Comparison of JasperSoft & Windward Studios

Report essentials for corporate and enterprises alike is becoming a task at ease with tools like Windward and Jasper Reports, let us find out how?

Proximity of User Friendliness – A Tool to nail all Issues, when you need it most

Windward is easy to understand and use. Prime reason is its vibrant intimacy with MS Office Pack.It is possible to run reports even from MS Word or MS Excel. Employees with understanding of using MS Office pack are able to use Windward with a little or absolutely no training at all. However, demo videos are available in the Windward site. This information material and videos are free of cost and greatly helpful. Optimum accomplishment of producing first class reports with unique .NET engine, XML, and Java is easily possible. On the other hand, Jasper Reports uses only open source Java based engine. This is a tricky situation, if you know Java and query languages supported by your database; mostly SQL and XML then you are easy to use Jasper.  

How Evident Is Absorption?

The answer is yes for Windward and big “No” for Jasper Reports. Platform makes it morbid to absorb as command over Java, XML and JRXML is must. It is sublime for programmers, but staggering for others. It could prove to be no good, as programmers do not run reports for corporate on a daily or for that matter hourly basis! 

Designer Friendly Approach 

Windward uses MS word tags and tag editors wizards to markup documents, resulting in the achievement of the visual data with data connection window. Jasper uses iReport, and allows drag and drop of fields in documents. Expression builder is used for creating textual fields. Query Builder is used to get data textually.   

Blueprint Bearing For Reports

Windward offers a real free flow design style. There is flexibility of placing elements wherever you wish to on reports! On the other hand, Jasper follows band style algorithm. Correct band of elements are required to nest with report elements or else report elements will stop performing. 

Essentials of Reports:  

For Windward, it is simple Auto-tags, images and normal text. For Jasper, it is java, the expressive,computer-programming language. Well, in other words if you know java you can use Jasper, or else forget it.

Data Elements Put To Right

For Windward, additional tags are not required, thanks to MS Office pack’s simplicity of reports generation.For Jasper, setup is required within query; also, band elements are required to be nested in precise group elements.

Creating Hyperlinks, Fun or Pain:  

Windward uses link tag or even Microsoft Office Pack like word to create hyperlinks within reports.Jasper uses building hyperlink expression to determine types of hyperlinks that will be used. Then, hyperlink expression needs to be constructed separately defining rows or columns of relevant hyperlink data. Hope you get the idea why programmers get tired so quickly with Jasper!

Ideal Parameters: 

In Windward, using simple maps or view tags, sets parameters for reports. In Jasper you need to create afield element for parameter and further setting data types is required. It is a little lengthy process than Windward.

Sub Reports Essentials to Explore Possibilities

Windward allows use of Import tag for powerful generation of customized sub reports. These sub reports are essential for viewing different possibilities of reports. Jasper, on the other hand needs to create, and initialize parameter in master Meta report and then this parameter is used in report query of sub report.

Charts in Report Have Freedom Of Expression 

Windward uses a powerful and visual chart builder using chart tags. Creation of charts with defined elements from data source is easier and simpler. Placement of these prepared charts on final reports is even easier and flexible, adding to more aesthetics in the reports. For Jasper, it has chart element. Each label and series is written within chart element from the data source.

Referencing Cross Tabs in Reports

Windward uses matrix tag for creation of cross tabs. This is done easier than said, using word from Microsoft Office pack. For Jasper Reports, a two stage process is required to create cross tabs. Using java expression variables for cross tab cells are formulated, later the variable elements are seamlessly inserted in cross tab elements.

Overall Rating of Ease and Performance

Windward works seamless within the Microsoft Office Pack and offers the best capabilities of graphical interface in reports. For Jasper, you need to be a java expert and everything needs to be created with fresh creation variables, expressions, and elements.These newly created references then need to be assigned to tables and rows for peculiar function to perform.

However, for people who do not have much of technical grasp, it is difficult to work with Jasper. One more concern of Jasper is that there are no information guides. It becomes a fiddling job to play with menu and finally get work done, or buy informative material from program developers.

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Download the IT Central Station PeerComparison for Windward vs. Jaspersoft