Generating data object elements for BIRT report designs

To generate data object data sources, data sets, and cubes for a BIRT report design, first configure BIRT_HOME to access the Actuate commercial model API Java archive (JAR) files from Actuate iHub. To accomplish this task, generate a DesignConfig object with a custom BIRT_HOME path, as shown in the following code:

// Create an DesignConfig object.

DesignConfig config = new DesignConfig( );

// Set up the path to your BIRT Home Directory.

config.setBIRTHome("C:/Program Files/BIRTiHubVisualization/modules/BIRTiHub/iHub/Jar/BIRT/platform");

Use the path to the iHub installation specific to your system.

Using this design configuration object, create and configure a Design Engine object, open a new session, and generate or open a report design object, as shown in the following code:

// Create the engine.

DesignEngine engine = new DesignEngine( config );

SessionHandle sessionHandle = engine.newSessionHandle( ULocale.ENGLISH );

ReportDesignHandle designHandle = sessionHandle.createDesign( );

These objects are contained in the model API package org.eclipse.birt.report.model.api.

The ElementFactory class supports access to all the elements in a report. The following code generates an Element Factory object:

ElementFactory factory = designHandle.getElementFactory( );

To generate data sources, data sets, and cubes, use the datamart methods of an ElementFactory object: newDataMartCube( ) for a new cube, newDataMartDataSet( ) for a data set, and newDataMartSource( ) for a new data source. For example, to instantiate a new data source, use the following code:

DataMartDataSourceHandle dataSource =
factory.newDataMartDataSource("Data Object Data Source");

Associate a handle for a data object data source with an actual data source from the contents of a data or data design file. For example, to associate a data source handle with a data source from test.datadesign, use the following code:

dataSource.setDataMartURL( "test" );

dataSource.setAccessType( DesignChoiceConstants.ACCESS_TYPE_TRANSIENT );

Finally, add the data element to the report design, as shown in the following code:

designHandle.getDataSources( ).add( dataSource );

To complete the data source assignment, output the report design into a file and close the design handle object, using code similar to the following:

FileOutputStream fos = new FileOutputStream( "output.rptdesign" );

designHandle.serialize( fos );

// Close the document.

fos.close( );

designHandle.close( );

The resulting output file, output.rptdesign, contains the new data source, retrieved from test.datadesign. This data source appears in Data Sources in Data Explorer and establishes a link to the .datadesign file, test.datadesign. The XML source for output.rptdesign includes markup similar to the following lines:

<datamart-node location="file:/MyProject/test.datadesign">

...

<data-sources>

<data-mart-data-source name="Data Object Data Source" id="7">

<property name="accessType">transient</property>

</data-mart-data-source>

</data-sources>

When exporting this report design to an Encyclopedia volume, also export test.datadesign to maintain the reference to the data source.

Creating data object data sets for BIRT report designs

To create a data object data set, use the newDataMartDataSet( ) method from ElementFactory. For example, to instantiate a new data set, use the following code:

DataMartDataSetHandle dataSet =
factory.newDataMartDataSet("Data Set");

Associate the data object data cube with a DataMartDataSourceHandle object and then add the name of a data set from the data or data design file. For example, to access a data set called "SetName", use the following code:

dataSet.setDataSource( dataSource.getName( ) );

dataSet.setDataObject( "SetName" );

DataMartDataSetHandle inherits the setDataSource( ) method from DataSetHandle.

Finally, add the data element to the report design, as shown in the following code:

designHandle.getDataSets( ).add( dataSet );

Creating data object data cubes for BIRT report designs

To create a data object data cube, use the newDataMartDataCube( ) method from ElementFactory. For example, to instantiate a new data cube, use the following code:

DataMartDataCubeHandle dataCube =
factory.newDataMartDataCube("Data Cube");

Associate the data object data cube with a DataMartDataSourceHandle object and assign a data cube from the data or data design file. For example, to access a data cube called "CubeName", use the following code:

dataCube.setDataSource( dataSource.getName( ) );

dataCube.setDataObject("CubeName");

Finally, add the data element to the report design, as shown in the following code:

designHandle.getDataCubes( ).add( dataCube );