Scheduling a customized task using User Task

In order to meet the requested requirement to run tasks defined outside of JReport on JReport Server, and to just use JReport Server's schedule function, JReport has provided a task named User Task. With this task, you can implement a customized task with the schedule properties. You can also submit the user task from a web page, or by calling the JReport Server API methods.

To schedule a customized task using User Task:

1. Create a task class that implements the UserTask interface and add the path of the class file to the ADDCLASSPATH variable in setenv.bat, which is located in <install_root>\bin. You can find the interface in the jet.server.api package available in <install_root>\help\api. JReport provides a demo class APIDemoDynamicExportTask.java in <install_root>\help\samples\APIServer for your reference.
2. Create a task properties file defining the formats of exporting the task. For example, the content of the properties file is:

   jrs.rst=result_rtf
jrs.pdf=true
jrs.text=true
jrs.excel=true
jrs.ps=true
jrs.html=result_html

3. Submit the task either from a server web page or by calling Server API methods. The task can then be run by the server.
   • To submit the customized task from a server web page:
     1. On the JReport Console > Resources page, browse to the desired report, put the mouse pointer over the report row and click the Schedule button on the floating toolbar. The Schedule dialog is then displayed.
     2. Specify the settings in the General, Publish, Conditions, and Duration tabs as required. Here the Publish tab settings should be switched to those of User Task by clicking the link on the right bottom of the tab. Then, the name of the task class file you have defined that implements the UserTask interface and the task properties that define the export formats must be provided. You can either input the task properties manually or import them from the task properties file that you have created.
     3. Upon finishing, click Finish to submit the task.
   • To submit the customized task by API methods:
     1. Set the user task class name to the property value of APIConst.TAG_TASK_CLASS.
     2. Define the user task properties with the property APIConst.TAG_USER_TASK_PROP with the formats as follows: jrs.user_task_prop= jrs.rst=result_rtf&jrs.pdf=true&jrs.text=true&jrs.excel=true&jrs.ps=true&jrs.html=result_html. Since the jrs.user_task_prop is used to transfer multiple user task properties, the values set to this property must be formatted to be separated with "&" character.
     3. Set a display name for the class with the property APIConst.TAG_USER_TASK_DISPLAY_NAME.
     4. Except for the above properties, define the other schedule properties as you do with a default task, see APIDemoPublishRpt.java in <install_root>\help\samples\APIServer for reference. Then following the API demo you can submit a customized task on the server.

Click My Tasks on the system toolbar. When the task is being performed, you can see a record of it in the Running tab and on completion it will be put into the Completed tab.