About report gadgets
Report gadgets display content and data from existing BIRT document or design files. Multiple report gadgets can display on a dashboard at the same time. Report gadgets support using BIRT Interactive Viewer by maximizing the gadget.
By displaying BIRT files or bookmarked components of a BIRT file, users can display several existing Flash gadgets and objects from BIRT Designer Professional and BIRT Studio in dashboard gadgets. Users can share these gadgets for others to use. Report and Reportlet gadgets support all components of a BIRT file such as cross tabs, multiple hyperlinks, chart image formats, and switch view.
For example, a BIRT developer uses BIRT Designer Professional to create a document with four bookmarked elements: a radar chart, a Flash map, a table, and a cross tab. Four Reportlet gadgets can each contain a different bookmarked component of the BIRT document. The developer can share these gadgets for other users to view or include in personal dashboards.
Table 3‑1 shows the report gadgets available to use in a dashboard.
Table 3‑1 Report gadget types
Icon | Type | Purpose |
| Parameter | Parameter gadgets display parameters of a selected BIRT document and design file. Other gadgets can use these parameters. This gadget supports dynamic parameters that enable users to select a condition operator and a value. |
| Report | Report gadgets display entire BIRT document and design files in a gadget. The document retains the file access permissions of the original BIRT document. |
| Reportlet | Reportlet gadgets display bookmarked elements from BIRT document and design files, such as a cross tab, table, or chart, in a gadget. The document part retains the file access permissions of the original BIRT document. |
Users can export the report gadget content as raw data or in formats like Adobe PDF, IBM AFP, Microsoft Word and Excel. An optional toolbar enables users to navigate pages and export report data or content.
Report gadgets support drill-through of charts when the BIRT developer enables this functionality.
Figure 3‑2 shows a report gadget with parameters.
Figure 3‑2 Exporting content from a minimized report gadget
Users can interactively change the appearance, content and layout of a BIRT document when the user maximizes the report gadget.
Figure 3‑3 shows a maximized report gadget.
Figure 3‑3 Opening the context menu of a maximized report gadget
