Harnessing Web Services as Data Sources in BIRT Reports

Introduction to BIRT and Web Services Integration

Business Intelligence and Reporting Tools (BIRT) is an open-source software project that provides reporting and business intelligence capabilities for rich client and web applications. One of the lesser-known features of BIRT is its ability to utilize web services as data sources, which can significantly expand the functionality and interactivity of reports.

Setting Up Your Data Source

Starting with the Basics

Before diving into web services, it's essential to have a fundamental understanding of creating a basic listing report in BIRT. This guide assumes familiarity with BIRT and its reporting tools. If you're new to BIRT, consider exploring introductory materials first.

For this example, we'll use a SQL Server Express 2008 R2 table with two columns: name and email address. The table is manually populated with a mix of real and fictitious email addresses. While this guide uses SQL Server Express, which is freely available from Microsoft, the principles can be adapted to any database.

Incorporating a Web Service Data Source

The exciting part of this process is adding a web service as a data source to your report. To do this, right-click on data sources in BIRT, select 'New Data Source,' and choose the 'Web Services Data Source' option. Name your data source and proceed to the next steps.

You'll need to provide the WSDL URL and the SOAP Endpoint for the web service you intend to use. For this example, we'll use the following:

• WSDL URL: http://www.webservicex.net/ValidateEmail.asmx?wsdl
• SOAP Endpoint: http://www.webservicex.net/ValidateEmail.asmx

For those unfamiliar with these terms, Wikipedia offers informative articles on Web Services Description Language (WSDL) and SOAP.

Creating a Web Service Data Set

Next, create a data set using the web service data source. Look for the IsValidEmail method under the ValidateEmailSoap section and supply the email address parameter. This parameter will be used by the web service to validate each email address.

Edit the SOAP request to include the "Email" parameter and test the connection with a sample email address. Once confirmed, you can remove the test parameter value, as it will be dynamically provided for each report line.

Displaying Web Service Results in Your Report

Add a new column to your report's master table and insert a sub-table linked to the email validator data set. Drag the IsEmailValidResult node from the data set to the sub-table, and bind the email address parameter from the master table to the sub-table's data set.

Adding Dynamic Graphics to the Report

To make the report more visually engaging, replace the true/false text with dynamic images—a red cross or a green tick—based on the validation result. Add an image field to the report layout and use a simple Java function to display the appropriate image.

if (row["IsValidEmailResult"] == "true") {
    "tick.jpg"
} else {
    "cross.jpg"
}

By following these steps, you can create a BIRT report that not only lists data but also interacts with a web service to validate and visually represent the information.

Conclusion and Resources

Integrating web services into BIRT reports opens up a world of possibilities for dynamic data validation and presentation. For those interested in exploring this functionality further, the full version of this guide, including detailed instructions, screenshots, and source code, is available for free download at BIRTReporting.com.

Remember, while this example focuses on email validation, the principles can be applied to various web services, enhancing the interactivity and value of your BIRT reports.