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[ANN] DataVision 0.7.0 released

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Jim Menard

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Feb 10, 2003, 4:14:34 PM2/10/03
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DataVision is an Open Source reporting tool similar to Crystal Reports.
Reports can be designed using a drag-and-drop GUI. They may be run, viewed,
and printed from the application or exported as HTML, XML, PDF, LaTeX2e,
DocBook, or tab- or comma-delimited text files. The output files produced
by LaTeX2e and DocBook can in turn be used to produce PDF, text, HTML,
PostScript, and more.

DataVision is written in Java and runs almost anywhere. It can generate
reports from databases or text data files. Any database with an available
JDBC driver should work: Oracle, PostgreSQL, MySQL, Informix, hsqldb,
Microsoft Access, and more. Columns read from text files can be separated
by any character.

Report descriptions are stored as XML files. This means you can not only
use the DataVision GUI but you may also edit reports using your favorite
text editor.

Changes:

* A Turkish translation (tr_TR), thanks to Ismail Cansiz.

* A Slovakian translation (sk_SK), thanks to Matej "Mato" Holly.

* Ruby has replaced the stupid RPN formula language, thanks to the JRuby
project (http://jruby.sourceforge.net). For information about Ruby, see
the Ruby Home Page (http://www.ruby-lang.org/en/). This gives DataVision
variables and much more.

* A report start formula (a Ruby script) is evaluated at the beginning of
every report run. From there, you can set variables that can be accessed
by all other formulas. Edit the start formula by selecting Startup
Script... from the Report menu.

* A new "group.count" special field. When put into the detail section, the
group count is the same as the report.row. When in a group footer, it's
the number of rows in the group. When in the report footer, it's the
total number of rows in the report.

* Suppression procs (scripts) for sections determine when the section is
hidden or shown. See Section Suppression Procs in the User's Manual for
details.

* A new data source useful for designing database-based reports without a
database connection.

* The character-separated file data source can now use a Ruby script as a
"where clause" to accept or reject rows of data from the file. See
Selecting Records in the User's Manual.

* All jar files have been moved to the new lib directory. All properties
files have been moved to the new jimm/properties directory.

* Improved character-separated file data source code. Added unit tests.

* For translators, menu items are now in separate files. Menu items' key
strokes can be modified as well.

* Data sources now determine if relevant menu items should be enabled.

* Images in report XML can use either file path or URL. Note that relative
file paths and URLs like "file:examples/postgresql.xml" are relative to
the DataVision directory.

* Field names appear in the Format Dialog title.

* The file chooser now remembers the current directory throughout the whole
application as well as within the same report.

* HTML layout engine now outputs image width and height.

* New screenshots on the Web site.

* Bug fixes:

* When deleting a group, the group now properly disappears from the report
design window.

* When resetting a database connection, purge the system of references to
old table and column objects.

* Landscape printing bug fixed.

* Will no longer run out of memory when paging through a report.

* Saving CharSepSource to XML will now work.

* When creating a new field from a drag, the correct field widget type is
created.

* Special field report.row now returns correct value in report footer.

* Fixed command-line option handling. -q and -e1 options will now work.

* When reading a report XML file, fields in suppressed sections weren't
drawn properly.

* Fixed code that finds references to formulas within formula fields. It's
no longer possible to delete formulas in the Field Picker window that are
being used in the report.

* Avoid "no data" error messages for Progress database when loading
database metadata.

Jim
--
Jim Menard, ji...@io.com, http://www.io.com/~jimm/
"Good code in perl is fine, but there's something about bad code in perl
that's worse than bad code in other languages, something very HP-Lovecraft-
mad-servants-of-the-elder-gods-chattering-in-the-extradimensional-
insect-language kind of bad that makes my head hurt when I have to read
it." -- Jish Karoshi in comp.lang.ruby

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