Actually for now I'll probably be resorting to PDF generation only 
and *maybe* direct printing using a regular PrintDataGrid. FlexReport 
just seems to have too many issues and I'm tired of addressing them. 
Probably best to use a Java pdf generator, I don't see the use in 
sending all data over the wires three times when it could be once 
using Java. Anyway half the links on Alivepdf's site seem broken.

--- In flexcoders@yahoogroups.com, "Paul Andrews" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> Yes and No.
> 
> I've built loads of reports using very expensive reporting software 
such as Business Objects and other dedicated reporting solutions that 
are often oriented towards reporting from data sources such as SQL 
databases. The cost megabucks.
> 
> Their main advantage is having a graphical report builder with 
sophisticated behaviour for data breaks and conditional layout 
changes. In general the client reporting requirements are usually 
fairly conservative in terms of look and feel - laying out lines of 
text with minimal graphics support.
> 
> In practice I suspect that 3/4 of the developers on Flexcoders 
could roll their own reports given a simplified  PDF generation SDK 
(that didn't involve a server round-trip).
> 
> Paul
>   ----- Original Message ----- 
>   From: Rick Winscot 
>   To: flexcoders@yahoogroups.com 
>   Sent: Thursday, July 17, 2008 6:07 AM
>   Subject: RE: [flexcoders] Who is using FlexReport?
> 
> 
>   I agree whole-heartedly with Anatole. Reporting requirements are 
commonly very specific - and as I hear about what people want in a 
reporting toolkit. they describe 'the' solution as being generally 
purposeable which doesn't make any sense. If you want a flexible 
solution you are going to have to sacrifice some of the concreteness 
of the report - if you want a rock solid report you are going to have 
to get your hands dirty to make it happen. If you would rather buy a 
reporting solution. expect to cough up dough commensurate with the 
quality of the product. The big problem, as Anatole already surmised, 
is that people's eyes are typically much larger than their pocket-
book.
> 
>    
> 
>   Rick Winscot
> 
>    
> 
>    
> 
>   From: flexcoders@yahoogroups.com 
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Anatole Tartakovsky
>   Sent: Wednesday, July 16, 2008 12:35 PM
>   To: flexcoders@yahoogroups.com
>   Subject: Re: [flexcoders] Who is using FlexReport?
> 
>    
> 
>   Report Wirter is a delicate topic. We wrote reporting solution in 
2006 - complete stack from database to end-user UI designer to the 
optimized client to the PDF. However, the current mind set in the 
enterprises - if it is third party product it has to be open source 
and free. So instead of pushing it as a product, we are packaging it 
as a service.
> 
>   After all, building low cost solution for mass market requires 
mass market and enterprises with flex reporting are not mass market 
yet.
> 
>   I believe most of reporting solutions I have seen are just tip of 
the iceberg, with services beneath to recover develpoment costs.
> 
>    
> 
>   Sincerely,
> 
>   Anatole Tartakovsky
>   Farata Systems
> 
> 
>    
> 
>   On Wed, Jul 16, 2008 at 11:34 AM, Derrick Anderson 
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> 
>   amen brother, to be honest I like FlexReport- but it's not ready 
for an enterprise app.  it's a good starting point, but I really need 
something much more robust.
> 
>   i'm in the same boat, would love to provide all the great 
reportability and UI that has been touted but more and more i see 
people 'hacking' out flex reports in anything other than 'flex'.
> 
>   Adobe, where is the flex report builder???
> 
>   d. 
> 
>    
> 
>   On Wed, Jul 16, 2008 at 11:10 AM, ansury2001 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> 
>   I need some advice on whether FlexReport is ready for "real" use.
> 
>   I've already taken a look at it some, and other than it being a 
pain 
>   to setup and rather slow, I think it may work well enough. But I 
want 
>   to get some 3rd party opinions on others who have used it-- or, 
what 
>   other solutions have you come up with? Are most people just using 
3rd 
>   party tools like Oracle BI Publisher or Crystal Reports, 
resorting to 
>   that primitive "HTML round-trip" stuff? ^_^
> 
>   I also would like to provide users with report building 
capabilities. 
>   I know reporting is complex, but has anyone done anything 
similiar or 
>   had any experience creating a report builder in Flex? Something 
like 
>   ClearBI would be great. (Unfortunately ClearBI has no user base, 
no 
>   support, no community, extremely restrictive setup requirements, 
is 
>   almost impossible to setup and get working, isn't cheap 
(considering 
>   what you're getting), and seems like a VERY risky choice for 
>   reporting.)
> 
>   As a side rant...
>   Flex is not going to take off in an "enterprise environment" as 
Adobe 
>   seems to be claiming it is ready for until we can do reporting 
>   natively in the swf app, without a ton of issues and work to do. 
I 
>   don't care whether it's built into Flex, created separately by 
Adobe, 
>   or built by a third party, but a real solution is going to be 
needed 
>   very soon, before something like Silverlight exploits this 
weakness. 
>   FlexReport won't be this solution no matter how good it gets, 
because 
>   it's scope isn't large enough. Users need to be able to create 
their 
>   own reports using the reporting interface!
>


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