What is the difference between ReportEngine and Birt Viewer

Hi,
I am a newbie to using Birt API. I have managed to deploy my birt report using birt viewer and also using a jsp to run my birt report.

However I am wondering what is the reportEngine inside the Birt RunTime folder. Could someone please explain what is the difference deploying using birt viewer and birt reportengine?

What is the correct way to deploy my birt reports?? Using reportengine or report viewer that is inside the birt runtime??

Appreciate it!

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Comments

CBR

Hi Janice,

the report engine is the engine that generates your reports. Without the report engine you won't be able to get a PDF out of your report design file (.rptdesign)
The report engine is in fact a small program that you need to start before beeing able to generate reports. One it's started you can interact with that program using a Java API. So you can program your own report generator using the report engine API behind the scenes.

The BIRT webviewer is such a sample web application that interacts with the report engine (you can find the report engine in the subfolder platform of the BIRT viewer). The BIRT webviewer is programed in a way that you can give it a report using a URL get parameter. It then searches that report in a special folder and creates a task for the report engine running behind the scenes. Once the report engine finished the task the webviewer give you the result.

johnw

The above covered what the difference is between the Report Engine and the Web Viewer.

There is not a correct way to deploy BIRT reports in general. It would depend on what your requirements. There is a whole range of options, from using the BIRT Web Viewer in a Java based web application running something like Tomcat, integrating the Report Engine into your application, using the BIRT plugins in an Eclipse based application, using the commercial Actuate iServer family of products, and writing your own BIRT render engine that recognizes the BIRT XML format in a language other than Java. These all have their own pros and cons, and would depend entirely on your requirements. Most people just use the BIRT Web Viewer however.

John

JaniceLeow

Thank you so much for your kind advise.

May I know can Report Engine run to display my .rptdesign as a webpage?
How would I able to achieve this?