make those simple reports with universal
reporting tools. In order to make complex industry reports, they must
use reporting tools with industry characteristics. In other words,
programmers must add industry experience into some technical reporting
tools, and set the styles and templates of report. Then, end users
only need to input parameters and indicators to make various complex
reports. The degree of difficulty is determined by the functions and
integration of the reporting tool.
To sum up, it is not easy to make complex reports by drag and drop as
others said.
This post is from freezea's blog. You are welcomed cc it anywhere, and
please indicate the source.
If you would like to read more articles about reporting tool, you are
also welcome to refer to his blog at http://freezea.blogspot.com/.