System Analysis And Design Of The Visualized Reporting Tool

A report is essentially a document which combines structure that designed with data specified in a database system. Reporting tool is a software system that assists users to design all kinds of reports quickly and efficiently.On the basis of analyzing reporting tools at home and abroad, the author implements the "two-stage" system architecture on two layers. As far as the entire system is concerned, it consists of two components:A WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) report editor that is to provide users with a visualized environment for structure design, and a reporting engine which is a container for calculation. It combines structure with data from database to generate reports, whose formats have been specified by users.In order to enhance usability of the report editor, the author proposes a pattern-directed design mode which enables users to design an aimed report conveniently by reusable knowledge in various application fields. On one hand, the user can design a report by reusing a template; on the other hand, different fragments (The sub-tree of report instance model) can be combined into a needed report. Besides, the user can specify fragments from a well-designed report and put it into the template library for further uses.The report engine designed by the author has the feature of "two-stage" as well. Its running cycle has been divided into Run and Conversion. During run phase, report structure and related data are paged into a mid format that is non-readable and archived by mid document. Thereafter, according to viewer's request, conversion phase renders page data from the mid document and converts it to a readable format. This tunes the report engine into an ideal speed.The "two-stage" system architecture on two layers and pattern-directed design mode have been successfully used during the analysis, design and implementation of national key project (863 Program) of China's sub-project:visualized reporting tool.This paper structures the report by domain model and writes about analysis and design of visualized reporting tool. Especially, it describes components of the report editor as well as the report engine in depth.