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Rendering from the frontend

Every report configuration in VeloxFactory has a built-in Generate PDF function,page: a dedicatedsmall pageworkstation for one report template that letsrenders you render the reportit directly from the browser, without writing a single line of code or touching the API. It is the fastest way to produce a PDF, test a configuration, or trigger a print job on demand.

report-config.index.generate-pdf.pngThe page follows one principle: settings once, then only the data. How the output should be produced, preview or print, which printer, how many copies, whether a history record is kept, is decided once per report and then stays out of the way. From there, every render is nothing but filling in the values that actually change and pressing one button.

generate-pdf.create.png

Screenshot placeholder: generate-pdf.page.png
Generate PDF page with the header row (report name, settings summary, Output Settings button), parameter table and the action row.

Opening the Generate PDF Page

There are two ways to reach the Generate PDF page. FromIn the report configuration list,overview, each report cardrow has aan dedicatedaction menu that contains Generate PDF, button, clicking it takestaking you directlystraight to the render page without having to open the report first.page. Alternatively, open anya report configuration and navigate touse Generate PDF from within the report view.

The pageheader row shows two read-only fields at the top, the report name andand, as a compact summary line, the active data adapter,adapter soand youthe alwaysstored knowoutput atsettings: mode, printer, copies, broadcast ID and whether a glancehistory whichrecord reportis youcreated. are working with and where its data comes from.

The data adapter field displaysis either the name of the assigned ReportConnectionConfig (including driver and database) or dyn. Array ifwhen no SQL connection is configured.configured, Thisand directlyit influencesdecides whatwhich input sections appear further downdown.

Screenshot placeholder: report-config.index.action-menu.png
Report configuration overview, opened action menu with Generate PDF and Download.

Output Settings

The first time you open the page.page for a report, the Output Settings dialog opens by itself, because VeloxFactory does not yet know what you want to do with the result. Afterwards it only opens when you click the Output Settings button in the header.

Setting Default Description Mode Preview and download only Decides what happens with the rendered PDF, see the table below. Printer - Printer picker over the active printer master data, free text is still allowed. Required in both printing modes. Copies 1 Copies passed to the print service, between 1 and 100. Does not trigger multiple renders. Broadcast ID - WebSocket channel of the print service. Filled in automatically when the chosen printer has one stored. Create History Record On Saves request, response, PDF and thumbnail of every render to the report history.

The three modes:

Mode Preview Print task Preview and download only yes no Print only, no preview no yes Preview and print yes yes

In Preview and download only the printer and broadcast fields are hidden, there is nothing to print to. In the two printing modes a printer is mandatory: saving without one fails and the dialog reopens with everything you entered still in place.

Settings are kept per report configuration in your session. Two report templates therefore keep independent settings, they survive leaving the page and coming back, and they end when your session does. Clear settings at the bottom of the dialog removes them, the dialog then opens by itself on the next visit.

ℹ️ The settings are yours, not the report's. They live in your session, so a colleague configuring the same report for a different printer never affects your workstation.
Screenshot placeholder: generate-pdf.settings-modal.png
Output Settings dialog with mode dropdown, printer picker, copies, broadcast ID, history toggle and the Clear settings button.

Report Parameters

If the report defines parameters, a parameter input table is shown. Each parameter gets its own typed input field, the input type is derived automatically from the Java class declared in the .jrxml:

  • A java.lang.String parameter becomes a text field.
  • A java.sql.Date parameter becomes a date picker.
  • A java.lang.Integer parameter becomes a number input with integer constraints.
  • A java.lang.Boolean parameter becomes a toggle switch.
  • And so on for all supported types.

Parameters marked as required in the report configuration must be filled in before the form can be submitted. Optional parameters can be left empty, VeloxFactory silently drops empty parameter values and does not include them in the render request.

Report Lines - Manual Data Entry

The Report Lines section only appears when the report has no SQL connection assigned, i.e. when the data adapter is dyn. Array. In this case, VeloxFactory has no database to query, so the detail band data must be entered manually in the browser.

The section shows a table with one column per field defined in the report. Each cell contains a typed input matching the field's data type. You fill in one row of values per data record you want to appear in the report.

To add more rows, use the Add Row button, it clones the input row and appends a new empty one. Individual rows (except the first) can be removed with the delete button on the right. Empty fields are not transferred to the render request.

ℹ️ When a SQL connection is assigned, the Report Lines section is hidden. VeloxFactory fetches the data automatically from the database using the configured query, no manual input needed.

Less typing: prefill, example values, clear

Three small helpers remove most of the repetitive work when the same report is rendered again and again:

    Prefill from the last run. Parameters and report lines come back filled with the values of your previous render in this session. The values are stored on every submit, successful or not, so a failed render can be corrected instead of retyped. Fill example values. Fills every parameter and the first line row with the example values stored in the report configuration. This is the frontend counterpart of the API's useExampleValues, useful for a quick smoke test of a new template. Clear inputs. Empties all parameters and removes every line row except the first one.

    Resources

    If the report has image resources, a collapsible Resources section is available on the page. It shows a preview thumbnail of each resource file, its parameter name, and its file name. Resources are handled automatically at render time, you do not interact with them during rendering. The section is informational only, confirming which image files are currently assigned.

    Generating the PDF

    Once parametersthe and fieldsvalues are filledin in,place, click Generate PDF. AThere is no confirmation modaldialog opensany withmore, the renderingstored options:

    output
    settings already answer Optioneverything Defaultit Description Create History Record On Saves a full record of this rendering, request, response, PDF, and thumbnail,used to the report history. Create Print Task Off Dispatches the rendered PDF to the print service after rendering. Requires a printer name. Printer Name - The target printer. Required when Create Print Task is enabled. Copies 1 Number of copies passed to the print service. Does not trigger multiple renders. Broadcast ID - Optional WebSocket channel ID. If provided, the print service is notified in real time when the print task is created. Leave empty to rely on polling instead.

    Confirm with Generate to start the render.ask. The request is processed synchronously, the page waits for the result and displays it immediately.

    generate-pdf.modal.png

    The Result

    Success

    OnIn the two modes with a successful render,preview, the page shows a green confirmation bannerbanner, a Download PDF button and embeds the generated PDF as an inline preview directly in the browser,preview, sized to the report's actual page dimensions. NoIf a history record was created, the download required;button serves the documentstored file, otherwise the PDF is immediatelyoffered visible.straight from the response.

    In Print only, no preview is rendered at all. The banner then reads Sent to <printer> (<n>x), which is the whole point of that mode: a station that prints and moves on.

    If a history record was created, a View History button appears, linking directlylinks to the new ReportHistoryRecord. If a print task was dispatched, a View Print Task button appears as well, linkinglinks to the ReportPrintTask record where you can monitorfollow its status.

    ⚠️ Reloading the page renders the report again. The result lives in the response, so a browser reload repeats the render, including a new print task if the mode creates one.

    generate-pdf.result.png

    Errors

    If the render fails, the page shows a red error banner listing all error messages returned by VeloxFactory.VeloxFactory, and everything you entered stays on screen. Common causes are missing required parameters, a SQL query that returns no data for a report that expects some,rows, or a resource file that was removed after the configuration was last saved.

    If a history record was created before the error occurred, the View History button still appears, the failed attempt is recorded,recorded including the error details, which is useful for diagnosing what went wrong.

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