Knowage – Create Data Reports with BIRT

Reports can be helpful when data have to be exported periodically in a specific format, even following a predefined template, to monitor processes and support their management.

With Knowage Report Designer Tool, available at https://download.forge.ow2.org/knowage/, it’s possible to create and publish reports to Knowage Server. In this AIKnow.info Blog article, that follows the one on Cockpit, we will see how to create a Report using BIRT, an open source platform used to create data visualization and reports http://www.eclipse.org/birt/.

Once downloaded and installed, Knowage Report Designer Tool can be connected to Knowage Server, giving the possibility to download and deploy Reports.

The first step is to open Knowage Report Designer Tool, create a new project (from File-New-Knowage Project menu or through Knowage icon) and add a new server (right-click on Resources – Server icon), see Fig. 1.

Fig.1 Create a new project and add a new server

Note that in the New Server configuration, you have to choose at least one Active server (Fig.2)

Fig.2 New server configuration and test

Now we can create a new Report, right clicking on Business Analysis folder icon and choosing Report-Report with Birt command (Fig.3)

Fig.3 New Report with Birt

Once created, the report can be designed double clicking on it and opening the Report Designer Perspective (Fig.4 and 5)

Fig.4 Changing perspective to Report Design

Fig.5 Report Design perspective

The first step is to create a new Data Source. This can be done right clicking on the specific icon in Fig.5. It opens a wizard (Fig. 6) where, choosing Knowage Server Data source from the list, it’s possible to retrieve Data Sets already defined in Knowage.

Fig.6 Create a New Knowage Server Data Source

Fig.7 Data source configuration

Once defined the Data Source, a new Data Set can be created right clicking on the specific icon of Report Design Perspective (Fig.5). First it’s necessary to give a name to the Data Set (Fig.8), then to specify a label (Fig.9). In this step it’s mandatory to specify the same label used for the Data Set in Knowage.

Fig.8 New Data Set wizard

Fig.9 Data Set wizard

It’s then possible to further configure Data Set (Fig.10)

Fig.10 Data Set configuration

Once Data Set is available, Report generation can be as simple as dragging it on working area and choosing the visible columns (Fig.11 and 12). Clearly report features can be modified from Property Editor interface (Fig.13).

Fig.11 Report generation

Fig.12 Report generation

Fig. 13 Property editor interface

At this point we can test the report, right clicking on it and choosing Report – Run Report command (Fig.14).

The command opens the default web browser and, if all is working well, you will see the report created (Fig.15).

Fig.14 Test report with Run Report command

Fig.15 Report preview

Now coming back to Knowage perspective, it’s possible to deploy the report to the server, right clicking on it and choosing Deploy icon (Fig.16). The command opens a Wizard where it’s necessary to specifiy Label, Name, Description and DataSource (Fig.17).

Fig. 16 Deploy report

Fig.17 Report deployment wizard

Once Deployed, you can find the report in Knowage, opening Document Browser (Fig.18).

Fig.18 Knowage Document Browser

Clicking on the play icon, the report will be generated, and could be exported in one of the available format (Fig.19)

Fig.19 Report generation and export