The best Reporting Tool for Java Developers

Sometimes the most difficult part to create custom reports using Jaspersoft Studio, is actually to write the query that will fetch the data. After that, building the report is mainly drag-n-drop, write some Java code, setup properties and parameters, and make your report ready.

Pros

This software is one of the best choices to create reports if you are a Java developer. All you need to know about is Java and SQL for the queries. It integrates with many databases, and I personally have used it with PostgreSQL and it works well. The reports you create from scratch are fully customizable, and can include the elements you need: labels, tables, images, ... I like a lot the subreport element, as it allows to create even more complex / nested reports, in which you usually follow a master-detail model. In addition, you can use the Java libraries to integrate Jasper reports into your Java application, either Desktop or Web, this will enable

Cons

Some features or properties are not too intuitive, which is understandable if we think this is a tool for developers. Even though, it would be nice to have a more intuitive GUI.

Best report layout designer on the market.

I have been using Jasper Studio (iReport) and Jasper Server for the past 8 years and have really enjoyed the capabilities it offers and the ease of use. Continuous improvements have been made to both the designer side (iReport/Jasper Studio) and the report delivery side JasperServer. I would definately recommend you checking them out.

Pros

* Easy to use * Flexible scenarios for report grouping * No cost level available for simple deployment and use * JasperServer has ability to automate delivery of reports.

Cons

* Hard to find support forums (as a community/free user) * Custom data connectors present a challenge I haven't overcome for automated delivery (SQL reports are easy)

Business Intelligence Tool that's neither Intuitive or Intelligent

If you need a bare bones BI tool, this will work. On a rare occasion I am able to create a report that is visually appealing, works on the server, and exports well. It takes way more work and time to produce a professional grade deliverable in Jaspersoft than it does in any other BI tool I have used.

Pros

This software is very customizable in terms of the output formats. Scheduled report delivery is very easy to accomplish on their reporting server. It also has the ability to create HTML 5 charts.

Cons

The design interface for report creation is atrocious. Very clunky, not intuitive, and dated especially when compared to other tools available (MS Power BI, Tableau, etc.). It is maddeningly picky when it comes to formatting. Reports will function well on in Jaspersoft and not function on a server. The error output is cryptic and requires decoding. Exported reports will look excellent in one format and awful in another. Ineffective documentation from Tibco makes learning the software a challenge if you are not an explorer. Drillable datasets are impossible.

Jaspersoft - A well rounded contender in the BI market

Pros

We've been using Jaspersoft in lieu of SSRS for several years now. The software is updated regularly, new features being added with every release. Jaspersoft supports a large number of data sources, including MongoDB. The support for their product is top-notch. We receive responses to our cases within minutes and most issues are solved shortly thereafter. On issues that we were not able to resolve, it was escalated to be fixed/included in the next software update.

Cons

Being a JAVA application, it was a bit tricky to embed into our .NET application. There's supposed to be easy ways to integrate, but none of those worked with our custom authentication. Unless you are using the approved and documented authentication methods, integration will be quite a bit of work, including custom JAVA classes, etc.

Best Open Source Reporting Framework

I've found their reporting solutions to be reliable and versatile, I've integrated Jaspersoft into many projects over the years.

Pros

Ability to achieve highly customized reporting solutions without having to make concessions. Jaspersoft provides open source solutions for reporting and hosting of reports. (Along with premium versions with advanced analytics.)

Cons

It can be a bit quirky, and integration of the Java programming language is somewhat un-intuitive. It also has a fairly steep learning curve for new comers.