About report template files
A report template is an XML file that contains a reusable design. A report developer can use a template as a basis for developing a new report. A report developer uses a report template to maintain a consistent style across a set of report designs and for streamlining the report design process. A report template can specify many different elements of a report, including:
One or more data sources
One or more data sets
Part or all of the layout of a report design, including grids, tables, lists, and other report items
Grouping, filtering, and data binding definitions
Styles
Library components
Master pages
Cheat sheets
Report templates act as a starting point for report development. They speed up report development by capturing the layout of common types of reports. They also make it easy to create reports with a consistent look. Building BIRT templates is similar to building BIRT reports. The difference lies in converting report items into template report items which act as placeholders.
The file extension of a report template file is rpttemplate.