Hi,
Could anyone compare both reporting tools? We need to decide which one
to choose. So far, we have been using the PowerBuilder, even for our
Java apps (started via a system call).

I know of a 3 year old comparison
(http://sourceforge.net/forum/message.php?msg_id=1503738), but a lot
have probably changed since them on both sides.

Stan Berka

I hate Crystal, so I'll vote against it even though I've never used Jasper!

Add one more to the list though, we've had good success with
CrystalClear over at http://www.inetsoftware.de/ CC is as feature rich
as Crystal and the server side stuff actually runs!

Hi Stan,
Jasper reports is an excellent open source reporting tool. It has
plenty of support in the open source community and has good desinger
tools out there too.
Will you need non technical users to design reports? if not then jasper
is a good choice, it integrates well into web applications and can take
data from ValueObjects or the database or other data sources.
It exports well into pdf xls etc.

"stanberka" <sberka> wrote:

>Hi,
>Could anyone compare both reporting tools? We need to decide which one
>to choose. So far, we have been using the PowerBuilder, even for our
>Java apps (started via a system call).
>
>I know of a 3 year old comparison
>([..]), but a lot
>have probably changed since them on both sides.
>
>Stan Berka
I don't think these two products are comparable. JasperReports does
not include a GUI designer for reports although you could add iReport
(http://ireport.sourceforge.net/). JasperReports and iReport are in
Beta and are open source. Crystal Reports is sold as a fully supported
commercial product with no access to the source code. JasperReports
and iReport are Java based which is reflected in their expression
syntax. Crystal Reports has it's own language.

"stanberka" <sberka> wrote in message
news:3250
> Hi,
> Could anyone compare both reporting tools? We need to decide which one
> to choose. So far, we have been using the PowerBuilder, even for our
> Java apps (started via a system call).

Crystal has a mature designer that works quite well, and is straight-forward
for non-technical people to use.

HOWEVER, their server system SUX big.
Not to mention their gold-digging licencing schemes.
They evidently are reinforcing the hype that if you
call your crap "Enterprise", all the Fortune-500's
will be flocking to you, waving wads of cash.

Jasper is still in it's infancy. The tools are all there, but it still
needs a comprehensive framework wrapped around it.
As well, it is very hard to set up - for the non-technical user.

What would be nice is a converter from crystal report format
to jasper format. I doubt the crystal people are going to do that.

I would like to recommend Jasper, but beware there is a steep
learning curve, and a huge configuration task involved.

regards,
Dar7yl

Hi Reddea,
Thanks. I think the same. And we will create reports ourselves for
users. Are you using JaspeReport yourself or in your company?
Stan

reddeagle wrote:
[..]

dar7yl wrote:
>
> HOWEVER, their server system SUX big.

Amen! Can anyone say 5 reboots per day...


> Not to mention their gold-digging licencing schemes.

Gold-digging doesn't even come close, it's out and out robbery. A while
ago when they changed their pricing schemes, they put me in a position
where the report licensing was significantly more expensive than what I
was charging for the main application. My dependency on Crystal sent my
'all in' price from competitive to out of the market.


> What would be nice is a converter from crystal report format
> to jasper format. I doubt the crystal people are going to do that.

The nice thing about CrystalClear is that they have done this. In fact
better, they appear to have reverse-engineered Crystal's file format;
many rpt files can be used seamlessly within CC. Of the 300 odd reports
we use, I'd say that 80-90% of them work seemlessly (some however just
had to be rewritten).

</evangelism>

On Tue, 15 Feb 2005 04:13:21 +0800, stanberka wrote
(in article <1108412001.455860.243250>):

> Hi,
> Could anyone compare both reporting tools? We need to decide which one
> to choose. So far, we have been using the PowerBuilder, even for our
> Java apps (started via a system call).
>
> I know of a 3 year old comparison
> ([..]), but a lot
> have probably changed since them on both sides.
>
> Stan Berka
>

Ireports V Crystalreports.

Jasperreports is a "backend" library.


you will be very surprised at the quality & speed of Ireports.

steve

"steve" <me> wrote in message
news:55b0
> On Tue, 15 Feb 2005 04:13:21 +0800, stanberka wrote
> (in article <1108412001.455860.243250>):
>
>> Hi,
>> Could anyone compare both reporting tools? We need to decide which one
>> to choose. So far, we have been using the PowerBuilder, even for our
>> Java apps (started via a system call)....
>
> Ireports V Crystalreports.
>
> Jasperreports is a "backend" library.
> you will be very surprised at the quality & speed of Ireports.

Huh?
What is your definition of "backend library"? As opposed to what?
Could you please define Ireports? How does it compare with Jasper
and Crystal reports?

regards,
Dar7yl

stanberka wrote:
> Hi,
> Could anyone compare both reporting tools? We need to decide which
one
> to choose. So far, we have been using the PowerBuilder, even for our
> Java apps (started via a system call).
>
> I know of a 3 year old comparison
> ([..]), but a lot
> have probably changed since them on both sides.

dunno about Jasper Report, but Crystal Report's document is one of the
worst I have seen.

On Fri, 18 Feb 2005 07:30:29 +0800, dar7yl wrote
(in article <pO9Rd.125$Fu.50@edtnps89>):

> "steve" <me> wrote in message
> news:55b0
>
> Huh?
> What is your definition of "backend library"? As opposed to what?
> Could you please define Ireports? How does it compare with Jasper
> and Crystal reports?
>
> regards,
> Dar7yl
>
go take a look at Ireports.
then look at Jasper.


but why don't you just read what it says on source forge ,on the jasper
reports page.:


Free Java reporting library. XML report templates are used to generate ready
to print documents using data from customizable data sources, including JDBC.
The output can be delivered to the screen, printer, or stored in PDF, HTML,
XLS, CSV and XML format

and for IREPORTS:



Welcome to the most enhanced visual report builder for JasperReports





Project description
iReport is a powerful, intuitive and easy to use visual report
builder/designer for JasperReports written in 100% pure java. This tool
allows users to visually edit complex reports with charts, images,
subreports,.... iReport is integrated with JFreeChart, one of the most
diffused OpenSource chart library for java. The data to print can be
retrieved through several ways including multiple JDBC connections,
TableModels, JavaBeans, XML, etc..


that is my , and it appears the programmers idea what a library routine is:

On Fri, 18 Feb 2005 19:46:06 +0800, Aquila Deus wrote
(in article <1108727166.564229.225600>):

> stanberka wrote:
>> Hi,
>> Could anyone compare both reporting tools? We need to decide which
> one
>> to choose. So far, we have been using the PowerBuilder, even for our
>> Java apps (started via a system call).
>>
>> I know of a 3 year old comparison
>> ([..]), but a lot
>> have probably changed since them on both sides.
>
> dunno about Jasper Report, but Crystal Report's document is one of the
> worst I have seen.
>


jasper's doc, is ok, but then again , crystal is not "free".

just by fooling about , you can build, very complex reports, but what is
really nice, is that it is WYSIWUG.