Easy Web Reports and Documents with JODReports

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1 Easy Web Reports and Documents with JODReports by John Valance Division 1 Systems Copyright <div1>

About John Valance Independent Consultant Founder and CTO of Division 1 Systems Specialty is helping IBM shops develop web applications and related skills Full service web development firm: Analysis,

2 About John Valance Independent Consultant Founder and CTO of Division 1 Systems Specialty is helping IBM shops develop web applications and related skills Full service web development firm: Analysis, Design, Coding, Project management, Testing, Training, Mentoring 30+ years IBM midrange experience (S/38 thru IBM i) 15+ years of web development experience Web scripting language of choice = PHP Frequent presenter on web development topics Erstwhile Trainer for Zend Technologies Intro to PHP for RPG programmers Zend Certified Engineer 2

3 Agenda Overview Architecture Demo of running and modifying templates Using OpenOffice to develop templates Adding Programming Directives to templates Calling JODReports from PHP Installation of Components on Windows Server 3

4 Overview

What is JOD Reports? Java OpenDocument Reports http://jodreports.sourceforge.

document templates and convert resulting document to PDF Open Office Writer is open source word processor

5 What is JOD Reports? Java OpenDocument Reports Open source, Java-based report template tool Works together with Open Office Writer to: merge data with document templates and convert resulting document to PDF Open Office Writer is open source word processor Product of the Apache Software Foundation Open Office is a complete OSS office suite, rivaling MS Office Based on XML-based Open Document Format (ODF) 5

6 ASF The Apache Software Foundation 6

JODReports - Background Author Mirko Nasato https://twitter.com/mirkonasato Original idea in 2003 after working on a couple of invoicing/reporting projects.

7 JODReports - Background Author Mirko Nasato Original idea in 2003 after working on a couple of invoicing/reporting projects. Generating dynamic PDFs using PDF libraries: Very time consuming Lots of time spent composing and adjusting layout of templates JODReports concept: Why can't templates be regular word processor documents? Users can create a sample document exactly how they want it, send it to me and all I would have to do is to add a few processing instructions. 7

8 JODReports Project Goals Template layout can be composed by non-programmers using a word processor Simple templates can be composed and modified entirely by nonprogrammers More complex templates need the programmer just to insert processing instructions into the supplied template layout for example: repeating elements, lists, tables conditional output, based on data OpenOffice.org documents immediately seemed the obvious choice since they are an open XML format. 8

9 JODReports Variable Components <XML> Use PHP to retrieve data from database and format as XML Document Template PDF <XML> + Document Template => PDF Create document templates using a word processor (OpenOffice) Can visually design layout of documents and reports Open Office includes tools to add input field markers mapping to the XML data JODReports calls Open Office, passing XML data Open Office merges XML data with template JODReports converts returned document to PDF 9

10 JODReports XML request <WO> <WO_NUM>65093</WO_NUM> <WO_ENTRY_DATE>Sat Oct 20, 2012</WO_ENTRY_DATE> <NEED_BY_DATE>Thu Oct 25, 2012</NEED_BY_DATE> <WO_DESCRIPTION>47 Barrett St</WO_DESCRIPTION> <WO_PREMISE_NUM>27590</WO_PREMISE_NUM> <OWNERS_NAME>Valance, John G</OWNERS_NAME> <OWNERS_PHONE> </OWNERS_PHONE> <METER_NO>25018</METER_NO> <WO_SPECIAL_INSTRUCTION /> <WO_TYPE_DESC>Service New Construction</WO_TYPE_DESC> <WO_GL_COST>VGSBS </WO_GL_COST> <PT_DESCRIPTION>Plastic Service 1"</PT_DESCRIPTION> <ESTLEN>.00</ESTLEN> <ESTHRS>.00</ESTHRS> <CURBSTOP>N</CURBSTOP> <FLWLIM>800</FLWLIM> <WO_TOWN_NAME>So. Burlington</WO_TOWN_NAME> <MAIN_PIPE_TYPE /> </WO> 10

11 11

12 12 Order Print application

13 Architecture

14 14

15 Technologies Client Side (i.e. IBM i) PHP manages the following: DB2 = datasource XML = to transmit data curl = PHP library to handle request/response for PDF from IBM i to Windows server The curl library allows PHP in your web page to access data from outside web pages. Common uses include reading rss feeds or accessing third-party API systems (like JODReports). curl is installed with Zend Server 15

16 Technologies Server Side (i.e. Windows) Tomcat application server (Java web container) JODReports (Java application -.jar file in tomcat folder) Open Office or LibreOffice Running as a service JOOScript ODT scripting language Freemarker Expressions to merge data with template Freemarker Directives to insert processing instructions (if, loop, etc.) AlwaysUp Windows service monitor Ensures OO service is always running 16

17 DEMO Running JODReports Modifying the template

18 Creating Templates for JODReports

19 Inserting Data into Document Templates Insert a JOOScript field Postion cursor at spot in document where you want variable Press Ctrl+F2 Enter Freemarker expression to retrieve value from XML FreeMarker expression notation: ${parent1.parent2.parentn.fieldname} i.e.: ${order.items.item.itemnum} 19

20 Sample XML data & Freemarker to Retrieve To insert value of <totalwgt>, enter the Freemarker expression as: ${order.totals.totalwgt} To insert value of <OH_ORDERNO>, enter the Freemarker expression as: ${order.header.oh_orderno} 20

21 Adding an Input Field to your Template Position Cursor in document Menu Insert / Fields / Other - or - Shortcut Key Ctrl+F2 Fields dialog will appear 21

22 Field Definition Dialog Select Functions tab Select Type = Input field In the Reference input, type jooscript Click Insert button 22

23 Input Field dialog Enter Freemarker expression in the input field and click OK 23

24 Sample XML data & Freemarker to Retrieve To insert value of <totalwgt>, enter the Freemarker expression as: ${order.totals.totalwgt} To insert value of <OH_ORDERNO>, enter the Freemarker expression as: ${order.header.oh_orderno} 24

25 25 Entering Freemarker Expressions to Retrieve Data Elements

Ctrl+F9 (or menu View / Field Names): You can style input

26 Viewing JooScript Fields Fields will appear in document as grayed Input field To see the full field name, press Ctrl+F9 (or menu View / Field Names): You can style input fields like any text (font, size, color, background, etc.) 26

27 Where to save your templates Save the template in the templates folder of the JODReports web application folder, on the JOD server. We ll cover installing JODReports shortly For a Tomcat 8.0 installation, the path might look like this: C:\Tomcat 8.0\webapps\jodreports-webapp \WEB-INF\templates and the file name full path would be: C:\Tomcat 8.0\webapps\jodreports-webapp \WEB-INF\templates\order-print-template.odt 27

28 Naming and Requesting Your Template Document Save your template with file name ending with -template.odt For example, if you want to call it order-print.odt, you need to name it order-print-template.odt If you don t name it this way, JODReports will not find it! Referring to the template when calling JODReports from PHP: Replace -template.odt with the type of document you want back For example to retrieve order-print-template.odt as PDF, request order-print.pdf 28

29 Adding Freemarker Directives

30 Freemarker Directives Allow programmatic control over the document Conditional inclusion of document elements Repeating elements (reports, lists of items) Also uses jooscript, but Different syntax Entered differently in Open Office Writer 30

31 Items Table repeat 2 nd row of table Place cursor in first position of first column of row to be repeated 31

32 Entering a jooscript Directive With cursor at beginning of table row Select menu option: Insert / Script 32

33 Directive for repeating table row Script Type: jooscript 33 [#list order.items.item as [/#list]

34 Directive for repeating table row Script Type: jooscript 34 [#list order.items.item as [/#list] Before the current table/row

35 Directive for repeating table row Script Type: jooscript 35 [#list order.items.item as [/#list] Process the list of tags within each <order><items><item> referring each as item

36 Directive for repeating table row Script Type: jooscript 36 [#list order.items.item as [/#list] After the end of the current table/row

37 Directive for repeating table row Script Type: jooscript 37 [#list order.items.item as [/#list] End the repeating list

38 Directives for conditional inclusion (if/endif) The Substitute Items table should not display at all unless substitute item tags exist in the XML model Need to insert 2 jooscripts around this section: 1. if statement before the section 2. endif after the section 38

39 Syntax for testing a value in the model Position cursor before section Menu: Insert / Script. Script Type: jooscript Text: [#if order.header.subs_required = 'Y'] In the order/header, there s a field called SUBS_REQUIRED If it s Y, then show the subs table If it s not Y, this section of the document will be skipped We don t need to surround order.header.subs_required with ${ } as we did with input field scripts i.e.: ${ order.header.subs_required} 39

40 Syntax for ending the if statement Position cursor after section Menu: Insert / Script. Script Type: jooscript Text: [/#if] Ends the last if statement from previous jooscripts 40

41 Calling JODReports from PHP

42 Calling JODReports from PHP Q: How can PHP access additional resources on the web? A: curl library What is curl? Client URL library (aka libcurl) library created by Daniel Stenberg allows PHP to connect and communicate to many different types of servers with many different types of protocols (http, https, ftp, etc.) This will make it easy to communicate with JODReports on the Windows server PHP acts as the client, and can make request to a web resource, and receive back a response curl should be either enabled or built-in to Zend Server you should be ready to use it! 42

43 Set the URL and XML in PHP Using static XML document here. Replace with appropriate database access and formatting 43

44 Start curl session and set Request options Start the curl session with the URL Set options related to the request 44

45 45 Set curl response options

46 46 Run curl request, store response, close session

47 47 Send PDF file to the browser

48 Add Buffering Buffering ensures no problem with sending headers 48

49 Convert PHP array to XML function to_xml(simplexmlelement $object, array $data) { foreach ($data as $key => $value) { if (is_array($value)) { $new_object = $object->addchild($key); to_xml($new_object, $value); } else { $object->addchild($key, $value); } } } 49

50 Installation on Windows

51 Windows Components OpenOffice Writer Word Processor AlwaysUp application monitor Tomcat Java web application container JODReports Convert ODT to PDF 51

52 Installation Open Office / Always Up Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8 (as of Feb 2016) Can use a virtual server Open Office (or LibreOffice) running as a service in Windows Easy way to run soffice.exe as a service: AlwaysUp: Runs any application as a service Ensures that the service is always available 30-day free trial; $49.99 for single license 52

53 53 OpenOffice for Windows

54 OpenOffice download page Select the Windows (EXE), and run it to install OO 54

55 55 Always Up download

56 Always Up Control Panel After installing, run Always Up and you will see this panel: To add an application to Always Up, click the add icon. The config settings dialog will open (shown on next slide) This shows Open Office is running, and was started manually. 56

$AlwaysUp configuration settings for OpenOffice C:\Program Files (x86)\openoffice 4\ program\soffice.$

57 AlwaysUp configuration settings for OpenOffice C:\Program Files (x86)\openoffice 4\ program\soffice.exe -headless -accept=socket, host=localhost,port=8100;urp; -norestore -nologo -nofirststartwizard Start automatically, when computer boots. 57

58 Install Tomcat: Tomcat is a Java web application server that runs in the Apache HTTP Server We need it to run JODReports as a web service 58

59 Tomcat 8.0 download page Use the Windows Service Installer Includes Apache web server 59 Installs as an automatic start Windows service

Tomcat Server landing page Once installed, you should be able to access this page at http://localhost:8080/ (or replace localhost

60 Tomcat Server landing page Once installed, you should be able to access this page at (or replace localhost with your JOD server) Tomcat browserbased administration application Allows you to manage installed applications like JODReports 60

61 JODReports home page Click Download link on left 61

62 Select version to download Get the last version (2.4) 62

63 Components available for download Download the webapp zip file 63

64 Extract the.war file WAR file is Web Archive a complete java web application in a compressed archive (like a.zip file) Place it in the Tomcat webapps folder, and Tomcat will install it automatically 64

$Tomcat webapps folder C:\Program Files\Apache Software Foundation\Tomcat 8.0\webapps Put the.$

65 Tomcat webapps folder C:\Program Files\Apache Software Foundation\Tomcat 8.0\webapps Put the.war file here, and in a few minutes you ll see this folder appear Congratulations! You re now running JODReports as a web service! 65

66 JODReports Demos installed automatically You can confirm JODReports is working at any time using these examples which are installed automatically In the URL, localhost means Tomcat is running on the same machine as the browser. Replace localhost with IP or domain name of your JODReports host. 66

67 67 Order Demo prompt form

68 68 Order Demo PDF output

$Templates folder C:\Program Files\Apache Software Foundation\Tomcat 8.0\webapps\ jodreports-webapp-2.4.$

69 Templates folder C:\Program Files\Apache Software Foundation\Tomcat 8.0\webapps\ jodreports-webapp-2.4.0\web-inf\templates Sample templates Custom template Put any custom templates you create into this folder 69

70 More Information

71 Contact Information John Valance Division 1 Systems <div1>

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Connecting the Dots. Building Web Applications with PHP, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript Connecting the Dots Building Web Applications with PHP, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript John Valance division 1 systems johnv@div1sys.com www.div1sys.com All materials copyright 2014-2017 John Valance