Let’s take a closer look at BIRT SQL Server JDBC Driver. As a part of our MSSQL support services, Bobcares offers solutions to all your queries.

Design BIRT Reports on SQL Server JDBC Driver Data

The JDBC Driver for SQL Server combines connection to SQL Server APIs into your data-driven Java applications. You can use the JDBC Driver for SQL Server with the Business Intelligence Reporting Tools(BIRT) platform to create reports that reflect changes to your data in real-time.

Install the BIRT Framework and Database Development plugin for Eclipse. Open File >> New >> Report. The Report Design perspective is opened.

In the Data Explorer >> right-click Data Sources >> click New Data Source. Now choose the Create from a Data Source Type in the Following List option and >> select JDBC Data Source.

Click Manage Drivers >> add the driver JAR located in the lib subfolder of the installation folder. In the Database URL box,, you can enter the JDBC URL that containing the connection string.

Connecting Microsoft SQL Server Connect to Microsoft SQL Server using the below properties:

• Server: The hostname of the server running SQL Server.

• User: The username provided for authentication.

• Password: The password for authenticating the user.

• Database: SQL Server database name.

Azure SQL Server and Azure Data Warehouse connection

You can authenticate to Azure SQL Server or Azure Data Warehouse by setting the below connection properties:

• Server: The hostname of the server running SQL Server.

• User: The username provided for authentication.

• Password: The password for authenticating the user.

• Database: The name of the database, as in the Azure portal on the SQL databases or SQL warehouses page.

Built-in Connection String

For constructing the JDBC URL use the connection string designer that is built into the SQL Server JDBC Driver. YOu can do this by Either double-clicking the JAR file or executing the jar file from the command line.

java -jar cdata.jdbc.sql.jar

When you configure the JDBC URL, you have to set the Max Rows connection property, this will limit the number of rows returned. Usually, this mrthod is helpful for improving performance when designing reports and visualizations.

A typical JDBC URL is shown below:

jdbc:sql:User=myUser;Password=myPassword;Database=NorthWind;Server=myServer;Port=1433;

Next Right-click the Data Sets folder >> choose the JDBC data source for SQL Server. From the resulting dialog build the “SELECT” query to retrieve the data for the report:

SELECT Name, Freight FROM Orders

In the Palette drag a Chart onto the editor, and the chart wizard will display it. After selecting the chart type drag the columns onto the chart fields on the Data tab.

Click Run >> then View Report in Web Viewer.

Your BIRT reports can now pick up by any updates to SQL Server data.

[Looking for a solution to another query? We are just a click away.]

Conclusion

Learned the format of the connection string used by the Microsoft JDBC Driver for SQL Server, to publish the report to your application server, add the driver JAR to the BIRT Viewer’s classpath.