The official Eclipse Series guide to BIRT, by its creators at Actuate - now fully updated for BIRT 2.6's major improvements Covers improvements to BIRT's data handling, performance, dataset editor, and many other areas. Abundant examples, step-by-step instructions, and illustrations demystify BIRT for beginners and help power users accomplish more than ever. The definitive guide for a worldwide community of users who've downloaded 6.5 million copies of BIRT. Built on the open source Eclipse platform, BIRT is a powerful end-to-end reporting system that addresses everything from report creation to integrating reporting into enterprise applications. Worldwide, developers have downloaded 6.5+ million copies of BIRT from the Eclipse web site; BIRT's developer base is now estimated at 750,000. BIRT, Third Edition: A Field Guide to Reporting is the authoritative, up-to-date guide to using BIRT Report Designer, the graphical tool that enables users of all levels to build reports without programming. This Third Edition is fully updated for the new BIRT 2.6, reflecting BIRT's improved data handling and performance; accessibility improvements in the dataset editor; and many other enhancements. The authors - all of them members of BIRT's extended development team - teach BIRT through abundant examples, step-by-step instructions, and illustrations. Using this book, novices can develop report design skills quickly, and power users can quickly build richer, more compelling reports. Readers will learn how to: Design effective business and corporate reports using images, charts, tables, and cross tabs. Build reports using data from databases, XML, spreadsheets, web services, and other sources. Enliven reports with hyperlinks, Tooltips, and highlighting Use templates and libraries to standardize report styling and improve collaboration. Localize reports for international audiences