| Deploying Java classes used in BIRT reports |
A BIRT report uses scripts to implement custom functionality. For example, you can use scripts to create a scripted data set or to provide custom processing for a report element. When you deploy a BIRT report to an Encyclopedia volume, you must provide iHub with access to the Java classes that the scripts reference. You package these classes as JAR files that can be recognized and processed from an iHub Java factory process. There are two ways to deploy Java classes:
Deploy the JAR files to the Encyclopedia volume.
This method supports creating specific implementations for each volume in iHub. This method of deployment requires packaging the Java classes as a JAR file and attaching the JAR file as a resource to the report design file. You treat a JAR file as a resource in the same way as a library or image. Using this method, you publish the JAR file to iHub every time you make a change in the Java classes.
Deploy the JAR files to the following iHub subdirectory:
$ACTUATE_HOME\iHub\resources
This method uses the same implementation for all volumes in iHub. Actuate does not recommend deploying JAR files to an iHub /resources folder because iHub must be restarted after deploying the JAR file. Another disadvantage of this deployment technique is that the JAR file, deployed in the iHub /resources directory is shared across all volumes, which can cause conflicts if you need to have different implementations for different volumes. When using this method, you do not have to add the JAR file to the report design’s Resource property.
