Re: 5722-QU1 Question - tools for query-style function ?

I'll chime in on JasperReports. We run the community edition all day every day and we love it. We run the server on the i and created a custom front end that will generate PDFs and Excel and we simply add whatever else we need. RPG programmers make a few calls to an API to set runtime values and away they go.

Since it's Java, Jasper runs best when you stick it in its own subsystem with its own memory. Don't let it swap with normal ILE load. Other than that, it works great.

One thing I have noticed is that they are very aggressive on their tooling - it sometimes changes pretty substantially from major release to major release. They're nearly always good changes, but it can take some retraining.

Joe

Pete, do you have experience running the JasperServer on the IBM i? We
have it running on another server using JDBC to connect to the DB2
databases.

I have to agree that it is an excellent report writing tool and I have
been using it (Community Edition) successfully for over a year.

-Tom Stieger
IT Manager
California Fine Wire


-----Original Message-----
From: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Pete Helgren
Sent: Monday, January 16, 2012 2:53 PM
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion
Subject: Re: 5722-QU1 Question - tools for query-style function ?

Depends on what you plan to do report writing-wize. I'd take a very
close look at Jasper Reports/Jasper Server. It installs easily on IBM i
6.1 or 7.1. It has a great WYSIWYI report writing tool. It will talk
to DB2 on i and has a great report server component that allows you to
deploy and manage reports for your users using a web interface.

Best of all it is free (Community Edition) and has a commercial version
with support if you are so interested.

If you are kicking tires on report writing tools of IBM i, you should
take a look and give it a try (you might have to invest an hour of your
time to install the compoents and deploy your first test report). Very
easy. If you are interested I also wrote some RPG wrappers that allow
you to run Jasper reports from an RPG/5250 program.

Pete Helgren
Value Added Software, Inc
www.petesworkshop.com
GIAC Secure Software Programmer-Java


On 1/16/2012 3:31 PM, Steven Spencer wrote:

So, what if you are using no tool so far ?
And would like one, preferably one that is visual and easy for an
executive or two.

What are the alternatives ?.

5733-QU2 and WebSphere ? (I'll have to check if we own this now, we
are on 7.1, if not, then the licensing fee).

Programs like DbVisualizer, Aquafold ? (They were not originally
designed for the iSeries and DbVisualizer, at least does not have
official support.)

More long-term iSeries utilities ? Which tend to be more pricey.

What are good Query tools in the under-$2500-or-so arena ?
(We are running a P05, note that we also have the data in QS36F,
although it could be moved to the native database.)

Steven Spencer
Queens, NY

--
This is the Midrange Systems Technical Discussion (MIDRANGE-L) mailing
list To post a message email: MIDRANGE-L@xxxxxxxxxxxx To subscribe,
unsubscribe, or change list options,
visit: http://lists.midrange.com/mailman/listinfo/midrange-l
or email: MIDRANGE-L-request@xxxxxxxxxxxx Before posting, please take a
moment to review the archives at http://archive.midrange.com/midrange-l.