Fixing JasperReports 5.6 XLS Export: Replacing Deprecated JRXlsExporter.setParameter

If you’re upgrading to JasperReports 5.6+ and encountering deprecation warnings for JRXlsExporter.setParameter, this guide will help you migrate to the updated exporter API. The old JRExporter and setParameter methods are deprecated in favor of a more structured approach using ExporterInput, ExporterOutput, and configuration classes. Here’s how to adapt your code:

Why the Deprecation?

JasperReports 5.6 introduced a revamped exporter framework to streamline configurations. Instead of using generic setParameter calls, you now define:

• ExporterInput: The compiled report (e.g., JasperPrint object).
• ExporterOutput: The output destination (e.g., file or stream).
• ReportConfiguration: Export settings (e.g., pagination, cell detection).

Step-by-Step Solution

Here’s how to export your report to XLS with JasperReports 5.6:

1. Export to XLS Using JRXlsExporter

try {
    // Generate JasperPrint object
    JasperPrint jasperPrint = JasperFillManager.fillReport(
        sourceFileName, 
        parameters, 
        new JRBeanCollectionDataSource(dataList)
    );

    // Initialize exporter
    JRXlsExporter exporter = new JRXlsExporter();

    // Set input (compiled report)
    exporter.setExporterInput(new SimpleExporterInput(jasperPrint));

    // Set output (file or stream)
    exporter.setExporterOutput(new SimpleOutputStreamExporterOutput("path/to/output.xls"));

    // Configure export settings
    SimpleXlsReportConfiguration config = new SimpleXlsReportConfiguration();
    config.setDetectCellType(true);                // Equivalent to IS_DETECT_CELL_TYPE
    config.setRemoveEmptySpaceBetweenRows(true);   // Equivalent to IS_REMOVE_EMPTY_SPACE_BETWEEN_ROWS
    config.setOnePagePerSheet(true);               // Split report into multiple sheets
    config.setCollapseRowSpan(false);              // Preserve merged cells
    config.setWhitePageBackground(false);          // Remove default white background

    // Apply configuration
    exporter.setConfiguration(config);

    // Execute export
    exporter.exportReport();

} catch (JRException e) {
    e.printStackTrace();
}

Key Changes Explained

Common Pitfalls & Fixes

Loading JasperPrint correctly is essential. If using fillReportToFile, load the JasperPrint object from the generated .jrprint file:

String printFileName = JasperFillManager.fillReportToFile(sourceFileName, parameters, dataSource);
JasperPrint jasperPrint = (JasperPrint) JasperPrintManager.loadObject(printFileName);

Ensure that you use SimpleXlsReportConfiguration for XLS-specific settings and do not confuse it with SimpleXlsExporterConfiguration, which is meant for advanced customization.

For Java 7 compatibility, ensure your project includes the latest JasperReports 5.6+ libraries. If you are using Maven, update your pom.xml:

<dependency>
    <groupId>net.sf.jasperreports</groupId>
    <artifactId>jasperreports</artifactId>
    <version>6.20.0</version> <!-- Check for newer versions -->
</dependency>

SEO Keywords

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By following this guide, you’ll resolve deprecation warnings and ensure compatibility with modern JasperReports versions. For more details, refer to the official JasperReports documentation.