Actually that sounds pretty good, and I would prefer an open source solution as well.
Regarding the strict setup requirements: using a ClearBI trial I found it extremely difficult adapting a copy of our already existing Flex 2 application's environment to meet the needed requirements. Almost everything other than the version of the Flex SDK we were using had to change, and a lack of internet connectivity made installing it even more difficult, especially when I discovered that the downloadable Eclipse "local site install zip" for the tool was outdated compared to the "remote site install" version. But I will definitely be looking into this again after the 19th. --- In flexcoders@yahoogroups.com, "Anatole Tartakovsky" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > The version without plugins (pure AIR application with UI editor, but you > can use Flex or vi to edit reports in source ) is coming this summer. I will > be showing the final release on 8/19 in NYC ( > http://www.eventbrite.com/event/126384018) among other reporting goodies > like generating complete reporting PDF on the client side ( fully dynamic ). > > > There were editions of clearBI that were under $1,000 or even free - > producing minuscule report SWFs (<20K) with powerful runtime short of just > end-user editing. Even 1000$ versions were selling slow - with > people actually saying they would consider only free, open source ones with > 24/7 support. > > The "restrictive setup" (identical to what Flex 3 now ships for J2EE > integration / DataServices) are "J2EE best practices" one and was > targeting Enterprise market/reducing support calls from unsupported > PHP community, > > However, after 3 years working in Flex BI area and seeing all kind of > requirements/setups I am sceptical about "out of the box" simplicity or > dozen of unpaid product related calls a day. If you estimate realistic > number of people buying $1000 version at 100-200 people per year there is no > way you can recover even support cost. If on contrary you consider > integration effort in 15K+ it makes more sense as there is money for setup, > some training and integration - while in fact you still get product for > free. You can easily handle quite a few projects with guaranteed results. > > We are making all the tooling and runtimes, just do not expect it to be $299 > or even $999 unless enterprises will start paying for software and not the > services and it becomes economically viable. > > Sincerely, > Anatole Tartakovsky > Farata Systems > On Wed, Jul 16, 2008 at 2:29 PM, ansury2001 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > Well, I know we'd be willing to purchase a reporting tool for a cost > > on par with the cost of Flex Builder. And it wouldn't need to be > > a "catch all, generate all" sophisticated solution like ClearBI. > > > > I'd be happy with just an SWC reporting library. Just add some > > component(s) from the SWC, setup some configuration and customization > > options somewhere, and point it to a RemoteObject--done! Eclipse > > plugins and integration with other tools become an issue when you > > don't need to use those tools, or (for example) you're using > > FlexBuilder standalone instead of the Eclipse plugin version. > > > > That's one good thing about FlexReport - it's just an SWC library- -so > > it's easily plugged into any application, both new or old. > > > > --- In flexcoders@yahoogroups.com <flexcoders% 40yahoogroups.com>, "Anatole > > Tartakovsky" > > <anatole.tartakovsky@> wrote: > > > > > > 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 < > > > no.way.this.is.in.use@> 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 <ansury@> 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! > > > >> > > > >> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
