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DataVision is a database reporting tool similar to Crystal Reports. Reports
can be viewed and printed from the application or output as HTML, LATEX2e,
XML, DocBook, or tab- or comma-delimited text files. The output files
produced by LATEX2e and DocBook can in turn be used to produce PDF, text,
HTML, PostScript, and more.
Report descriptions are stored as XML files. Any text editor may be used to
create or edit these files, not just the DataVision GUI.
DataVision is developed and maintained by Jim Menard
(jimm@io.com). The latest version of DataVision can be found
on the official
DataVision Web page.
New releases are also announced
on Freshmeat.
Here is the summary of the major changes in version 0.2.0.
For a complete list of changes, see the ChangeLog file.
- Full suport for runtime report parameters (dates, strings, numbers,
and booleans).
- The Swing report display page now shows only one page at a time and
has a toolbar and new menu items. You can export from this window and, of
course, move from page to page.
- Parameters values can be stored in an XML file and fed to
DataVision when it is run ``headless'' from the command line.
- In the Field Picker window formulas and parameters are now editible
by double-clicking.
- Added GUI and command line support for boolean, string, numeric,
and date parameters and parameter fields.
- New help menu and in-program HTML help.
- Bug fixes:
- Text fields are now marked ``dirty'' when they change.
- Text fields now accept text containing newlines.
- Newly created text fields are now selectable.
- Write DTD version number when generating report XML.
- A NullPointerException was thrown if there were no
database records retrieved.
- Fixed formula field mouse selection bug.
- Catch previously uncaught exceptions thrown when reading a report
in for GUI editing.
- Errors thrown when report XML is being read are now reported
instead of being ignored.
File and directory names are printed using a monospace font.
Text that will be substituted with a user-defined value is printed using
italics.
GUI menu names are printed using a bold font and menu items are
printed using italics. For example, ``select
Open from the File menu to open an existing
report''.
The name ``Unix'' is used to refer to all Unix-like operating systems such
as Linux, Solaris, BSD, and MacOS X.
Next: 2 Installing DataVision
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Jim Menard
2002-04-18