Understanding the serialized report format
In the previous chapters, you have already seen the format of Pentaho reports, saved as .prpt
bundle files. The .prpt
format is a ZIP file format that includes all the necessary resources to render a report, also referred to as a bundle. The .prpt
bundle file contains a set of XML files that are crucial to render a report, as well as additional resources, such as embedded images and subreports. This format is based on the OpenDocument format.
This section goes into detail about each of the primary files that make up a report, along with providing a simple example of a report written by hand. With the knowledge of the underlying file format, it is possible to generate reports outside of the Java environment.
Anatomy of a .prpt bundle file
To share the exact details of a .prpt
bundle file, let's start with a concrete example. Feel free to choose a Pentaho report, randomly chosen from the ones that you already have in your development environment, or...