Application allowing to generate documents from report parts and export them as nice PDF documents.

This application is in (beta) release and if free during this beta period for all users.

General Principles

The objective of this application is to create report parts and assemble these report parts into reports. Choosing the report parts of a report is done using "Edit Report Configuration".

Report parts can be either included or copied in the final report. In case a report is copied this will allow to modify the report part specifically for this report.

Report parts can also contain variables which can be edited in the report. The "Edit Report Configuration" button will automatically detect all variables used in the report parts included in the report and propose to set or modify the value of these variables.

Finally a report generation button will allow to assemble the report. Once assemble it is possible to modify the report and customize it's content. Specific buttons are added in the report to regenerate a section from it's original content (if applied, then the modification done on this section would be removed).

The report can then be exported to PDF using a specific PDF template provided with this extension allowing to output a nicer PDF document. 

Creating Report Parts

If you visit the Reports.ReportParts space you can create report parts. Report parts can be edited in Wysiwyg.

A "Report Field" macro is provided to insert variables in your report parts as shown below:

Editing the Report Configuration

Using the "Edit Report Configuration" it is possible to change the report parts being used for a report.

And also to edit the variables available in a report:

Generating the Report

Using the generate report it is possible to generate the content of the report from the report parts. Parts will either be copied or included.

PDF Output

Finally using the PDF button it is possible to generate the report as PDF using a specially provided PDF template to have a nice PDF output. You can see the result for the sample report below:

Advanced Features

This extension contains some advanced features opening some interesting possibilities to generate complex documents. There is not a detailed documentation of these features. XWiki SAS can assist you to use these features through XWiki SAS' custom services. You can contact the XWiki SAS sales team at "sales" @ "xwiki.com".

Customizing the PDF Template

It is possible to customize the PDF Template to have your own logo or background of the PDF.

For this you need to modify the page Reports.Code.XWikiSASPDFTemplate and replace the images attached to the page (in the attachement tab) or modify the styles and content of the cover, header and footer configuration (in edit mode). See screenshots below:

Special Scripted Pages

An advanced feature is to allow for scripted pages that are generated based on a script when generating the report. The script can refer to specific variables set in an XWiki Object added to the report page. 

This feature is activated by setting the "Scripted" type for report parts, by editing the report part as a class and add fields to it and then to add velocity code to the report part. The velocity script will be run when generating the report.