Navigating the Repository

Two views of the repository are available to help you navigate:

•    Search Results – You can search the entire repository, subject to permissions, or narrow the search using filters. Filters restrict a search by name, who changed the resource, type of resource, date of the resource, and schedule.

•    Repository – You can browse the repository contents that you have permission to view by expanding icons in Folders. Click a folder name to view its contents. This view mimics a file system browser, letting you explore contents folder by folder.

Searching the Repository

The repository is the server’s internal storage for all reports, dashboards, analysis views, and related files. The repository is organized as a structure of folders containing resources, much like a file system. However, unlike a file system, the repository is stored as a private database that only JasperReports Server can access directly.

To search the repository, select View > Search Results from any page of the server:

On the search results page, use either the Filters panel or search field to find resources:

When you search using default filters, All available, Modified by me, and Viewed by me, the search covers all resources in the repository, subject to permissions. This mode works best when you clear the search term and select All types, as shown in See "Search Results Page", so that the results are exactly the contents of the selected folder.

The search results page displays results of searches and filters. The search results page has the following features:

•    Search field – Find resources by searching for text in their names or descriptions.

•    Filters panel – Find resources based on other criteria such as type or when you last accessed the resource.

•    Sort by – Arrange resources by name or modification date.

•    List of resources – View which resources in the repository meet the search criteria, grouped by resource type when appropriate. Click or right-click a resource in the list to view it or to see what functions are available on the context menu.

The search results page helps you find resources fast by using intuitive search criteria. Instead of viewing resources by folder alone, you can use filters to view resources according to other criteria, such as who modified the resource and when.

The search results page includes controls to refine or enlarge the set of results. The server remembers your settings so that the most commonly needed resources remain visible when you return to the page.

The following sections explain how to search the repository.

Searching by Name

In addition to clicking View > Search Results, you can use the search field at the top of any server page to begin a search. After typing the search term, click . The search results page opens with the same search term in the search field. See "Search Field and Search Results" shows the results of a search for the term “account” in the sample data:

To clear the search term, click the icon in the search field and update the search results according to the remaining settings. Search terms are not case-sensitive. The server matches the search term, even word fragments, anywhere it appears in the display name or description string of a resource. The server does not match folder names or display folders in the search results. If you enter multiple words, the server searches for resources that match all words, but not necessarily in order. Do not enter quotes around terms or symbols between terms.

If you enter a search term and click on the search results page, the search uses the filters you set in the Filters panel.

If you enter a search term and click at the top of any server page, the search uses the default settings:

•    Include subfolders

•    Start at the top-most folder visible to the user

•    Filter for reports, report outputs, dashboards, OLAP views, or other types

•    Sort alphabetically by name

To refine the search, select a folder or filter as explained in the following sections.

Refining a Search with Filters

You refine a search using filters. For example, filters can help you find your most recently viewed reports. You can set each filter independently of the others.

You can set the following types of filters:

•    User

•    Resource

•    Access time

•    Scheduled report

The following tables describe the settings for each type of filter.

The user filter has the following settings:

The resource type filter has the following settings:

The access time filter has the following settings. All times are relative to the user’s effective timezone:

The scheduled report filter has the following settings:

Browsing the Repository

To browse the repository, select View > Repository from any page of the server:

You can expand and collapse Folders or search to find resources in the repository. After finding a resource you can perform a number of operations, such as deleting the resource. As shown in See "Repository Page", the Repository page has the following features.

•    Folders – Restrict search results to particular folders, or browse individual folder contents.

•    Report processing controls – Run or edit a report or open a resource.

•    Bulk operation controls – Select and copy, cut (move), or delete multiple resources at once.

•    Sorting – Arrange resources by name or modification date.

•    List of resources – View the resources in the repository.

Interacting With the List of Resources

As you browse the repository, there are several ways to interact with resources:

•    Click the name of a report or dashboard to run and view it.

•    Right-click the name of a resource to access other operations on the context menu, for example Edit or Open in Designer. Items appear on the context menu according to the permissions granted to the user.

•    Click anywhere in the row except the resource name to select a resource. Ctrl-click anywhere in the rows to select multiple resources. Select a single or multiple resources, and use buttons above the results list: Run, Edit, Open, Copy, Cut (move), or Delete. When you select a resource that supports the operation, the button appears available. For example, the Open button is available when you select a dashboard or an Ad Hoc report if you have permission to write to it.

You must have the appropriate permissions on the selected items and the target folder to interact with resources. For more information about permissions and repository operations, see the JasperReports Server Administrator Guide.

There are two icons that may appear in the Folders panel of the repository:

•      indicates that the report has saved options for its input controls. Click the  icon to list the saved options. For more information, see section Running a Report with Input Controls or Filters.

•      indicates that the report is scheduled to run or is running in the background. Click this icon to view the list of jobs scheduled for the report. For more information, see section Scheduling Reports.

Sorting the Repository List

To change the order of the list of reports and other resources, use the Sort By controls:

•    Click Name to sort alphabetically (A at the top). This is the default sort order.

•    Click Modified Date to sort by the latest modified time and date (most recent at the top).