Eclipse BIRT Report Object Model (ROM)

Module Element

# Element Overview

Report design information common to report designs and libraries. This is most of the report except for the body.

### Details

Display Name: | Module
Since: | 2.0
XML Element: | `None`
Extends: | None
Extendable: | No
Abstract: | Yes
Name Space: | None
Name Requirement: | Not Supported
Allows User Properties: | No
Has Style: | No

### Property Summary

author
  The person who created the report.
base
  A base directory to use when computing relative links from this report.
colorPalette
  A set of custom color names.
comments
  Text that describes the report design.
configVars
  List of configuration variables.
createdBy
  Name of the tool that created the design.
description
  A description presented to the end user of report when it is deployed.
descriptionID
  The resource key for the description.
helpGuide
  External file that provides help information for the report.
images
  A list of images embedded in this report.
includeResource
  Resource file name which stores the externalized strings.
includeScripts
  The name(s) of JavaScript files to include into this report.
libraries
  Libraries that are included by this module.
propertyBindings
  Binds a property from an element to an expression.
scriptLibs
subject
theme
  Specify the theme that is to be used by the design or library.
title
  A short description of the report presented to the user when the report is deployed.
titleID
  The resource key for the title
units
  Default units to be used for the report design.

### Description

The module element describes the common characteristics between libraries and designs. It provides a wide variety of properties to help people understand the module, and provide lists of most components: page setup, data sources, data sets, reusable report items, and so on. It also provides a list of custom color definitions.

#### Name Spaces

ROM defines a number of name spaces within a report design. A name space holds a set of named components. Each name space is independent of the other. ROM name spaces are:

Name Space | Contents
Styles | Shared styles
Data Sources | Data sources (database connections)
Data Sets | Queries and other data sources
Master Pages | Page definitions.
Layout Elements | All visual elements such as lists, tables, etc.
Parameters | Report parameters

The name is optional for elements that can appear in the Layout Elements name space. The name is required for all other elements.

### See Also

Report Design element

Library element

# Property Detail

## author Property

The person who created the report.

### Details

Type: | string
Since: | 1.0
Required: | No
Display Name: | Author
JavaScript Type: |
Default Value: | None
Inherited: | No
Runtime Settable: | No
Property Sheet Visibility: | Visible
Property Sheet Group: | Top

### Description

The person who created the report. The user can fill this in to keep track of the person who wrote the report, or is responsible for maintaining the report. This is purely documentation; BIRT does not use this property at runtime.

### See Also

Module element createdBy Property

## base Property

A base directory to use when computing relative links from this report.

### Details

Type: | string
Since: | reserved
Required: | No
Display Name: | Base
JavaScript Type: |
Default Value: | None
Inherited: | No
Runtime Settable: | No
Property Sheet Visibility: | Visible
Property Sheet Group: | Top

### Description

A base directory to use when computing relative links from this report. Most often used for reports created externally to the server and submitted on the fly. Used when computing hyperlinks, library includes, image includes and other relative file references. See the W3C XML Base standard for background: http://www.w3.org/TR/2001/REC-xmlbase-20010627/.

### See Also

## colorPalette Property

A set of custom color names.

### Details

Type: | List of CustomColor Structures
Since: | reserved
Required: | No
Display Name: | Color palette
JavaScript Type: |
Default Value: | None
Inherited: | No
Runtime Settable: | No
Property Sheet Visibility: | Hidden
Property Sheet Group: | Top

### Description

The developer can define a set of custom color names as part of the design. The developer can then reference these names within properties. Defining the colors in the palette helps the developer achieve a consistent look throughout the report, and allows colors to be refined by changing just one place.

Every custom color has three parts: a display name, an internal name and an RGB value. The display name is what the developer sees. If the palette will be used by people in different countries, then the display name can be externalized and translated. The internal name identifies the color within the design and in the XML design file. The internal name cannot be localized. Finally, the RGB value gives the actual color.

### See Also

Custom Color structure

## comments Property

Text that describes the report design.

### Details

Type: | html
Since: | 1.0
Required: | No
Display Name: | Comments
JavaScript Type: |
Default Value: | None
Inherited: | No
Runtime Settable: | Yes
Property Sheet Visibility: | Visible
Property Sheet Group: | Top

### Description

Text that describes the report design. It can contain embedded HTML. The comments are notes for the people who develop and maintain the report. Comments cannot be externalized. BIRT does not use this information at runtime, it is purely documentation for the report developer.

### See Also

See the `helpGuide` and the `description` properties for a way to provide information for the users of the report.

## configVars Property

List of configuration variables.

### Details

Type: | List of ConfigVar Structures
Since: | 1.0
Required: | No
Display Name: | Config variables
JavaScript Type: |
Default Value: | None
Inherited: | No
Runtime Settable: | Yes
Property Sheet Visibility: | Hidden
Property Sheet Group: | Top

### Description

Reports frequently have deployment-specific dependencies. For example, developers often use a test database during development, but target a production database once the report is deployed. Or, an OEM may use a different company name in report titles for each of their customers. BIRT provides configuration variables to support such cases. A configuration variable is a name/value pair.

### See Also

See the `helpGuide` and the `description` properties for a way to provide information for the users of the report.

## createdBy Property

Name of the tool that created the design.

### Details

Type: | string
Since: | 1.0
Required: | No
Display Name: | Created by
JavaScript Type: |
Default Value: | None
Inherited: | No
Runtime Settable: | No
Property Sheet Visibility: | Visible
Property Sheet Group: | Top

### Description

Name of the tool that created the design. Designs created by BIRT will contain the text "BIRT Version xxx". Customers or third parties who generate designs can insert their product name here. This is purely a documentation property; BIRT does not use it at runtime.

### See Also

`author` property

## description Property

A description presented to the end user of report when it is deployed.

### Details

Type: | html
Since: | 2.0
Required: | No
Display Name: | Description
JavaScript Type: |
Default Value: | None
Inherited: | No
Runtime Settable: | No
Property Sheet Visibility: | Visible
Property Sheet Group: | Top

### Description

A description presented to the end user of report when it is deployed. Can contain HTML. Can be externalized. This is a full description, and can be shown to the user when using the report in the UI. The actual use of this property is determined by the application UI.

### See Also

`title` property

`helpGuide` property

## descriptionID Property

The resource key for the description.

### Details

Type: | resourceKey
Since: | 2.0
Required: | No
Display Name: | Description key
JavaScript Type: |
Default Value: | None
Inherited: | No
Runtime Settable: | Yes
Property Sheet Visibility: | Visible
Property Sheet Group: | Top

### Description

Localization resource key for the description presented to the end user of report.

### See Also

description property

## helpGuide Property

External file that provides help information for the report.

### Details

Type: | uri
Since: | reserved
Required: | No
Display Name: | Help guide
JavaScript Type: |
Default Value: | None
Inherited: | No
Runtime Settable: | No
Property Sheet Visibility: | Visible
Property Sheet Group: | Top

### Description

The help guide is an external file that provides help information for the report. Help information can include detailed information about parameters, report content or other information. The file can be in any format supported by the browser. The help guide will open in a separate popup window.

### See Also

Library element

## images Property

A list of images embedded in this report.

### Details

Type: | List of EmbeddedImage Structures
Since: | 1.0
Required: | No
Display Name: | Images
JavaScript Type: |
Default Value: | None
Inherited: | No
Runtime Settable: | No
Property Sheet Visibility: | Hidden
Property Sheet Group: | Top

### Description

A design often uses images. Most images in a report will be accessed via a URL, or a file deployed externally to the report. However, some reports may want to embed an image directly into the report design. Embedded images are especially helpful if a report design is generated in a custom application and sent to the server for one-time execution.

Images have a name. The name allows an image item to reference the embedded image. Scripts can use the image name to retrieve the image from the images array:

    var img = report.design.images["MyImage"]

### See Also

Image item

## includeResource Property

Resource file name which stores the externalized strings.

### Details

Type: | list
Since: | 1.0
Required: | No
Display Name: | Include resource
JavaScript Type: |
Default Value: | None
Inherited: | No
Runtime Settable: | No
Property Sheet Visibility: | Visible
Property Sheet Group: | Top

### Description

Report designs support externalized strings by storing the resource keys; which are stored in the resource file. This property stores the resource file name.

### See Also

## includeScripts Property

The name(s) of JavaScript files to include into this report.

### Details

Type: | List of IncludeScript Structures
Since: | 1.0
Required: | No
Display Name: | Include scripts
JavaScript Type: |
Default Value: | None
Inherited: | No
Runtime Settable: | No
Property Sheet Visibility: | Hidden
Property Sheet Group: | Top

### Description

The name(s) of JavaScript files to include into this report. BIRT reads and executes these scripts before calling the `initialize` method for the design. The scripts can define reusable variables, functions, objects, Java imports and so on. The design can contain any number of script includes.

### See Also

`initialize` method

## libraries Property

Libraries that are included by this module.

### Details

Type: | List of IncludedLibrary Structures
Since: | reserved
Required: | No
Display Name: | libraries
JavaScript Type: |
Default Value: | None
Inherited: | No
Runtime Settable: | No
Property Sheet Visibility: | Hidden
Property Sheet Group: | Top

### Description

Includes a list of libraries.

## propertyBindings Property

Binds a property from an element to an expression.

### Details

Type: | List of PropertyBinding Structures
Since: | 2.0
Required: | No
Display Name: | Property bindings
JavaScript Type: |
Default Value: | None
Inherited: | No
Runtime Settable: | No
Property Sheet Visibility: | Hidden
Property Sheet Group: | Top

### Description

There is requirement that a property value for an elemenet can be overridden at runtime. This list is used to bind a property of an element to an expression, user can override the value if expression bind to an parameter.

## scriptLibs Property

### Details

Type: | List of ScriptLib Structures
Since: | 2.1.1
Required: | No
Display Name: | Script libraries
JavaScript Type: |
Default Value: | None
Inherited: | No
Runtime Settable: | No
Property Sheet Visibility: | Hidden
Property Sheet Group: | Top

## subject Property

### Details

Type: | string
Since: | 2.3
Required: | No
Display Name: | Subject
JavaScript Type: |
Default Value: | None
Inherited: | No
Runtime Settable: | No
Property Sheet Visibility: | Visible
Property Sheet Group: | Top

## theme Property

Specify the theme that is to be used by the design or library.

### Details

Type: | Theme Reference
Since: | 2.0
Required: | No
Display Name: | Theme
JavaScript Type: |
Default Value: | None
Inherited: | No
Runtime Settable: | No
Property Sheet Visibility: | Visible
Property Sheet Group: | Top

### Description

When a report/library include another library, it can use one of the theme provided by the included library. When a theme is applied, the report/library is able to reuse all the styles contained in this theme.

## title Property

A short description of the report presented to the user when the report is deployed.

### Details

Type: | string
Since: | 1.0
Required: | No
Display Name: | Title
JavaScript Type: |
Default Value: | None
Inherited: | No
Runtime Settable: | No
Property Sheet Visibility: | Visible
Property Sheet Group: | Top

### Description

A short description of the report presented to the user when the report is deployed. The string can be externalized. The use of the string depends on the application UI used at deployment.

### See Also

`description` property

`helpGuide` property

`title` property

## titleID Property

The resource key for the title

### Details

Type: | resourceKey
Since: | 1.0
Required: | No
Display Name: | Title key
JavaScript Type: |
Default Value: | None
Inherited: | No
Runtime Settable: | Yes
Property Sheet Visibility: | Visible
Property Sheet Group: | Top

### Description

Localization resource key for the title

### See Also

`title` property

## units Property

Default units to be used for the report design.

### Details

Type: | choice (units)
Since: | 1.0
Required: | No
Display Name: | Units
JavaScript Type: |
Default Value: | None
Inherited: | No
Runtime Settable: | Yes
Property Sheet Visibility: | Hidden
Property Sheet Group: | Top

### Choices

Name | Display Name | Value | Description
in | in | in |
cm | cm | cm |
mm | mm | mm |
pt | points | pt |
pc | picas | pc |
em | ems | em |
ex | exs | ex |
px | pixels | px |
% | % | % |