Building BIRT Reports - Course CurriculumCourse OverviewThis three-day training course focuses on the tasks that are common to most report developers. We start with an introduction of the basic development environment and then move into a variety of report building techniques that are common to real-world development requirements. PrerequisitesNo experience necessary, however some report building experience, SQL and javascript is beneficial.FormatInstructor-led lectures accompanied by hands-on lab exercises, examples, and tutorials.Course MaterialsParticipants receive slides and lab exercises, as well as links to other resources and code downloads.RegistrationPlease return to the BIRT Training page and click the registration link for the desired dates, or Contact Us for more information.Course Outline
Getting Started With BIRTThis section is the foundation of the course and is designed for users who are just getting started in BIRT report development or want to enhance existing knowledge. This section is designed to leave a student comfortable working within the BIRT environment and with a solid understanding of the core components needed to create basic BIRT reports. Key terminology and functionality of BIRT that is built on in the following modules is introduced. The following topics are covered in this section:
Top Styles & ExpressionsThis section is a continuation of the Getting Started with BIRT module and focuses on report formatting and the multitude of ways expressions are used to create BIRT reports. As with any report development, the presentation and styling of information is almost as important as the data itself. BIRT allows many ways to incorporate styles, from style sheets to individual control changes; this section will teach students how to give reports a finished look. Expressions are used in many areas of BIRT report development; from creating Data Sources to building Charts and incorporating Parameters. This section teaches students how expression functions can help solve roadblocks that may arise in report development. The following topics are covered in this section:
Top BIRT FeaturesAs a natural progression after taking the Getting Started with BIRT and Styles & Expressions sections. BIRT Features provides report developers a host of tools that can be used to meet unique reporting requirements. This section introduces key features that are used to add power and flexibility to BIRT reports. Topics include creating nested tables with filters, joining Data Sets (running multiple queries to one or more data sources), providing navigation within or between reports using hyperlinks, and configuring reports for different languages or locales. This section will conclude by teaching students how pivot tables can be created using Data Cubes with Cross tabs. The following topics are covered in this section:
Top BIRT ChartsBIRT provides a powerful charting package that can be used in reports or stand-alone. This section introduces BIRT charting with a focus on how to create the various chart types through visual mechanisms. Students will learn the different ways data can be represented in a chart, how to pull the right data in and how formatting can add a customized look to any chart that is created. Chart interactivity, which enables linking a chart to supporting data found in the report or clicking through to another report, will be covered. The following topics are covered in this section:
Top BIRT EventsThis section is recommended to those who need to get a better understanding of how BIRT reports are executed and are comfortable working within the architecture of report execution. Beginning by walking through the lifecycle of a BIRT report, with an overview of the core API’s used by BIRT, students will gain an understanding of how report content can be manipulated and the lifecycle adjusted using Event Handlers. There will also be a discussion on the pros and cons of Java and JavaScript Event Handlers. The following topics are covered in this section:
Top Best Practice BIRT DevelopmentThe final section focuses on improving productivity and repeatability by providing an understanding of how to define a foundation to streamline report development. This section is designed for development teams and individuals who want to learn tried and true best practices. Students will leave with a working knowledge of how report libraries and templates can be utilized. There will be a discussion of the importance of version control and deployment strategies; and all of this will be done within an open source project being developed by Innovent Solutions. The following topics are covered in this section:
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