Add Flash objects in a report in any of the following ways. The methods are listed in order of difficulty, from easiest to most difficult:
|
Use a built-in Flash chart or Flash gadget. These elements are available in the palette and provide the basic types of charts and gadgets. Actuate BIRT Designer provides tools for creating these elements without any programming. For information about using these elements, see Chapter 17, “Using built-in Flash charts and gadgets.”
|
|
|
Use a Flash chart, gadget, or other object in the InfoSoft Flash Object Library, a third-party library that is packaged with Actuate BIRT Designer. Using a Flash object from this library requires programming in JavaScript or Java to convert data to the XML format required by the object and then to pass the converted data to the object. For information about using objects in the InfoSoft Flash Object Library, see Chapter 18, “Using the Flash object library.”
|
|
|
Use a Flash object from a third-party library other than InfoSoft. The procedure for using this type of Flash object is similar to the procedure for using objects in the InfoSoft Flash Object Library.
|
|
|
Use a custom Flash object that you or another programmer develops using third-party software. This method provides full control and access to the underlying code of the Flash object, but requires knowledge of how the object is created, as well as, how to integrate and use the object in the report. The procedure for using a custom Flash object is similar to the procedure for using objects in the InfoSoft Flash Object Library.
|
To determine the method to use, consider the data to present and which type of Flash object is most suitable for the data, then look at the available types of built-in Flash charts and gadgets. For example, if you determine that a doughnut chart is best, you need look no further than the built-in Flash chart. However, if you decide that a Flash map is best, look at the maps included in the InfoSoft Flash Object Library. In most cases, the built-in Flash objects and the InfoSoft Flash Object Library provide all the objects suitable for presenting report data.
