If you are a Java Developer using the Java Reporting Component (JRC) then you will want to continue reading. Recently we have released a newer version of the JRC and made it available as a free download from the Diamond site. This version of the JRC introduces a number of performance improvements as well as additional API flexibility. If you are currently using one of the products listed below for your JRC libraries you will definitely want to upgrade to take advantage of the improvements:
- Crystal Reports Developer 10
- Crystal Reports Developer XI
- Crystal Reports Developer XI R2
In August, we launched a product called Crystal Reports for Eclipse and made it available as a free download on the Diamond site. This product includes the following:
- The latest version of the JRC
- an integrated Crystal Reports Designer built on our Java technology
- Wizards and tools to auto-generate JSP code and web applications
If you are doing any development with the JRC today you will likely see immediate benefits from upgrading to Crystal Reports for Eclipse. This release was specifically geared to answer the needs of you, the Java Developer. It solves common issues such as the following:
- "The report looks different in the Crystal Reports Designer than it does when I run it through my Java application"
- "I find it difficult to configure the designer to work with JDBC data sources"
- "I wish it was easier to configure my web application to support Crystal Reports"
By providing an embedded designer built on top of the JRC, you can ensure that what you are seeing in the Designer is the same as when the report is run in your application. Additionally, the provided wizards will ensure that your application is configured correctly for deploying Crystal Reports files.
I want to point out that this version of the JRC will work with Crystal Reports files generated in all of the aforementioned Designers. On top of this, any existing code you have created will continue to work with the new libraries. It really should be as easy as updating the libraries.
To download your free copy of Crystal Reports for Eclipse visit the link below. If you are new to Eclipse or do not have an existing version of Eclipse 3.2 then I would strongly suggest that you download the All-In-One build as it comes pre-configured with all of the components already installed. You will only need to unzip and run the eclipse.exe file. Download your copy today from the following location:
http://diamond.businessobjects.com/node/450Once you have downloaded the product you will want to read the Getting Started Guide. This guide will give you a good overview of some of the features that are available with this release. You can download the guide from here:
http://diamond.businessobjects.com/files/CR4E_Getting+Started+Guide.pdf
Additionally, there is a very active Crystal Reports for Eclipse (often referred to as CR4E) forum setup on Diamond. With over 500 posts in the last few months, users will find some very useful information. You can access the CR4E forums directly by going here:http://diamond.businessobjects.com/forum/193
If you are currently using a different IDE for your Java Development you can actually grab the JAR files from the CR4E package today. However, we do plan to provide a separate download specifically containing just the JRC in the coming weeks. The plan is to provide this download here on Diamond so keep coming back.
Finally, if you have a need for a more powerful engine, we have recently launched our Crystal Reports for Eclipse Professional product. This will enable users to take advantage of a JRC engine that is up to 5X more powerful. Users can find more details about this upgrade on our online store.
So, in closing, if you are working with the JRC today and have not yet tried out Crystal Reports for Eclipse I would highly recommend doing so.
Regards,
Sean Johnson, Product Manager
Developer Mission Team, Business Objects Corp.
P.S. I will also be doing a number of live webinars over December and January. For more details, and to sign up, visit the following link: