# (slightly OT) Reporting tools (Jasper, DataVision, etc.)

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/slightly-ot-reporting-tools-jasper-datavision-etc/56201>\
**Category:** Rails\
**Created:** [March 28, 2006, 11:33pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/slightly-ot-reporting-tools-jasper-datavision-etc/56201 "2006-03-28T23:33:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![jennyw](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@jennyw](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jennyw)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2006, 11:33pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/slightly-ot-reporting-tools-jasper-datavision-etc/56201/1 "2006-03-28T23:33:38Z")

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We’re evaluating reporting tools right now, both open source and closed.  
I saw that a bunch of people on this list have considered Jasper/iReport  
– is this coincidence, or is this the best open source report writer  
right now? The proprietary tool we’re comparing them to is Crystal  
Reports. Reports will need to be editable by end users, and they’re  
running Mac OS X.

We’ll be spending a bit of time integrating whatever report writer we  
choose, we think, so we don’t expect anything to be fully integrated  
with Ruby or Rails … we just want to start with a good base.

So, is Jasper the best? Are there others that look good? Here’s a short  
list I’ve compiled:

- iReport/Jasper
- DataVision
- OpenRPT (only works with PosgreSQL currently)

There are others, but I haven’t found any others that work on Mac OS X  
and have a designer tool that looks like an end user could learn to use  
in relatively little time.

Thanks!

Jen

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jennyw](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@jennyw](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jennyw)\
**Post date:** [March 29, 2006, 12:24am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/slightly-ot-reporting-tools-jasper-datavision-etc/56201/2 "2006-03-29T00:24:15Z")

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I’m also looking at reporting tools and, while my needs are slightly  
different from yours, JasperReports is currently at the top of my  
list.

It’s a shame, because I really don’t like having to install and  
maintain a Java subsystem just to get occasional reports out - it  
feels like taking a sledgehammer to a walnut.

Haven’t found anything better though

Regards

Dave M.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jennyw](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/j/7feea3/32.png) [@jennyw](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/jennyw)\
**Post date:** [March 30, 2006, 7:41pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/slightly-ot-reporting-tools-jasper-datavision-etc/56201/3 "2006-03-30T19:41:48Z")

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David M. wrote:

> I’m also looking at reporting tools and, while my needs are slightly  
> different from yours, JasperReports is currently at the top of my  
> list.
> 
> It’s a shame, because I really don’t like having to install and  
> maintain a Java subsystem just to get occasional reports out - it  
> feels like taking a sledgehammer to a walnut.

I know what you mean. I’ve been looking at both open source and  
commercial solutions, and none of them is really meeting my requirements  
well, with the possible exception of iReport/Jasper. The runs-on-a-Mac  
requirement is the main barrier for most of the commercial report  
writers I’ve seen.

Does any one have any other suggestions? I’m kind of surprised at the  
scarcity of reporting tools (with visual designers that run on a Mac).

Jen