Complete Guide: Integrating Eclipse BIRT Reports with Spring Boot - Maven Setup, REST APIs, and Production Deployment

Syed SaifuddinSyed Saifuddin
23 min read

Table of contents

Difficulty Level: Intermediate to Advanced
Estimated Reading Time: 25-30 minutes
Prerequisites: Java 11+, Spring Boot, Maven, Basic knowledge of reporting concepts

Introduction

Are you struggling to generate professional PDF reports in your Spring Boot application? While Spring Boot excels at building web applications, creating complex reports with charts, tables, and custom formatting can be challenging. This is where Eclipse BIRT (Business Intelligence and Reporting Tools) comes to the rescue.

BIRT is a powerful, open-source reporting system that integrates seamlessly with Java applications. When combined with Spring Boot's ease of development, you get a robust solution for generating professional reports. This comprehensive guide will walk you through setting up BIRT in a Spring Boot application using Maven, complete with working examples and production-ready configurations.

Why BIRT with Spring Boot?

Before diving into implementation, let's understand why this combination makes sense:

  • Professional reporting: BIRT provides advanced layout capabilities, charts, and formatting options
  • Data flexibility: Easily connect to databases, web services, or any Java data source
  • Multiple output formats: Generate PDF, Excel, Word, HTML, and more from the same report template
  • Spring Boot integration: Leverage dependency injection, auto-configuration, and Spring's ecosystem
  • Enterprise-grade: Battle-tested in production environments across industries

Prerequisites and Environment Setup

You'll need the following tools and versions for this tutorial:

  • Java: 11 or higher (tested with OpenJDK 17)
  • Spring Boot: 2.7.x or 3.x (examples use 3.1.0)
  • Maven: 3.6.x or higher
  • BIRT Runtime: We'll download the compatible version
  • IDE: Any Java IDE with Maven support (IntelliJ IDEA, Eclipse, VS Code)
  • Database: Optional - for reports with database connections

Step 1: Download BIRT Runtime

The first step is downloading the correct BIRT Runtime that matches your report design files. Different BIRT versions may have compatibility issues, so it's crucial to match the runtime with your report designer version.

Download and Extract BIRT Runtime

  1. Visit the Eclipse BIRT Downloads page: https://download.eclipse.org/birt/
  2. Select the appropriate version: For this tutorial, we'll use BIRT 4.13.0
  3. Download the Runtime: Look for "birt-runtime-4.13.0.zip"
  4. Extract to your project: Create a lib/birt directory in your project root
# Create directory structure
mkdir -p lib/birt

# Extract downloaded runtime (adjust path as needed)
unzip birt-runtime-4.13.0.zip
cp birt-runtime-4.13.0/ReportEngine/lib/*.jar lib/birt/

Your project structure should look like this:

your-project/
├── lib/
│   └── birt/
│       ├── org.eclipse.birt.runtime_4.13.0.jar
│       ├── org.eclipse.core.runtime_3.x.x.jar
│       └── ... (other BIRT JAR files)
├── src/
├── pom.xml
└── ...

Step 2: Maven Dependencies Configuration

Instead of relying on potentially incomplete Maven Central dependencies, we'll use a hybrid approach with both Maven Central and system-scoped dependencies for better control.

Core pom.xml Setup

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<project xmlns="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0"
         xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
         xsi:schemaLocation="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0 
         http://maven.apache.org/xsd/maven-4.0.0.xsd">
    <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>

    <parent>
        <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
        <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-parent</artifactId>
        <version>3.1.0</version>
        <relativePath/>
    </parent>

    <groupId>com.example</groupId>
    <artifactId>birt-spring-boot-demo</artifactId>
    <version>1.0.0</version>
    <packaging>jar</packaging>

    <properties>
        <java.version>17</java.version>
        <birt.version>4.13.0</birt.version>
    </properties>

    <dependencies>
        <!-- Spring Boot Starters -->
        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
            <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-web</artifactId>
        </dependency>

        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
            <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-data-jpa</artifactId>
        </dependency>

        <!-- BIRT Runtime Dependencies -->
        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.eclipse.birt.runtime</groupId>
            <artifactId>org.eclipse.birt.runtime</artifactId>
            <version>${birt.version}</version>
            <exclusions>
                <exclusion>
                    <groupId>org.apache.commons</groupId>
                    <artifactId>commons-logging</artifactId>
                </exclusion>
            </exclusions>
        </dependency>

        <!-- Caching Support -->
        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
            <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-cache</artifactId>
        </dependency>

        <!-- Validation -->
        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
            <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-validation</artifactId>
        </dependency>

        <!-- Actuator for monitoring -->
        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
            <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-actuator</artifactId>
        </dependency>

        <!-- Testing dependencies -->
        <dependency>
            <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
            <artifactId>spring-boot-starter-test</artifactId>
            <scope>test</scope>
        </dependency>
    </dependencies>

    <build>
        <plugins>
            <plugin>
                <groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
                <artifactId>spring-boot-maven-plugin</artifactId>
            </plugin>
        </plugins>
    </build>
</project>

Step 3: Database Driver Dependencies

When your BIRT reports connect to databases, you must include the appropriate JDBC drivers in your Maven dependencies. BIRT requires these drivers to be available at runtime for data source connections.

Common Database Drivers

<!-- Add these to your pom.xml dependencies section based on your database -->

<!-- MySQL -->
<dependency>
    <groupId>mysql</groupId>
    <artifactId>mysql-connector-java</artifactId>
    <version>8.0.33</version>
    <scope>runtime</scope>
</dependency>

<!-- PostgreSQL -->
<dependency>
    <groupId>org.postgresql</groupId>
    <artifactId>postgresql</artifactId>
    <version>42.6.0</version>
    <scope>runtime</scope>
</dependency>

<!-- SQL Server -->
<dependency>
    <groupId>com.microsoft.sqlserver</groupId>
    <artifactId>mssql-jdbc</artifactId>
    <version>12.4.1.jre11</version>
    <scope>runtime</scope>
</dependency>

<!-- Oracle -->
<dependency>
    <groupId>com.oracle.database.jdbc</groupId>
    <artifactId>ojdbc11</artifactId>
    <version>23.2.0.0</version>
    <scope>runtime</scope>
</dependency>

<!-- H2 (for development/testing) -->
<dependency>
    <groupId>com.h2database</groupId>
    <artifactId>h2</artifactId>
    <scope>runtime</scope>
</dependency>

Database Configuration for BIRT Reports

When creating data sources in your BIRT reports, use these connection URL patterns:

# application.yml - Database configurations for BIRT
birt:
  datasources:
    primary:
      driver-class: com.mysql.cj.jdbc.Driver
      url: jdbc:mysql://localhost:3306/your_database
      username: ${DB_USERNAME:root}
      password: ${DB_PASSWORD:password}

    secondary:
      driver-class: org.postgresql.Driver
      url: jdbc:postgresql://localhost:5432/your_database
      username: ${DB_USERNAME:postgres}
      password: ${DB_PASSWORD:password}

@Configuration
public class JndiDataSourceConfig {

    @Bean
    @Primary
    public DataSource primaryDataSource() throws NamingException {
        JndiDataSourceLookup lookup = new JndiDataSourceLookup();
        return lookup.getDataSource("java:comp/env/jdbc/primaryDS");
    }

    @Bean
    public DataSource reportingDataSource() throws NamingException {
        JndiDataSourceLookup lookup = new JndiDataSourceLookup();
        return lookup.getDataSource("java:comp/env/jdbc/reportingDS");
    }
}

Important Database Driver Notes:

  • Driver Scope: Always use runtime scope for database drivers unless your application code directly uses them
  • Version Compatibility: Ensure driver versions are compatible with your database server version
  • Security: Never hardcode credentials; use environment variables or secure configuration management
  • Connection Pooling: BIRT will use the connection pool configured in your Spring Boot application
  • Testing: Include test-scoped drivers for integration testing with embedded databases

Step 4: BIRT Engine Configuration

Now let's create the BIRT engine configuration. This approach focuses on robust initialization and proper resource management.

Main Application Class

package com.example.birt;

import org.springframework.boot.SpringApplication;
import org.springframework.boot.autoconfigure.SpringBootApplication;
import org.springframework.cache.annotation.EnableCaching;

@SpringBootApplication
@EnableCaching
public class BirtApplication {

    public static void main(String[] args) {
        SpringApplication.run(BirtApplication.class, args);
    }
}

BIRT Configuration Class

package com.example.birt.config;

import org.eclipse.birt.core.exception.BirtException;
import org.eclipse.birt.core.framework.Platform;
import org.eclipse.birt.report.engine.api.EngineConfig;
import org.eclipse.birt.report.engine.api.IReportEngine;
import org.eclipse.birt.report.engine.api.IReportEngineFactory;
import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Value;
import org.springframework.context.annotation.Bean;
import org.springframework.context.annotation.Configuration;

import jakarta.annotation.PreDestroy;
import java.io.File;
import java.util.logging.Level;
import java.util.logging.Logger;

@Configuration
public class BirtConfiguration {

    private static final Logger logger = Logger.getLogger(BirtConfiguration.class.getName());

    @Value("${birt.temp.dir:${java.io.tmpdir}/birt}")
    private String tempDir;

    @Value("${birt.log.dir:logs}")
    private String logDir;

    @Value("${birt.fonts.path:fonts/}")
    private String fontsPath;

    private IReportEngine reportEngine;

    @Bean
    public IReportEngine reportEngine() throws BirtException {
        logger.info("Initializing BIRT Engine...");

        // Ensure directories exist
        createDirectoryIfNotExists(tempDir);
        createDirectoryIfNotExists(logDir);

        // Configure BIRT engine
        EngineConfig config = new EngineConfig();
        config.setLogConfig(logDir, Level.WARNING);
        config.setTempDir(tempDir);
        config.setResourcePath(fontsPath);

        // Start BIRT platform
        Platform.startup(config);

        // Create report engine
        IReportEngineFactory factory = (IReportEngineFactory) Platform
                .createFactoryObject(IReportEngineFactory.EXTENSION_REPORT_ENGINE_FACTORY);

        this.reportEngine = factory.createReportEngine(config);
        logger.info("BIRT Engine initialized successfully");

        return this.reportEngine;
    }

    private void createDirectoryIfNotExists(String path) {
        File directory = new File(path);
        if (!directory.exists()) {
            boolean created = directory.mkdirs();
            if (created) {
                logger.info("Created directory: " + path);
            } else {
                logger.warning("Failed to create directory: " + path);
            }
        }
    }

    @PreDestroy
    public void cleanup() {
        if (reportEngine != null) {
            reportEngine.destroy();
            Platform.shutdown();
            logger.info("BIRT engine shut down successfully");
        }

        // Clean up temp directories
        try {
            File tempDirectory = new File(tempDir);
            if (tempDirectory.exists()) {
                deleteDirectory(tempDirectory);
                logger.info("Cleaned up temp directory: " + tempDir);
            }
        } catch (Exception e) {
            logger.warning("Failed to clean up temp directory: " + e.getMessage());
        }
    }

    private void deleteDirectory(File directory) {
        File[] files = directory.listFiles();
        if (files != null) {
            for (File file : files) {
                if (file.isDirectory()) {
                    deleteDirectory(file);
                } else {
                    file.delete();
                }
            }
        }
        directory.delete();
    }
}

Static Resource Configuration

package com.example.birt.config;

import org.springframework.context.annotation.Configuration;
import org.springframework.web.servlet.config.annotation.ResourceHandlerRegistry;
import org.springframework.web.servlet.config.annotation.WebMvcConfigurer;

@Configuration
public class StaticResourceConfig implements WebMvcConfigurer {

    @Override
    public void addResourceHandlers(ResourceHandlerRegistry registry) {
        // Configure static resource handling for BIRT-generated images
        String imagePath = "file:" + System.getProperty("user.dir") + "/target/reports/images/";
        registry
            .addResourceHandler("/reports/images/**")
            .addResourceLocations(imagePath);
    }
}

Step 5: Enhanced Report Service

Create a comprehensive service that handles different report formats and parameter passing.

Custom Exception Class

package com.example.birt.exception;

public class ReportException extends Exception {

    public ReportException(String message) {
        super(message);
    }

    public ReportException(String message, Throwable cause) {
        super(message, cause);
    }
}

Enhanced Report Service with Caching

package com.example.birt.service;

import com.example.birt.exception.ReportException;
import org.eclipse.birt.report.engine.api.*;
import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Autowired;
import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Value;
import org.springframework.cache.annotation.Cacheable;
import org.springframework.core.io.Resource;
import org.springframework.core.io.ResourceLoader;
import org.springframework.stereotype.Service;

import jakarta.annotation.PreDestroy;
import java.io.ByteArrayOutputStream;
import java.io.File;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.util.Map;
import java.util.logging.Logger;

@Service
public class ReportService {

    private static final Logger logger = Logger.getLogger(ReportService.class.getName());

    @Autowired
    private IReportEngine engine;

    @Autowired
    private ResourceLoader resourceLoader;

    @Value("${birt.report.path:classpath:reports/}")
    private String reportPath;

    @Value("${birt.image.path:target/reports/images}")
    private String imagePath;

    @Value("${birt.cache.enabled:true}")
    private boolean cacheEnabled;

    /**
     * Generates a PDF report
     */
    public byte[] generatePdfReport(String reportName, Map<String, Object> parameters) 
            throws ReportException {
        return generateReport(reportName, "pdf", parameters);
    }

    /**
     * Generates an Excel report
     */
    public byte[] generateExcelReport(String reportName, Map<String, Object> parameters) 
            throws ReportException {
        return generateReport(reportName, "xlsx", parameters);
    }

    /**
     * Generates an HTML report
     */
    public byte[] generateHtmlReport(String reportName, Map<String, Object> parameters) 
            throws ReportException {
        return generateReport(reportName, "html", parameters);
    }

    /**
     * Cached report generation for frequently accessed reports
     */
    @Cacheable(value = "reports", key = "#reportName + '-' + #format + '-' + #parameters.hashCode()", 
               condition = "#root.target.cacheEnabled")
    public byte[] getCachedReport(String reportName, String format, Map<String, Object> parameters) 
            throws ReportException {
        return generateReport(reportName, format, parameters);
    }

    /**
     * Generic report generation method
     */
    private byte[] generateReport(String reportName, String format, Map<String, Object> parameters) 
            throws ReportException {

        long startTime = System.currentTimeMillis();

        try {
            // Load report design
            String reportFile = reportPath + reportName + ".rptdesign";
            Resource resource = resourceLoader.getResource(reportFile);

            if (!resource.exists()) {
                throw new ReportException("Report file not found: " + reportFile);
            }

            IReportRunnable design = engine.openReportDesign(resource.getInputStream());
            IRunAndRenderTask task = engine.createRunAndRenderTask(design);

            ByteArrayOutputStream outputStream = new ByteArrayOutputStream();

            try {
                // Set parameters
                if (parameters != null && !parameters.isEmpty()) {
                    for (Map.Entry<String, Object> entry : parameters.entrySet()) {
                        task.setParameterValue(entry.getKey(), entry.getValue());
                    }
                }

                // Configure render options based on format
                IRenderOption options = createRenderOptions(format, outputStream);
                task.setRenderOption(options);

                // Validate parameters and run
                task.validateParameters();
                task.run();

                // Check for errors
                if (!task.getErrors().isEmpty()) {
                    StringBuilder errorMsg = new StringBuilder("Report generation errors: ");
                    task.getErrors().forEach(error -> 
                        errorMsg.append(error.getMessage()).append("; "));
                    throw new ReportException(errorMsg.toString());
                }

                long duration = System.currentTimeMillis() - startTime;
                logger.info(String.format("Report generated successfully: %s.%s in %d ms", 
                          reportName, format, duration));

                return outputStream.toByteArray();

            } finally {
                task.close();
                outputStream.close();
            }

        } catch (Exception e) {
            logger.severe("Failed to generate report: " + e.getMessage());
            throw new ReportException("Report generation failed", e);
        }
    }

    /**
     * Creates render options based on the output format
     */
    private IRenderOption createRenderOptions(String format, ByteArrayOutputStream outputStream) 
            throws IOException {

        switch (format.toLowerCase()) {
            case "pdf":
                PDFRenderOption pdfOptions = new PDFRenderOption();
                pdfOptions.setOutputFormat("pdf");
                pdfOptions.setOutputStream(outputStream);
                return pdfOptions;

            case "xlsx":
            case "excel":
                EXCELRenderOption excelOptions = new EXCELRenderOption();
                excelOptions.setOutputFormat("xlsx");
                excelOptions.setOutputStream(outputStream);
                return excelOptions;

            case "html":
                HTMLRenderOption htmlOptions = new HTMLRenderOption();
                htmlOptions.setOutputFormat("html");
                htmlOptions.setOutputStream(outputStream);

                // Configure image handling for HTML
                File imageDir = new File(imagePath);
                if (!imageDir.exists()) {
                    imageDir.mkdirs();
                }
                htmlOptions.setImageDirectory(imagePath);
                htmlOptions.setBaseImageURL("/reports/images");

                return htmlOptions;

            default:
                throw new IllegalArgumentException("Unsupported format: " + format);
        }
    }

    /**
     * Validates if a report exists
     */
    public boolean reportExists(String reportName) {
        try {
            String reportFile = reportPath + reportName + ".rptdesign";
            Resource resource = resourceLoader.getResource(reportFile);
            return resource.exists();
        } catch (Exception e) {
            return false;
        }
    }

    @PreDestroy
    public void shutdown() {
        logger.info("Report service shutting down...");
    }
}

Step 6: REST Controller Implementation

Create a comprehensive REST controller that exposes endpoints for generating reports in different formats.

Report Controller

package com.example.birt.controller;

import com.example.birt.service.ReportService;
import com.example.birt.exception.ReportException;
import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Autowired;
import org.springframework.http.HttpHeaders;
import org.springframework.http.HttpStatus;
import org.springframework.http.MediaType;
import org.springframework.http.ResponseEntity;
import org.springframework.web.bind.annotation.*;

import jakarta.validation.Valid;
import jakarta.validation.constraints.NotBlank;
import jakarta.validation.constraints.Pattern;
import java.time.LocalDateTime;
import java.time.format.DateTimeFormatter;
import java.util.Map;
import java.util.logging.Logger;

@RestController
@RequestMapping("/api/reports")
@CrossOrigin(origins = "*")
public class ReportController {

    private static final Logger logger = Logger.getLogger(ReportController.class.getName());

    @Autowired
    private ReportService reportService;

    /**
     * Generates a PDF report
     * 
     * @param reportName Name of the report (without .rptdesign extension)
     * @param parameters Report parameters as JSON
     * @return PDF file as ResponseEntity
     */
    @PostMapping("/{reportName}/pdf")
    public ResponseEntity<byte[]> generatePdfReport(
            @PathVariable @Valid @NotBlank @Pattern(regexp = "^[a-zA-Z0-9_-]+$") String reportName,
            @RequestBody(required = false) Map<String, Object> parameters) {

        try {
            if (!reportService.reportExists(reportName)) {
                return ResponseEntity.notFound().build();
            }

            byte[] reportBytes = reportService.generatePdfReport(reportName, parameters);

            HttpHeaders headers = new HttpHeaders();
            headers.setContentType(MediaType.APPLICATION_PDF);
            headers.setContentDispositionFormData("inline", 
                generateFileName(reportName, "pdf"));

            return ResponseEntity.ok()
                    .headers(headers)
                    .body(reportBytes);

        } catch (ReportException e) {
            logger.severe("Failed to generate PDF report: " + e.getMessage());
            return ResponseEntity.status(HttpStatus.INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR)
                    .body(createErrorResponse("Failed to generate PDF report: " + e.getMessage()));
        }
    }

    /**
     * Generates an Excel report
     */
    @PostMapping("/{reportName}/excel")
    public ResponseEntity<byte[]> generateExcelReport(
            @PathVariable @Valid @NotBlank @Pattern(regexp = "^[a-zA-Z0-9_-]+$") String reportName,
            @RequestBody(required = false) Map<String, Object> parameters) {

        try {
            if (!reportService.reportExists(reportName)) {
                return ResponseEntity.notFound().build();
            }

            byte[] reportBytes = reportService.generateExcelReport(reportName, parameters);

            HttpHeaders headers = new HttpHeaders();
            headers.setContentType(MediaType.parseMediaType(
                "application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet"));
            headers.setContentDispositionFormData("attachment", 
                generateFileName(reportName, "xlsx"));

            return ResponseEntity.ok()
                    .headers(headers)
                    .body(reportBytes);

        } catch (ReportException e) {
            logger.severe("Failed to generate Excel report: " + e.getMessage());
            return ResponseEntity.status(HttpStatus.INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR)
                    .body(createErrorResponse("Failed to generate Excel report: " + e.getMessage()));
        }
    }

    /**
     * Generates an HTML report
     */
    @GetMapping("/{reportName}/html")
    public ResponseEntity<byte[]> generateHtmlReport(
            @PathVariable @Valid @NotBlank @Pattern(regexp = "^[a-zA-Z0-9_-]+$") String reportName,
            @RequestParam(required = false) Map<String, Object> parameters) {

        try {
            if (!reportService.reportExists(reportName)) {
                return ResponseEntity.notFound().build();
            }

            byte[] reportBytes = reportService.generateHtmlReport(reportName, parameters);

            HttpHeaders headers = new HttpHeaders();
            headers.setContentType(MediaType.TEXT_HTML);
            headers.setContentDispositionFormData("inline", 
                generateFileName(reportName, "html"));

            return ResponseEntity.ok()
                    .headers(headers)
                    .body(reportBytes);

        } catch (ReportException e) {
            logger.severe("Failed to generate HTML report: " + e.getMessage());
            return ResponseEntity.status(HttpStatus.INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR)
                    .body(createErrorResponse("Failed to generate HTML report: " + e.getMessage()));
        }
    }

    /**
     * Generates cached reports for better performance
     */
    @PostMapping("/{reportName}/cached/{format}")
    public ResponseEntity<byte[]> generateCachedReport(
            @PathVariable @Valid @NotBlank @Pattern(regexp = "^[a-zA-Z0-9_-]+$") String reportName,
            @PathVariable @Valid @NotBlank @Pattern(regexp = "^(pdf|html|xlsx)$") String format,
            @RequestBody(required = false) Map<String, Object> parameters) {

        try {
            if (!reportService.reportExists(reportName)) {
                return ResponseEntity.notFound().build();
            }

            byte[] reportBytes = reportService.getCachedReport(reportName, format, parameters);

            HttpHeaders headers = new HttpHeaders();
            headers.setContentType(getMediaTypeForFormat(format));
            headers.setContentDispositionFormData("inline", 
                generateFileName(reportName, format));

            return ResponseEntity.ok()
                    .headers(headers)
                    .body(reportBytes);

        } catch (ReportException e) {
            logger.severe("Failed to generate cached report: " + e.getMessage());
            return ResponseEntity.status(HttpStatus.INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR)
                    .body(createErrorResponse("Failed to generate cached report: " + e.getMessage()));
        }
    }

    /**
     * Demo endpoint that generates a sample report with hardcoded parameters
     */
    @GetMapping("/demo/utilization")
    public ResponseEntity<byte[]> getDemoUtilizationReport() {
        try {
            // Sample parameters for demonstration
            Map<String, Object> parameters = Map.of(
                "reportTitle", "Resource Utilization Report",
                "reportDate", LocalDateTime.now().format(DateTimeFormatter.ofPattern("yyyy-MM-dd")),
                "department", "Engineering"
            );

            byte[] reportBytes = reportService.generateHtmlReport("utilization", parameters);

            return ResponseEntity.ok()
                    .header(HttpHeaders.CONTENT_DISPOSITION, "inline; filename=utilization.html")
                    .contentType(MediaType.TEXT_HTML)
                    .body(reportBytes);

        } catch (ReportException e) {
            logger.severe("Failed to generate demo utilization report: " + e.getMessage());
            String errorHtml = "<html><body><h1>Report Generation Failed</h1><p>" 
                             + e.getMessage() + "</p></body></html>";
            return ResponseEntity.status(HttpStatus.INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR)
                    .contentType(MediaType.TEXT_HTML)
                    .body(errorHtml.getBytes());
        }
    }

    /**
     * Health check endpoint for the report service
     */
    @GetMapping("/health")
    public ResponseEntity<Map<String, String>> healthCheck() {
        return ResponseEntity.ok(Map.of(
            "status", "healthy",
            "service", "BIRT Report Service",
            "timestamp", LocalDateTime.now().toString()
        ));
    }

    /**
     * Lists available report endpoints
     */
    @GetMapping("/endpoints")
    public ResponseEntity<Map<String, Object>> listEndpoints() {
        Map<String, Object> endpoints = Map.of(
            "pdf", "/api/reports/{reportName}/pdf (POST)",
            "excel", "/api/reports/{reportName}/excel (POST)",
            "html", "/api/reports/{reportName}/html (GET)",
            "cached", "/api/reports/{reportName}/cached/{format} (POST)",
            "demo", "/api/reports/demo/utilization (GET)",
            "health", "/api/reports/health (GET)"
        );

        return ResponseEntity.ok(Map.of(
            "available_endpoints", endpoints,
            "supported_formats", new String[]{"pdf", "html", "xlsx"},
            "note", "Replace {reportName} with your actual report name (without .rptdesign extension)"
        ));
    }

    /**
     * Generates a timestamped filename for the report
     */
    private String generateFileName(String reportName, String extension) {
        String timestamp = LocalDateTime.now()
                .format(DateTimeFormatter.ofPattern("yyyyMMdd_HHmmss"));
        return String.format("%s_%s.%s", reportName, timestamp, extension);
    }

    /**
     * Creates an error response as byte array
     */
    private byte[] createErrorResponse(String message) {
        return message.getBytes();
    }

    private MediaType getMediaTypeForFormat(String format) {
    return switch (format.toLowerCase()) {
        case "pdf" -> MediaType.APPLICATION_PDF;
        case "xlsx", "excel" -> MediaType.parseMediaType("application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet");
        case "html" -> MediaType.TEXT_HTML;
        default -> MediaType.APPLICATION_OCTET_STREAM;
    };
}

Step 7: Application Properties Configuration

Configure your application properties to customize BIRT behavior and enable proper logging.

application.yml

# Server Configuration
server:
  port: 8080
  servlet:
    context-path: /

# BIRT Configuration
birt:
  report:
    path: classpath:reports/
  temp:
    dir: ${java.io.tmpdir}/birt
  log:
    dir: logs/birt
  image:
    path: target/reports/images

# Logging Configuration
logging:
  level:
    com.example: DEBUG
    org.eclipse.birt: WARN
    root: INFO
  pattern:
    console: "%d{yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss} [%thread] %-5level %logger{36} - %msg%n"
    file: "%d{yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss} [%thread] %-5level %logger{36} - %msg%n"
  file:
    name: logs/application.log

# Database Configuration (for reports that use database)
spring:
  datasource:
    url: jdbc:h2:mem:testdb
    driver-class-name: org.h2.Driver
    username: sa
    password: password
  h2:
    console:
      enabled: true
      path: /h2-console
  jpa:
    hibernate:
      ddl-auto: create-drop
    show-sql: false
    properties:
      hibernate:
        format_sql: true

# Management endpoints
management:
  endpoints:
    web:
      exposure:
        include: health,info
  endpoint:
    health:
      show-details: when-authorized

Step 8: Sample Report Design and Testing

Creating a Sample Report Directory

Create the reports directory structure:

src/
└── main/
    └── resources/
        └── reports/
            ├── utilization.rptdesign
            └── sample-report.rptdesign

Sample Data Service for Testing

package com.example.birt.service;

import org.springframework.stereotype.Service;
import java.util.List;
import java.util.Map;

@Service
public class SampleDataService {

    public List<Map<String, Object>> getUtilizationData() {
        return List.of(
            Map.of("department", "Engineering", "utilization", 85, "capacity", 100),
            Map.of("department", "Marketing", "utilization", 70, "capacity", 80),
            Map.of("department", "Sales", "utilization", 95, "capacity", 120),
            Map.of("department", "HR", "utilization", 60, "capacity", 75)
        );
    }
}

Integration Test

package com.example.birt;

import com.example.birt.controller.ReportController;
import com.example.birt.service.ReportService;
import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.ObjectMapper;
import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Autowired;
import org.springframework.boot.test.autoconfigure.web.servlet.AutoConfigureTestMvc;
import org.springframework.boot.test.context.SpringBootTest;
import org.springframework.http.MediaType;
import org.springframework.test.web.servlet.MockMvc;

import java.util.HashMap;
import java.util.Map;

import static org.springframework.test.web.servlet.request.MockMvcRequestBuilders.*;
import static org.springframework.test.web.servlet.result.MockMvcResultMatchers.*;

@SpringBootTest
@AutoConfigureTestMvc
public class BirtIntegrationTest {

    @Autowired
    private MockMvc mockMvc;

    @Autowired
    private ReportService reportService;

    @Autowired
    private ObjectMapper objectMapper;

    @Test
    public void testHealthEndpoint() throws Exception {
        mockMvc.perform(get("/api/reports/health"))
                .andExpect(status().isOk())
                .andExpect(content().contentType(MediaType.APPLICATION_JSON))
                .andExpect(jsonPath("$.status").value("healthy"));
    }

    @Test
    public void testEndpointsListing() throws Exception {
        mockMvc.perform(get("/api/reports/endpoints"))
                .andExpect(status().isOk())
                .andExpect(content().contentType(MediaType.APPLICATION_JSON))
                .andExpect(jsonPath("$.available_endpoints").exists());
    }

    @Test
    public void testReportServiceInitialization() {
        // Verify that the ReportService is properly initialized
        assert reportService != null;
    }

    @Test
    public void testPdfReportGeneration() throws Exception {
        Map<String, Object> parameters = new HashMap<>();
        parameters.put("title", "Test Report");
        parameters.put("date", "2024-01-15");

        String jsonParameters = objectMapper.writeValueAsString(parameters);

        mockMvc.perform(post("/api/reports/sample-report/pdf")
                .contentType(MediaType.APPLICATION_JSON)
                .content(jsonParameters))
                .andExpect(status().isOk())
                .andExpect(header().string("Content-Type", "application/pdf"));
    }
}

Step 9: Common Issues and Solutions

Memory Management Issues

BIRT can be memory-intensive, especially with complex reports. Configure JVM options appropriately:

# For production deployment
java -Xmx2048m -XX:+UseG1GC -XX:MaxGCPauseMillis=200 -jar your-app.jar

ClassLoader Issues in Spring Boot

If you encounter ClassNotFoundException, add this configuration:

@Configuration
public class BirtClassLoaderConfiguration {

    @EventListener
    public void handleContextStart(ContextStartedEvent event) {
        // Set the context class loader for BIRT
        Thread.currentThread().setContextClassLoader(
            this.getClass().getClassLoader());
    }
}

Font Issues in PDF Generation

For PDF reports with custom fonts, ensure fonts are available:

// Add to your BIRT configuration
@Value("${birt.fonts.path:fonts/}")
private String fontsPath;

// In reportEngine() method
config.setResourcePath(fontsPath);

Database Connection Issues

If your reports use database connections, ensure proper connection management:

@Configuration
public class DatabaseConfig {

    @Bean
    @ConfigurationProperties("spring.datasource")
    public DataSource dataSource() {
        return DataSourceBuilder.create().build();
    }
}

Step 10: Production Deployment Considerations

Security Configuration

@Configuration
@EnableWebSecurity
public class SecurityConfig {

    @Bean
    public SecurityFilterChain filterChain(HttpSecurity http) throws Exception {
        http.authorizeHttpRequests(authz -> authz
            .requestMatchers("/api/reports/health").permitAll()
            .requestMatchers("/api/reports/**").authenticated()
            .anyRequest().authenticated()
        );

        return http.build();
    }
}

Performance Monitoring

@Component
public class ReportMetrics {

    private final MeterRegistry meterRegistry;
    private final Counter reportGenerationCounter;
    private final Timer reportGenerationTimer;

    public ReportMetrics(MeterRegistry meterRegistry) {
        this.meterRegistry = meterRegistry;
        this.reportGenerationCounter = Counter.builder("reports.generated")
                .description("Number of reports generated")
                .register(meterRegistry);
        this.reportGenerationTimer = Timer.builder("reports.generation.time")
                .description("Report generation time")
                .register(meterRegistry);
    }

    public void recordReportGeneration(String reportType, long duration) {
        reportGenerationCounter.increment(Tags.of("type", reportType));
        reportGenerationTimer.record(duration, TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS);
    }
}

Async Report Generation

For long-running reports, implement async processing:

@Service
public class AsyncReportService {

    @Async
    @Retryable(value = {ReportException.class}, maxAttempts = 3)
    public CompletableFuture<byte[]> generateReportAsync(String reportName, 
            Map<String, Object> parameters) throws ReportException {

        byte[] result = reportService.generatePdfReport(reportName, parameters);
        return CompletableFuture.completedFuture(result);
    }
}

Step 11: Advanced Features and Extensions

Custom Data Sources Implementation

For complex data requirements beyond simple database connections, implement custom data sources:

package com.example.birt.datasource;

import org.eclipse.birt.report.data.oda.spi.IConnection;
import org.eclipse.birt.report.data.oda.spi.IDataSetMetaData;
import org.eclipse.birt.report.data.oda.spi.IQuery;
import org.eclipse.birt.report.engine.api.script.IReportContext;
import org.springframework.stereotype.Component;

@Component
public class CustomRestDataSource implements IConnection {

    private final RestTemplate restTemplate;
    private final ObjectMapper objectMapper;

    public CustomRestDataSource(RestTemplate restTemplate, ObjectMapper objectMapper) {
        this.restTemplate = restTemplate;
        this.objectMapper = objectMapper;
    }

    @Override
    public void open(Properties connProperties) throws OdaException {
        // Initialize REST API connection
        String baseUrl = connProperties.getProperty("baseUrl");
        String apiKey = connProperties.getProperty("apiKey");
        // Configure headers, authentication, etc.
    }

    @Override
    public IQuery newQuery(String dataSetType) throws OdaException {
        return new CustomRestQuery(restTemplate, objectMapper);
    }

    @Override
    public void close() throws OdaException {
        // Cleanup resources
    }
}

Dynamic Report Generation

Generate reports dynamically based on user roles and permissions:

@Service
public class DynamicReportService {

    private final ReportService reportService;
    private final UserService userService;

    public DynamicReportService(ReportService reportService, UserService userService) {
        this.reportService = reportService;
        this.userService = userService;
    }

    public byte[] generateUserSpecificReport(String reportTemplate, String userId, 
            Map<String, Object> baseParameters) throws ReportException {

        User user = userService.findById(userId);
        Map<String, Object> enhancedParameters = new HashMap<>(baseParameters);

        // Add user-specific filters
        enhancedParameters.put("userRole", user.getRole());
        enhancedParameters.put("departmentId", user.getDepartmentId());
        enhancedParameters.put("accessLevel", user.getAccessLevel());

        // Apply data filters based on user permissions
        if (!user.hasRole("ADMIN")) {
            enhancedParameters.put("dataFilter", "department_id = " + user.getDepartmentId());
        }

        // Select appropriate report template
        String reportName = selectReportTemplate(reportTemplate, user.getRole());

        return reportService.generatePdfReport(reportName, enhancedParameters);
    }

    private String selectReportTemplate(String baseTemplate, String userRole) {
        return switch (userRole) {
            case "ADMIN" -> baseTemplate + "_admin";
            case "MANAGER" -> baseTemplate + "_manager";
            case "USER" -> baseTemplate + "_user";
            default -> baseTemplate + "_basic";
        };
    }
}

Report Scheduling and Batch Processing

Implement scheduled report generation for regular business reports:

@Component
@EnableScheduling
public class ReportScheduler {

    private final ReportService reportService;
    private final EmailService emailService;
    private final ReportStorage reportStorage;

    @Scheduled(cron = "0 0 8 * * MON") // Every Monday at 8 AM
    public void generateWeeklyReports() {
        logger.info("Starting weekly report generation...");

        List<ScheduledReport> weeklyReports = getWeeklyReports();

        for (ScheduledReport scheduledReport : weeklyReports) {
            try {
                generateAndDistributeReport(scheduledReport);
            } catch (Exception e) {
                logger.error("Failed to generate scheduled report: " + scheduledReport.getName(), e);
                sendFailureNotification(scheduledReport, e.getMessage());
            }
        }
    }

    @Async("reportExecutor")
    public CompletableFuture<Void> generateAndDistributeReport(ScheduledReport scheduledReport) {
        try {
            Map<String, Object> parameters = buildReportParameters(scheduledReport);
            byte[] reportData = reportService.generatePdfReport(
                scheduledReport.getTemplateName(), parameters);

            // Store report
            String reportPath = reportStorage.store(reportData, scheduledReport.getName());

            // Send email notifications
            emailService.sendReportNotification(
                scheduledReport.getRecipients(), 
                scheduledReport.getName(),
                reportPath
            );

            logger.info("Successfully generated and distributed: " + scheduledReport.getName());

        } catch (Exception e) {
            logger.error("Failed to generate report: " + scheduledReport.getName(), e);
            throw new CompletionException(e);
        }

        return CompletableFuture.completedFuture(null);
    }
}

Multi-tenant Report Support

Support multiple tenants with isolated report templates and data:

@Service
public class MultiTenantReportService {

    private final ReportService reportService;
    private final TenantContextHolder tenantContextHolder;

    public byte[] generateTenantReport(String reportName, Map<String, Object> parameters) 
            throws ReportException {

        String tenantId = tenantContextHolder.getCurrentTenant();

        // Modify report path to include tenant
        String tenantReportPath = String.format("tenant_%s/%s", tenantId, reportName);

        // Add tenant-specific parameters
        Map<String, Object> tenantParameters = new HashMap<>(parameters);
        tenantParameters.put("tenantId", tenantId);
        tenantParameters.put("tenantSchema", "tenant_" + tenantId);

        // Apply tenant-specific data source configuration
        configureTenantDataSource(tenantId);

        return reportService.generatePdfReport(tenantReportPath, tenantParameters);
    }

    private void configureTenantDataSource(String tenantId) {
        // Configure tenant-specific database connection
        String dataSourceUrl = String.format("jdbc:mysql://localhost:3306/tenant_%s", tenantId);
        // Set up tenant-specific connection properties
    }
}

Custom Report Extensions and Scripts

Extend BIRT with custom JavaScript functions:

@Component
public class BirtScriptHandler {

    @EventListener
    public void configureBirtScripts(BirtEngineInitializedEvent event) {
        IReportEngine engine = event.getEngine();

        // Register custom JavaScript functions
        engine.getConfig().getAppContext().put("customFunctions", new CustomScriptFunctions());
    }
}

public class CustomScriptFunctions {

    public String formatCurrency(double amount, String currencyCode) {
        NumberFormat formatter = NumberFormat.getCurrencyInstance();
        formatter.setCurrency(Currency.getInstance(currencyCode));
        return formatter.format(amount);
    }

    public String generateBarcode(String data) {
        // Generate barcode image and return path
        return BarcodeGenerator.generate(data);
    }

    public String encryptSensitiveData(String data) {
        // Encrypt sensitive data for reports
        return encryptionService.encrypt(data);
    }
}

Step 12: Performance Optimization

Memory Management and JVM Tuning

Optimize JVM settings for BIRT report generation:

# Production JVM settings
java -server \
     -Xms2g -Xmx4g \
     -XX:+UseG1GC \
     -XX:MaxGCPauseMillis=200 \
     -XX:+UseStringDeduplication \
     -XX:+OptimizeStringConcat \
     -Djava.awt.headless=true \
     -Dfile.encoding=UTF-8 \
     -Djava.io.tmpdir=/opt/app/temp \
     -jar your-birt-app.jar

Configure application-level memory management:

@Configuration
public class BirtPerformanceConfig {

    @Value("${birt.performance.max-concurrent-reports:5}")
    private int maxConcurrentReports;

    @Value("${birt.performance.report-timeout:300000}")
    private long reportTimeoutMs;

    @Bean
    public Executor reportExecutor() {
        ThreadPoolTaskExecutor executor = new ThreadPoolTaskExecutor();
        executor.setCorePoolSize(2);
        executor.setMaxPoolSize(maxConcurrentReports);
        executor.setQueueCapacity(20);
        executor.setThreadNamePrefix("report-generator-");
        executor.setRejectedExecutionHandler(new ThreadPoolExecutor.CallerRunsPolicy());
        executor.initialize();
        return executor;
    }

    @Bean
    public TaskScheduler reportScheduler() {
        ThreadPoolTaskScheduler scheduler = new ThreadPoolTaskScheduler();
        scheduler.setPoolSize(3);
        scheduler.setThreadNamePrefix("report-scheduler-");
        scheduler.initialize();
        return scheduler;
    }
}

Connection Pool Optimization

Configure optimal database connection pooling:

# application.yml
spring:
  datasource:
    type: com.zaxxer.hikari.HikariDataSource
    hikari:
      pool-name: BirtReportPool
      minimum-idle: 5
      maximum-pool-size: 20
      idle-timeout: 300000
      max-lifetime: 600000
      connection-timeout: 20000
      validation-timeout: 5000
      leak-detection-threshold: 60000
      data-source-properties:
        cachePrepStmts: true
        prepStmtCacheSize: 250
        prepStmtCacheSqlLimit: 2048
        useServerPrepStmts: true
        useLocalSessionState: true
        rewriteBatchedStatements: true
        cacheResultSetMetadata: true
        cacheServerConfiguration: true
        elideSetAutoCommits: true
        maintainTimeStats: false

Caching Strategy Implementation

Implement multi-level caching for optimal performance:

@Configuration
@EnableCaching
public class ReportCacheConfig {

    @Bean
    public CacheManager cacheManager() {
        CaffeineCacheManager cacheManager = new CaffeineCacheManager();
        cacheManager.setCaffeine(Caffeine.newBuilder()
            .maximumSize(1000)
            .expireAfterWrite(Duration.ofHours(2))
            .recordStats()
        );

        cacheManager.setCacheNames(Arrays.asList("reports", "report-metadata", "data-cache"));
        return cacheManager;
    }

    @Bean
    public KeyGenerator reportKeyGenerator() {
        return (target, method, params) -> {
            StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
            sb.append(target.getClass().getSimpleName()).append("-");
            sb.append(method.getName()).append("-");

            for (Object param : params) {
                if (param instanceof Map) {
                    sb.append(param.hashCode());
                } else {
                    sb.append(param.toString());
                }
                sb.append("-");
            }

            return sb.toString();
        };
    }
}

@Service
public class OptimizedReportService {

    @Cacheable(value = "report-metadata", key = "#reportName")
    public ReportMetadata getReportMetadata(String reportName) throws ReportException {
        // Cache report metadata to avoid repeated file parsing
        return parseReportDesign(reportName);
    }

    @Cacheable(value = "data-cache", key = "#query.hashCode()", condition = "#cacheable")
    public List<Map<String, Object>> getCachedQueryResults(String query, boolean cacheable) {
        // Cache frequently used query results
        return executeQuery(query);
    }

    @CacheEvict(value = {"reports", "report-metadata", "data-cache"}, allEntries = true)
    public void clearAllCaches() {
        logger.info("All report caches cleared");
    }
}

Asynchronous Report Processing

Implement non-blocking report generation for better user experience:

@Service
public class AsyncReportProcessor {

    private final ReportService reportService;
    private final NotificationService notificationService;

    @Async("reportExecutor")
    public CompletableFuture<ReportResult> processReportAsync(ReportRequest request) {
        try {
            logger.info("Starting async report generation: " + request.getReportName());

            byte[] reportData = reportService.generatePdfReport(
                request.getReportName(), 
                request.getParameters()
            );

            String reportId = UUID.randomUUID().toString();
            String downloadUrl = storeReport(reportId, reportData);

            ReportResult result = ReportResult.builder()
                .reportId(reportId)
                .downloadUrl(downloadUrl)
                .status("COMPLETED")
                .generatedAt(LocalDateTime.now())
                .build();

            // Notify user of completion
            notificationService.notifyReportReady(request.getUserId(), result);

            return CompletableFuture.completedFuture(result);

        } catch (Exception e) {
            logger.error("Async report generation failed", e);

            ReportResult errorResult = ReportResult.builder()
                .status("FAILED")
                .errorMessage(e.getMessage())
                .build();

            notificationService.notifyReportError(request.getUserId(), errorResult);

            return CompletableFuture.completedFuture(errorResult);
        }
    }
}

@RestController
public class AsyncReportController {

    @PostMapping("/api/reports/{reportName}/async")
    public ResponseEntity<Map<String, String>> generateReportAsync(
            @PathVariable String reportName,
            @RequestBody ReportRequest request,
            HttpServletRequest httpRequest) {

        String jobId = UUID.randomUUID().toString();

        CompletableFuture<ReportResult> future = asyncReportProcessor.processReportAsync(request);

        // Store the future for status checking
        reportJobRegistry.registerJob(jobId, future);

        Map<String, String> response = Map.of(
            "jobId", jobId,
            "status", "PROCESSING",
            "statusUrl", "/api/reports/status/" + jobId
        );

        return ResponseEntity.accepted().body(response);
    }

    @GetMapping("/api/reports/status/{jobId}")
    public ResponseEntity<Map<String, Object>> getReportStatus(@PathVariable String jobId) {
        CompletableFuture<ReportResult> future = reportJobRegistry.getJob(jobId);

        if (future == null) {
            return ResponseEntity.notFound().build();
        }

        if (future.isDone()) {
            try {
                ReportResult result = future.get();
                return ResponseEntity.ok(Map.of(
                    "status", result.getStatus(),
                    "downloadUrl", result.getDownloadUrl(),
                    "completedAt", result.getGeneratedAt()
                ));
            } catch (Exception e) {
                return ResponseEntity.ok(Map.of(
                    "status", "FAILED",
                    "error", e.getMessage()
                ));
            }
        }

        return ResponseEntity.ok(Map.of("status", "PROCESSING"));
    }
}

Resource Management and Cleanup

Implement proper resource management to prevent memory leaks:

@Component
public class ReportResourceManager {

    private final ScheduledExecutorService cleanupExecutor = 
        Executors.newScheduledThreadPool(1, r -> {
            Thread thread = new Thread(r, "report-cleanup");
            thread.setDaemon(true);
            return thread;
        });

    @Value("${birt.cleanup.temp-files.interval:3600}")
    private long tempFileCleanupInterval;

    @Value("${birt.cleanup.temp-files.max-age:86400}")
    private long maxTempFileAge;

    @PostConstruct
    public void startCleanupScheduler() {
        cleanupExecutor.scheduleAtFixedRate(
            this::cleanupTempFiles,
            tempFileCleanupInterval,
            tempFileCleanupInterval,
            TimeUnit.SECONDS
        );
    }

    public void cleanupTempFiles() {
        try {
            Path tempDir = Paths.get(System.getProperty("java.io.tmpdir"), "birt");

            if (Files.exists(tempDir)) {
                Files.walk(tempDir)
                    .filter(Files::isRegularFile)
                    .filter(this::isOldFile)
                    .forEach(this::deleteFile);
            }

        } catch (IOException e) {
            logger.warning("Failed to cleanup temp files: " + e.getMessage());
        }
    }

    private boolean isOldFile(Path file) {
        try {
            FileTime fileTime = Files.getLastModifiedTime(file);
            long age = System.currentTimeMillis() - fileTime.toMillis();
            return age > (maxTempFileAge * 1000);
        } catch (IOException e) {
            return false;
        }
    }

    private void deleteFile(Path file) {
        try {
            Files.delete(file);
            logger.fine("Deleted old temp file: " + file);
        } catch (IOException e) {
            logger.warning("Failed to delete temp file: " + file + " - " + e.getMessage());
        }
    }

    @PreDestroy
    public void shutdown() {
        cleanupExecutor.shutdown();
        try {
            if (!cleanupExecutor.awaitTermination(60, TimeUnit.SECONDS)) {
                cleanupExecutor.shutdownNow();
            }
        } catch (InterruptedException e) {
            cleanupExecutor.shutdownNow();
        }
    }
}

Conclusion

This comprehensive guide has walked you through the complete process of integrating Eclipse BIRT with Spring Boot, from basic setup to advanced production-ready configurations. The combination of BIRT's powerful reporting capabilities with Spring Boot's modern architecture provides a robust foundation for enterprise reporting solutions.

Key Achievements

Throughout this tutorial, we've accomplished:

🔧 Technical Integration: Successfully configured BIRT runtime with Maven dependencies, ensuring proper classpath management and avoiding common integration pitfalls.

🏗️ Architectural Best Practices: Implemented clean separation of concerns with dedicated configuration classes, service layers, and REST controllers following Spring Boot conventions.

⚡ Performance Optimization: Established caching strategies, connection pooling, asynchronous processing, and resource management to handle enterprise-scale reporting loads.

🔒 Production Readiness: Covered security considerations, monitoring, logging, multi-tenancy support, and deployment strategies essential for real-world applications.

🚀 Advanced Features: Explored custom data sources, dynamic report generation, scheduled processing, and extensibility through custom scripts and functions.

Benefits Realized

By implementing this solution, you gain:

  • Flexibility: Generate PDF, Excel, HTML, and other formats from the same report template
  • Scalability: Handle concurrent report generation with optimized resource management
  • Maintainability: Clean, testable code structure that integrates seamlessly with Spring Boot ecosystems
  • Performance: Multi-level caching and asynchronous processing for responsive user experiences
  • Enterprise Features: Multi-tenancy, role-based reporting, and audit trails for complex business requirements

Best Practices Summary

Key principles to remember:

  1. Resource Management: Always properly close BIRT tasks and manage temporary files
  2. Security: Validate report names, sanitize parameters, and implement proper authentication
  3. Performance: Use caching judiciously and implement async processing for long-running reports
  4. Monitoring: Track report generation metrics and set up appropriate alerts
  5. Testing: Implement comprehensive integration tests for report generation workflows

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

  • Memory Leaks: Not properly closing BIRT tasks or cleaning up temporary resources
  • ClassLoader Issues: Mixing BIRT versions or missing essential JAR dependencies
  • Database Connections: Not configuring proper connection pooling for report data sources
  • Security Vulnerabilities: Accepting unsanitized report parameters or allowing unrestricted report access
  • Performance Bottlenecks: Synchronous report generation blocking user interfaces

Future Enhancements

Consider these extensions for your reporting system:

📊 Advanced Analytics: Integrate with business intelligence tools for interactive dashboards and real-time data visualization.

🤖 AI-Powered Insights: Incorporate machine learning models to generate automated insights and recommendations within reports.

📱 Mobile Optimization: Develop responsive report templates optimized for mobile consumption with touch-friendly interactions.

🔄 Real-time Updates: Implement WebSocket connections for live report updates and collaborative report viewing.

🌐 Microservices Architecture: Extract reporting into dedicated microservices for better scalability and service isolation.

Getting Started Quickly

To begin implementing this solution:

  1. Clone and Configure: Start with the Maven configuration and BIRT runtime setup from Steps 1-4
  2. Create Sample Reports: Use Eclipse BIRT Designer to create your first .rptdesign templates
  3. Test Locally: Implement the basic service and controller layers to generate your first reports
  4. Add Advanced Features: Gradually incorporate caching, async processing, and security as needed
  5. Deploy and Monitor: Use the production deployment guidelines and monitoring setup for live environments

Community and Support

The BIRT and Spring Boot communities provide excellent resources:

  • Eclipse BIRT Documentation: Comprehensive guides for report design and advanced features
  • Spring Boot Reference: Best practices for integration and configuration
  • GitHub Examples: Open-source implementations and community contributions
  • Stack Overflow: Active community support for troubleshooting and optimization

Final Thoughts

Eclipse BIRT with Spring Boot represents a powerful combination for modern enterprise reporting needs. While the initial setup requires attention to detail, the resulting system provides unmatched flexibility and performance for generating professional reports at scale.

The investment in proper configuration, performance optimization, and architectural best practices pays dividends in maintainability, user satisfaction, and system reliability. Whether you're building internal analytics tools, customer-facing reports, or regulatory compliance documentation, this foundation will serve your organization's reporting needs effectively.

Remember that reporting requirements evolve over time. The extensible architecture we've built allows for continuous enhancement while maintaining stability and performance. Start with the basics, iterate based on user feedback, and gradually incorporate advanced features as your needs grow.

Happy reporting! 🎉

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Written by

Syed Saifuddin
Syed Saifuddin