Jaspersoft Reports

Custom templates can be used to add specific styling requirements to a report or to insert additional information into a report, like the date on which it was run. The SIS Reports team creates the custom templates, tailored to meet client needs. Once a template has been created, users can apply that template to any report that is created off an Ad Hoc View. 

If you would like to request a custom template for a report that has already been created, please send a request to reports.sis@yale.edu.

1. Once the template has been created by the SIS Reports team, open the underlying Ad Hoc View and select ‘Save Ad Hoc View and Create Report’ under the floppy disk icon. 
   • Alternatively, you can right-click on an Ad Hoc View in the Repository and choose “Create Report”. 
2. When the ‘Save Ad Hoc View and Create Report’ dialog box opens, select ‘Custom Report Template’ under ‘Generate Report with’. Then click ‘Browse’. 
3. In the ‘Select Template’ dialog box, go to Public > Templates and select the custom template of your choice. Click ‘OK’. 
4. In the ‘Ad Hoc View and Create Report’ dialog box, click ‘Save’. 
5. When the report opens, the template will be included in the report. In this example, the resulting report will have (from left to right) the time and date at report creation, page number (in page X of Y format), and the (logged in) identity of the person who created the report at the bottom of each report page. 

Important Note: Once you have applied a template to any report in Jaspersoft, all future reports you create will default to the last template used.  

A dashboard is an integrated view of two or more reports, and it may include input controls for selecting the data displayed. Each report included in a dashboard is displayed as a dashlet. 

1. Get started creating dashboards with the Working with Dashboards user guide.  

1. Users can export their reports in a wide range of formats, including Excel, PDF, and DOCX. 
2. If you want to export an Excel file but do not want to include the background styling, export your report as a CSV file instead of an Excel file. 
3. If you would like your exported Excel report to include column titles on each page, export your report as ‘Excel (Paginated)’. This option is not recommended for most tables or crosstabs. 
4. For a full list of export file types and usage, please see Jaspersoft’s user guide to Exporting the Report.  

Jaspersoft Server allows you to save versions of reports and VWs in your Org (from the Public folder, or reports and VWs already built for you in your Org). See our Glossary for definitions of Org and VWs.  

As other members of your Org can see the reports you save, we suggest using naming conventions to avoid confusion.  

For Example: If you would like to save a copy of VW_Student List from the Public folder into your Org, add your NetID or initials to the end before saving: VW_Student List_jd476. If you modify the report, you may also want to add a brief description such as VW_Student List by Cohort_jd476. 

Ad Hoc Views stored in the public folder are created to serve more than one organization so users have read-only access. If you use a report in a public folder and would like it to default to predetermined filter settings, you can do so by saving a version of that report in your own org. 

1. In the report in public, set and apply your desired filter settings. 
2. Go to the floppy disk icon and choose ‘Save As’ to save a version of this report to your own organizational folder: 
3. Open the newly saved report in your own organization folder and apply the desired filter settings. 
4. Click the Save button. 
   • *If the Save button is grayed out and you are unable to save, you do not have the correct permissions. Please contact reports.sis@yale.edu for assistance. 
5. From the Save Values dialog box, enter the desired name for your filter settings, and then click Save. 

When you open the report, your saved settings will appear as an option in the drop-down box on top of the filter(s). 

Users can set reports to be automatically executed and saved to the repository, either as a one-off or on a recurring schedule. 

1. For detailed information about scheduled reports, please refer to Jaspersoft’s documentation, Scheduling Reports and Dashboard Exports.

2. For an overview of report scheduling, Jaspersoft’s online video tutorial, How to Schedule a Report or Dashboard in Jasper Reports Server, can help you get started.  

Note: When scheduling a report via email that contains sensitive information, it is not advisable to attach the results as a PDF or Excel document. Users can be directed back to the report in Jaspersoft via a URL. Similarly, scheduled results that are linked as PDF/excel from a website can pose security concerns. Reach out to the SIS Reporting Team for additional information. 

1. Users can easily sort report information by columns. Simply click on the desired column title and select the up arrow to sort by column ascending or the down arrow to sort by column descending.  
2. Filter data by selecting the funnel icon, choosing “show only rows where” and desired filter from the dropdown. 
3. Hide columns and adjust the header formatting by clicking on the column header and hovering over the table icon.  

The Jaspersoft user guide to Running Reports and Using the Report Viewer provides an overview of the report viewer and explains how to run or create a simple report.