Setting Up iReport for Fishbowl iReport is automatically installed along with your Fishbowl Inventory software.

This section will show you how to setup iReport so you can create new reports and modify the reports

that are installed with Fishbowl Inventory. Reports that you create or modify may need to be compiled

or rebuilt whenever your Fishbowl Inventory software is upgraded because the database structure may have changed.

While you may be able to make minor changes to existing reports without much trouble, you will need a

working knowledge of SQL and Java to build new reports.

This section will help you with the following tasks:

1. Setting Up iReport for the Fishbowl Server Computer

2. Setting up iReport on a Fishbowl Client Computer 3. Compiling and saving changes to reports

1. Setting Up iReport for the Fishbowl Server Computer

Opening iReport

Open iReport by clicking on the Start button. Select All Programs | Fishbowl | iReport | iReport

Setting Up a Database Connection

iReport already includes two database (aka datasource) connections to Fishbowl: one to the Bicycles

database (example.fdb) and another to the default company database (event.fdb). Even with this you may need to modify the “Fishbowl Company” connection to point to your company’s database.

In iReport, click on the Data menu and choose Connections/Datasources. Highlight the line named

‘Fishbowl Company’ and click the Modify button (shown below).

In the Connections properties window you will need to change the following:

JDBC Driver: org.firebirdsql.jdbc.FBDriver

JDBC URL: jdbc:firebirdsql://localhost/\Program Files\Fishbowl\database\data\EVENT.FDB.

Username: gone

Password: fishing

If you did not install Fishbowl to the default location, you will also need to change the file path in JDBC URL. The file path (C:\Program Files…) should match the location and name of your database. In

this example we are connecting to the ‘EVENT.FDB’ database installed in the default location.

All other fields will not need to be changed.

Note: Port 3050 must be open so iReport can connect to the database.

After you have done this, click “Test” to make sure the connection is successful.

Setting Up an Active Connection

The Active Connection allows you to immediately check changes that you make to reports to see if they have any errors.

Set the Active Connection by going to Data | Set active connection. Select Fishbowl Company and click Ok.

Setting Up Classpaths Classpaths are java files that iReport uses to connect and run properly with your information in Fishbowl.

You will need to have the following six files in your Classpath window (the number 5.1 may be different depending on your version):

elfgr-5.1.jar eve-5.1.jar

eve-commons-5.1.jar fbcore-5.1.jar

firebirdsql-full-2.1.1.jar (or firebirdsql-full-1.5.5.1.jar if on version 4.7 or earlier) util-5.1.jar

These files are available (assuming default installation) in C:\Program Files\Fishbowl\lib

1. Choose Options | Classpath 2. Click Add JAR. Navigate to the Program Files\Fishbowl\lib. Hold down the control key and click on the

six files listed (or you can just highlight them all). Click Open and the files should appear in the Classpath

window.

This completes the setup process and you can now modify and create reports for Fishbowl. An abbreviated version of the iReport Manual was installed with Fishbowl and you can download the

complete iReport Manual from ireport.sourceforge.net/manual0.2.0.html.

2. Setting Up iReport on a Fishbowl Client Computer

Setting Up a Database Connection The process for setting up iReport on a Client computer is similar to the Server setup. The only difference

is in the database connection (JDBC URL).

JDBC Driver: org.firebirdsql.jdbc.FBDriver

JDBC URL: jdbc:firebirdsql://192.168.1.10 /C:\Program Files\Fishbowl\database\data\event.FDB where 192.168.1.10

is the IP address for the Fishbowl server and the file path is the location of the database file on that server.

Username: gone

Password: fishing

If you did not install Fishbowl to the default location, you will also need to change the file path in JDBC URL. The file path should match the location and name of your database on your server.

Note: Port 3050 must be open so iReport can connect to the database.

After you have done this, click “Test” to make sure the connection is successful.

Setting Up an Active Connection and Classpaths

Use the server instructions above to setup the Active Connection and Classpaths. The Classpath files will be available on your current computer.

3. Creating, saving and running an iReport report in Fishbowl Select: File | Report Wizard. Enter a SQL query into the “SQL Query” box and then click Next.

Example: SELECT * FROM part

Choose the fields that you would like to view in your report by adding them to the box on the right side.

You may choose a field to group your results by. In this example we will not choose anything so click Next.

You can now choose a layout design. Any layout that contains the name “Fishbowl” and “ltr” is designed

to print on a 8 ½ X 11 page.

You have now completed the Report Wizard and are ready to begin designing your report.

The design tools and options are outlined in the iReport manual which you can download from the iReport website at http://jasperforge.org/sf/projects/ireport.

Saving and Compiling

-In order for your reports to run inside of the Fishbowl reports module you must save two files on the

server computer in the ..\Fishbowl\Server\Reports folder. -The two files you need are created when you compile and save a report in iReport. The first file is a

“*.jrxml” and the second is a “*.jasper” file. -The name that you save the report cannot contain spaces.

You can also provide each report with its own report name so that you can distinguish it in Fishbowl from

other reports. To do this click Edit | Report Properties from within iReport. Under the box tiled “Report

Name” type out the name. This name cannot contain spaces.

Once you have designed and saved a report to the Fishbowl reports folder you must tell Fishbowl to look for new reports in the reports folder. To do this open the Reports module. Click Tools | Module options

and click the Refresh button.

Now you will be able to see and run the report from any Fishbowl Client.

The report will show up in the reports list as you entered the report name. You can also organize your

custom reports by creating new folders in the Fishbowl/Server/Reports directory.