The ROM specification defines a set of XML elements that describe the visual and non-visual components of a report. The XML file that BIRT Report Designer generates to describe a report design, library, or template consists entirely of ROM elements. Visual components, known as report items, include data items, labels, and tables. ROM also provides the framework for extended report items such as charts and cross tabs. Non-visual components, for example, data cubes, data sets, data sources, report parameters, and styles, support report items, but do not appear in a report. The ROM specification defines elements, their properties, and an element’s relationship to other elements. The ROM specification describes elements by their methods, properties, slots, and styles. ROM elements describe:

The report design, template, or library file contains XML elements that describe the ROM elements in the file. The BIRT design engine interprets the ROM elements using the ROM specification and the ROM schema. The ROM specification describes the content of each report element type. The ROM schema describes the supported structure of the XML in a file. Each BIRT file type appears in the ROM schema. Examining the XML in a BIRT file and the ROM schema shows that a template’s structure is identical to a report design.

BIRT Report Designer displays the elements that the design engine interprets. Visual report items appear in the layout window. Data-related items such as cubes, data sets, and report parameters appear in the data explorer. All elements in the report design appear in the Outline view.

A ROM element can have one or more methods, called event handlers. BIRT fires many different events during the course of executing a report. When BIRT fires an event, the appropriate event handler executes to handle the event. By default, event handlers are empty methods that do nothing. By supplying code for an event handler, a report developer customizes and extends the functionality of BIRT. Supplying code for an event handler is called scripting. An event handler can be scripted in either JavaScript or Java.

Report items can have four events: onPrepare, onCreate, onPageBreak, and onRender. Each event fires in a specific phase of report creation. onPrepare fires in the preparation phase. onCreate fires during the generation phase. onRender and onPageBreak fire during the presentation phase.

ROM element properties are typed. Property types are similar to variable types in programming or data types in database terminology. Like variables and data types, ROM property types can be simple or complex. Design.xsd defines these types. Simple types include color, dimension, number, and string. Complex types include lists and structures. A complex type contains more than one component. For example, a text type contains both the text and a resource key used to internationalize the text.

A ROM slot is a container for elements of defined types. For example, a report element has a Body slot that contains any number of any type of report item. The Styles slot in the report element contains only Style items, which are the styles available to the report.

The ROM style system is based on cascading style sheets (CSS), where a style set in a container cascades to its contents. The Report element contains all other elements, so the style property of the Report element defines the default style for the entire report. An element within the report can override the default style. A report developer can either choose a style from a defined set of styles or create a new style. Typical style attributes include alignment, background image, color, and text size.