i‑net Clear Reports

Whitepaper

i-net software GmbH
Leipziger Platz 16
10117 Berlin, Germany

1 Introduction

Reporting requirements in companies are as diverse as the business processes themselves. While many reporting solutions are either too complex for end users or too limited for developers, i‑net Clear Reports offers a universal platform that combines both worlds. The solution has been developed over decades in collaboration with a global user community and combines the power of a professional report designer with the simplicity of ad hoc reporting tools. i‑net Clear Reports enables both technical and non-technical users to create meaningful reports - from simple tables to complex documents with visual elements. Below, you will learn how i‑net Clear Reports addresses specific reporting challenges and what practical advantages the platform offers for various use cases.

1.1 About i‑net Clear Reports

i‑net Clear Reports differs from many competing reporting solutions in its dual-user philosophy: The platform serves both developers who create complex reports programmatically and end users who want to perform ad hoc evaluations without technical expertise. This universal approach makes i‑net Clear Reports particularly valuable for:

Business applications: Seamless integration into existing systems with automatic report generation
Dedicated reporting departments: Centralized reporting solutions for companies with high reporting requirements
Self-service reporting: End users can create evaluations independently without involving the IT department.
Automated workflows: Regular report distribution and scheduling with integrated task planning

The platform goes beyond standard reports and enables the design of complete documents with complex layouts, visual elements, and professional formatting. With its extensive plugin architecture, specific industry requirements such as electronic invoices (Factur-X/ZUGFeRD) or special data sources can be integrated.

Technically, i‑net Clear Reports offers maximum flexibility: as a server application for collaborative use, as a desktop designer for developers, or directly integrated into Java and .NET applications. The modular architecture enables targeted customization without complexity, while extensive API integration ensures seamless integration into existing systems.

1.2 About Us

Based in Berlin, i‑net software GmbH is a reliable provider of Java-based software solutions with over 25 years of experience in the industry. Our product portfolio includes tools for reporting, helpdesk, data integration, document comparison, and GDPR-compliant team communication, which are used worldwide.

At the heart of our company is a commitment to technical excellence, long-term product quality, and customer satisfaction. Our experienced team of developers, designers, and consultants is passionate about ensuring that our software remains robust, user-friendly, and relevant to today’s business challenges.

i‑net Clear Reports has been developed over decades in line with the wishes of a large global user community. Our support team works hard to find the right solution for every customer. Software security plays a crucial role in our development process, and we implement “Made in Germany” standards to ensure quality.

2 Use cases

2.1 Business intelligence and reporting

i‑net Clear Reports is particularly valuable for companies with high reporting requirements:

Management dashboards: Visual representation of KPIs and business metrics for various management levels
Automated reports: Regular evaluations of business statistics and performance metrics
Ad Hoc analyses: End users can independently analyze business trends and data distributions
Compliance reports: Automated creation of reports for audits and compliance requirements

2.2 System Integration and Development

For developers and IT departments, i‑net Clear Reports offers:

ERP integration: Seamless integration into existing enterprise resource planning systems
API-based reports: Programmatic creation of reports via Java and .NET APIs
Custom applications: Embedding of reporting functionality into your own applications
Workflow automation: Integration into existing business processes and workflows

3 Features

i‑net Clear Reports offers unique advantages that set it apart from other reporting solutions:

Dual-user philosophy: Serves both developers and end users with customized tools
Platform independence: Runs on Windows, Unix, Solaris, macOS, and AIX
Comprehensive integration: Seamless integration into Java and .NET applications
Crystal Reports compatibility: Protects existing investments through migration
International support: Multilingual user interface and reports
Scalability: From small workgroups to enterprise environments
Security: Comprehensive authorization system and authentication options
Performance: Optimized report processing even with large amounts of data

3.1 Reporting Features

i‑net Clear Reports is designed as a band renderer. This means that strips of sections are always rendered. During rendering, the data records of the data source are iterated and transformed into the target format in accordance with the report design.

3.1.1 Report Templates and Designer

To create reports, templates in RPT format are required, which can be created using the integrated i‑net Designer, for example, and converted by the server into the desired output format. A wide range of formats are supported, including simple text formats, images, archivable PDF, OpenDocument, and Office files.

The i‑net Designer is a free report designer that has been programmed entirely in Java and runs on any supported platform. It enables powerful and high-performance report creation with instant preview and saves reports in a zipped file format similar to OpenDocument. The designer can be started directly from the Report Drive - no installation is necessary.

In addition to the in-house i‑net Clear Reports report format, the Designer supports Crystal Reports templates (versions 7 to 13) and can read them. During editing, these are automatically converted to the i‑net Clear Reports RPT format.

The i‑net Designer uses the same data sources as i‑net Clear Reports - any JDBC or ODBC connection or user-defined data source can be used. A corresponding license is required for commercial use, although owners of a commercial i‑net Clear Reports license can use the Designer free of charge for commercial purposes.

The Designer can also be integrated into your own Java applications - a corresponding Java API is available for this purpose. In addition to the libraries for Java as .jar and .NET as .dll, the i‑net Clear Reports SDK provides documentation and application examples. This allows you to embed the reporting functionality into your own applications. Alternatively, i‑net Clear Reports supports the completely API-driven creation of reports using programming interfaces in Java and .NET.

3.1.2 Layout elements and expandability

Various layout elements and the embedding of external documents are available for rendering reports. Existing elements can be expanded using Java Beans, for example, which can also be programmed as plug-ins. This not only allows you to create standard reports with tables, cross tabs, and diagrams, but also enables you to design entire documents.

i‑net Designer offers a wide range of features for designing the appearance of reports. Here is a brief list:

Charts: There are a variety of chart types, such as bar charts, pie charts, etc., for displaying data graphically.
Cross-tab: The data can be accumulated into a cross-tab.
Formulas: Complex calculations or formatting are possible with the help of small scripts. If the formulas are not sufficient, the functions can be extended with Java.
Barcodes: Individual data can be output as barcodes. Various barcode types are available.
Images: In addition to the normal PNG, JPEG, and GIF images, plugins can be used to decorate reports with all kinds of image formats, e.g., PDF, SVG, JPEG2000, or WebP.
Visual database wizard: Data sources can be linked visually or with SQL statements.
Group management: Groups based on the data source keep relevant data close together.
Parameter inputs: Reports can use parameters that prompt the user for input during execution.
Default options: Global default options for fields and elements.
Field options: Individual options for the format and design of text fields and other elements.
PDF format: The following options are available for export, among others:
- Signing of the created PDF files.
- PDF/A and PDF/UA formats in various versions
- Creation of PDF forms filled with data.
- Electronic invoices in Factur-X format

3.2 i‑net Clear Reports Server

The i‑net Clear Reports Server is immediately flexible and can be used comprehensively on almost any platform. With the server, reports can be executed directly via the internet or intranet. The server also provides the report designer via a remote interface, which is the central component for creating new reports.

3.3 Browser interface

The browser interface is the most convenient way to configure the i‑net Clear Reports Server and access server functions. Among other things, this web interface provides access to:

Configuration Manager: Central management of all server settings
User and Group Management: Central management of users and groups with complete accounts
Report Drive: Central storage and management of reports
Online ad hoc report creation: Browser-based report creation
Remote Report Designer: Web-based designer for report templates
Task Scheduling: Time-controlled and automated report execution
Data source configuration: Management of all data sources
Server statistics and diagnostics: Monitoring of server health and log files
Web API: Testing of web API requests with direct output
Translations: Localization of server labels and user interface
Plugin Store: Search for updates and install new features
Avatar system: Upload avatars or use popular avatar services

The remote interface is secured by a permission system that allows individual features to be enabled or disabled on a per-user basis. This ensures precise control over access rights and allows different user groups to be assigned different feature sets.

The applications work independently of each other, but their collaboration enables powerful functionalities. Almost all applications on the server support extensive search functions to find exactly what you are looking for. Access is via http://<hostname>:<port> or, for application servers, via http://<hostname>:<port>/<servletcontext>.

3.4 Interfaces

The functions of i‑net Clear Reports can be accessed in a variety of ways. Depending on the architecture of the host application or your requirements, only one is usually used. However, it is also possible to use several of the following interfaces or all of them at the same time.

Java API: There is a very comprehensive Java API that allows full control over the report creation process.
.NET API: Reports can be created directly from your .NET applications via a Process Bridge.
Web API: Alternatively, a central server is used via REST API. Support for Swagger allows development with modern tools. This is the perfect solution if your application is written in a different language.
Web-based interface: Users have access to the UI of a server to query the reports.

3.5 Java Integration for Developers

i‑net Clear Reports was developed entirely in Java and offers a comprehensive Java API for integration into existing Java applications. Java integration enables:

Complete control: Comprehensive API covering the entire report creation process
Seamless integration: Direct integration into Java applications without additional servers
Plugin development: Extension of the platform with your own Java plugins
Platform independence: Runs on any system with supported Java versions
Enterprise-ready: Jakarta EE 11+ compatibility for application servers

Developer resources:

Java API documentation for all versions
Platform Programming Guide for plugin development
Java Viewer Programming Guide for viewer customizations

3.6 .NET integration for developers

i‑net Clear Reports .NET offers developers maximum flexibility to remain within the .NET environment. The integration allows the reporting runtime to be embedded into your own applications with just a few lines of code. Key features include:

Bridging technology: API access via .NET with automatic server operation
Same file format: Uses the same RPT files as the Java version
Embeddable .NET viewer: Fully customizable viewer for .NET applications
Visual Studio integration: SDK package with dll files for easy development

The system requirements are:

.NET Standard 1.6.1 or .NET Framework 4.6.1
Windows 10, 11, 2016, and newer versions

3.7 Data sources

Reports are usually designed to query these databases in order to prepare and display their data. i‑net Clear Reports supports a wide range of data sources for creating reports. Here is a list of the most popular options.

JDBC/ODBC: Any database for which a JDBC or ODBC driver is available can be used.
File-based data: For example, JSON, XML, CSV, or weblog formats can be processed.
NoSQL databases: E.g., MongoDB and Cassandra.
Direct data: Primarily from the host application without going through a database.
Custom plugin: If a required data source is missing, it can be created via a plugin and added to the system.

3.8 Plugins

i‑net Clear Reports is based on a simple plugin architecture. The Plugin Store offers a rapidly growing number of plugins with general functions. However, the SDK can be used to quickly write your own specific plugins in Java that are tailored to your application or company.

Plugins are ZIP files located in the plugins folder in the installation folder. Plugins must be written in Java. Plugins can be installed from the local Plugin Store, from those available online, or via sideloading.

3.9 Crystal Reports compatibility

i‑net Clear Reports offers comprehensive compatibility with Crystal Reports:

Reading and editing: You can continue to read, edit, and execute your existing Crystal Reports templates.
Integrated support: Support is directly integrated for versions 7 to 8.5
Extended support: Available for version 9 and higher via additional programs

This compatibility allows companies to protect their existing Crystal Reports investments and gradually migrate to i‑net Clear Reports without having to recreate their existing reports.

3.10 Internationalization of reports

A single report can be made available in different languages, e.g., labels and formatting. i‑net Designer offers a translation dialog that can be used to translate the static content of the report.

Users who access the reports receive a localized version if a translation has been provided for the language of the browser or system.

3.11 Internationalization of the user interface

i‑net Clear Reports currently supports English, German, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese for most graphical elements. The company is working to support even more languages and therefore offers an online interface for performing translations.

3.12 Dynamic Reports

Reports can be made dynamic using parameters and two different scripting languages. Parameters are set via URL or API. During report execution, the end user is asked to specify values for the report parameters if the report contains parameter fields.

This functionality allows you to create flexible and reusable report templates that can be adapted to different requirements and user groups.

3.13 Report permissions and security

There are various settings to restrict the visibility of reports or a specific area within a report. The permission system allows:

System level: Full control over access to individual reports
Area level: Restriction of the visibility of certain areas within a report
Data level: Filtering of data based on user permissions
Function level: Control over available functions and export formats

3.14 Drill-down functionality

By clicking on a group, you can display its details. i‑net Clear Reports supports unlimited grouping levels, enabling in-depth data analysis.

The drill-down functionality is particularly valuable for interactive reports, where users can navigate from an overview to detailed information without having to create separate reports.

3.15 Embed fonts

By embedding fonts, you can make a report look almost identical on any operating system. These options are essential, especially for symbolic fonts or barcodes.

This feature ensures consistent display of reports regardless of the platform used and the fonts installed.

3.16 Print barcodes

i‑net Clear Reports includes a range of barcode beans for generating and printing 2D or QR codes, for example. Additional fonts can be used without any further requirements.

The barcode functionality is particularly valuable for applications in logistics, retail, or manufacturing, where barcodes are needed for identifying and tracking products or documents.

3.17 Faktur-X/ZUGFeRD

i‑net Clear Reports can be used to create PDF files that comply with the Factur-X/ZUGFeRD standard for electronic invoices. The i‑net Designer helps you create the necessary templates so that your software can generate electronic invoices with your data.

3.18 User and group management

i‑net Clear Reports features a Users and Groups Manager that enables centralized management of users and groups. The management system offers complete user accounts with comprehensive management options.

3.18.1 Centralized user management

Full user accounts: Users have full accounts with multiple authentication methods
Multiple authentication: A user can use multiple login providers for the same account, e.g., Windows AD and GitHub
Custom groups: Create your own groups independently of external authentication systems
Group assignments: Users can be assigned to multiple groups
Permission management: Configuration of permissions for applications and functions
Effective permissions: Review of a user’s cumulative, effective permissions

User data access: Users can view information stored about them
Data protection control: Transparency about collected and processed data
Account control: Users have control over their own accounts

3.19 Authentication

Security plays a central role, which is why a built-in authentication option is available. However, this does not have to be used if the host application handles authentication itself. The main focus is on a seamless single sign-on (SSO) experience for the user. Therefore, additional plugins offer support for a variety of identity management systems such as OAuth, LDAP, Windows, and PAM. SCIM may also be of interest to cloud users.

If no central authentication system is available, users can be stored directly with a password. Of course, passwords are only stored with salted hashing. The rules for password complexity are also adjustable.

For even greater security, two-factor authentication or passkeys can be used. By optionally enforcing two-factor authentication, each user is required to provide a second factor the next time they log in. Depending on the server configuration, token-based authentication via app, email, or hardware key, among other options, is available for this purpose.

3.20 Output formats

The reports can be displayed live in your application and the user can navigate through the pages. This live view is possible in browsers, Java, and C# applications. From the report viewer, the user has the option to export to a variety of formats. These include PDF, HTML, DOCX, RTF, XLSX, ODS, TXT, CSV, and various image formats. Naturally, not everything can be displayed in every format; for example, TXT cannot display colors. These export formats can also be disabled individually if necessary, for example, if the sensitivity of the data requires it.

3.21 Drive

The Drive is a central storage location on the server where every user can save and execute reports directly. Together with system and report permissions, Drive offers an easy way to manage visibility and execution permissions for users and groups.

Drive enables you to:

Store reports centrally on the server
Start reports directly from the server
Search, load, modify, and save reports via an elegant web interface
Load and save reports directly from i‑net Designer
Manage permissions for individual reports or report categories
Implement group-based access control
Share reports between users and groups

This functionality is particularly valuable for collaborative work environments where multiple users need to access shared reports but require different permissions.

3.22 Ad Hoc reporting

The developer of an application will typically create the report templates using i‑net Designer and deploy them in your application. i‑net Designer is somewhat complex, but it also offers a wide range of features. Using i‑net Designer also requires an understanding of the database structures used.

For easier use by users, there is the simpler ad hoc reporting. With data templates approved by the administrator or developer, no special knowledge of database structures is required. Here, users can quickly create their own evaluations that go beyond those specified by the developer without having to use Excel. The intuitive user guidance allows for use without time-consuming training. Optionally, users can also get help from AI assistants when creating evaluations.

i‑net Clear Reports features an optimized version of i‑net Designer, which allows you to create attractive reports very quickly and easily. Ad Hoc reports are available as a browser-based version and can also be embedded in other applications. i‑net Designer uses an ad hoc component as a report wizard for easy creation of new reports.

3.23 Server statistics and diagnostics

Administrators have access to important server statistics via special applications while the server is in operation. Among other things, the following is displayed here:

Session statistics: How many sessions there were and currently are
Report statistics: Which reports were rendered and how often
Cache viewer: Modern user interface for cache management
Log file access: Direct access to log files with search function

The diagnostics application allows administrators to access log files directly and find specific entries via a search. This is particularly valuable for error diagnosis and performance optimization.

3.24 Task planning

A typical task in reporting is regularly recurring evaluations, e.g., at the end of the month. This can be easily achieved using task planning. Task planning is available as a plugin and can be used in the Plus version after installation.

Reports created from task planning can be distributed as desired, e.g., via email, FTP, file system, social media, Drive, or even printed on paper. Task planning allows reports to be executed at a specific time and sent, saved, or printed in a specific output format. Thanks to its modular structure, task planning can be easily expanded with plugins, allowing you to implement your own goals in the host application and your own actions.

3.25 Report Viewer Integration

The report viewer for live viewing of reports is available for Java, C#, and HTML. In other development environments, you can work with a web view.

3.25.1 Java Report Viewer

The Java Report Viewer is available as a jar file. It is implemented in Swing and uses the default look and feel of the host application. This allows the Java Report Viewer to integrate seamlessly into the host application. Extensive API allows for customization, e.g., hiding certain buttons in the toolbar.

3.25.2 .NET Report Viewer

The C# viewer is available as source code and is specially optimized for .NET developers. It can be completely customized and compiled into any .NET application. This allows it to integrate perfectly into any .NET application. The .NET viewer offers:

Full customizability: Source code available for individual customizations
Native .NET integration: Seamless integration into .NET applications
Visual Studio support: Optimized for the .NET development environment
Embeddable component: Can be embedded directly into Windows Forms or WPF applications

3.25.3 HTML Report Viewer

The HTML Viewer has an embedding mode that allows you to disable top-level navigation. This makes it easy to embed in another web page. By customizing the i‑net Clear Reports theme, you can also customize the appearance of the HTML Report Viewer.

3.26 High-Performance Reports

Report performance begins with optimizing data queries. Use as few tables, joins, and data sources as possible. Filters and joins should be designed to use database indexes and be executed directly in the database rather than in the reporting engine. Optimally tuned SQL queries or database views avoid unnecessary data transfer and utilize the computing power of the database system.

Reports can be accelerated by reducing fields, labels, and data records. Layout settings such as “Keep Together” or “Print at Bottom of Page” should be avoided as they cause time-consuming page returns. A uniform font choice simplifies the calculation of font metrics, while complex formulas are better outsourced to Java code or expander functions. It is also advisable to divide reports into main and sub-reports to reduce data volume and complexity.

A smaller output size results in higher speed. Data can be saved by suppressing duplicate content and reusing embedded images via consistent “image keys.” The number of embedded fonts should also be limited. At the configuration level, metadata caching (for stable schemas), reducing font embeddings, and optionally disabling compression (at the cost of higher bandwidth requirements) can further improve performance.

3.27 Optimal memory usage

Stable report processing is achieved when the available memory is used in a targeted manner. The -Xmx parameter can be used to adjust the JVM heap and optimize it for the available RAM. This ensures that the application has sufficient reserves without overloading the system.

i‑net Clear Reports processes data efficiently by allowing queries to be designed in such a way that they are already filtered by the database. This means that only the data that is actually needed is loaded, while the memory is used specifically for rendering and document caching.

Further optimizations are achieved by setting a row buffer limit or by dividing large reports into main and sub-reports. This keeps memory requirements manageable and allows even extensive reports to be created reliably and with high performance.

4 Licensing

The licensing of i‑net Clear Reports distinguishes between only two criteria: In which environment is the application used, and is a simple or an extended range of features desired? There are no restrictions on the number of reports that can be rendered simultaneously or the number of users who can be logged into the system at the same time. This is limited only by the hardware you use.

4.1 Licensing models

i‑net Clear Reports offers various licensing models that can be adapted to different usage scenarios:

Single-server license: For physical servers with a static IP address
Site license: Unlimited use within a single location
Public cloud license: For public cloud environments (AWS, Azure, GCE)
Private cloud license: For private cloud environments with a preconfigured URL
SaaS license: The only license that allows renting or leasing to customers
Enterprise license: Unlimited worldwide deployment within a company
OEM license: For software vendors to integrate into their own products

All licenses apply to both the Java and .NET editions of the software.

4.2 Technical requirements for license types

4.2.1 Single-server license

The server must be physical
The server must not be hosted in the cloud (AWS/EC2, Azure)
The server must have a static IP address that is physically connected and not provided via a Wi-Fi adapter.
The software must not run in a containerized environment (Docker, Kubernetes)

4.2.2 Site License

Server must have a hostname that can be verified via DNS (no internet required)
- Example: Licensed domain is internal.my-company.com
- Hostnames can be: testing.internal.my-company.com, production.internal.my-company.com, or similar
OR the server must have a verifiable external FQDN internet address (Reverse DNS Lookup)

4.2.3 Public Cloud License

Server must be accessible from the internet via port 80 or 443 (standard HTTP/s ports)
Server must have a verifiable external FQDN internet address (DNS Lookup)

4.2.4 Private cloud license

Server must be accessible via a preconfigured URL
URL must be set in the configuration under “Web server” → “Externally visible URL”
Server license must match the FQDN part of the configured URL

4.3 OEM License

For software providers, we offer OEM licenses that enable the integration of i‑net Clear Reports into your own application and the resale of this application, including i‑net Clear Reports, to customers. Various license models are available depending on the scope.

If you only need a few licenses, you can opt for a license pool such as the OEM License 10. With this license pool, you can distribute i‑net Clear Reports up to “n” times (e.g., up to 10 times) with your application.

If you need large quantities, you can choose the “1-year unlimited OEM license,” which allows you to sell as many OEM licenses, including your product, as you need without counting them exactly. After one year, you can decide whether you want to renew the license agreement or whether you no longer want to distribute our software. The license agreement can also be concluded for two or three years. This license includes both premium support and the update subscription free of charge.

4.4 Feature scope

The feature scope is determined by whether you use the Standard or Plus version. Regardless of which license model you choose, you always have the choice between these two feature scopes.

4.4.1 Standard Edition

The Standard license is the basic license for i‑net Clear Reports. It includes all reporting functions and is ideal for small to medium-sized businesses with simple reporting needs.

4.4.2 Plus Edition

The Plus license is the premium license for i‑net Clear Reports. It includes all reporting functions as well as various additional functions:

Report Drive: Central storage and management of reports with authorization management
Task Scheduling: Time-controlled and automated report execution with flexible distribution
PDF Signing: Digital signing of PDF reports to ensure integrity and authenticity
Advanced caching options: Hard disk and database caching for optimal performance
Large reports: Smooth execution of very large or long-running reports

The Plus Edition is ideal for companies with complex reporting needs and high requirements for performance, security, and automation.

4.5 Trial License

A free trial license is available for evaluating i‑net Clear Reports:

90 days of free use without restrictions
Limited to 2 simultaneous connections during the trial period
Free standard support during the evaluation
License key can be generated via the website
All features of the Standard and Plus Editions available

The trial license allows you to fully evaluate all features of i‑net Clear Reports before purchasing a commercial license. You can also try out all license types so that you can test the technical integration into your environment in advance.

5 System Requirements

5.1 Platform Independence and Integration

i‑net Clear Reports runs on any operating system that supports the required Java versions, e.g., Windows, Unix, Solaris, macOS 10.11+, AIX. The Java VM is usually delivered integrated in i‑net Clear Reports. A GUI for the server is not required.

5.1.1 .NET connection

i‑net Clear Reports offers a .NET connection via server bridging for systems with .NET Standard support. .NET integration allows developers to remain entirely within the .NET environment and embed reporting functionality into their own applications with just a few lines of code.

5.1.2 Application server integration

i‑net Clear Reports can be used with many different application servers, such as Tomcat. Alternatively, i‑net Clear Reports can also be integrated into Java applications.

5.1.3 Installation and deployment

The setup supports installation via dialog as well as text setup for headless Linux/Unix systems, for example
Can be run in a Docker environment
Application servers (Jakarta EE 11 or higher) such as Jetty and Tomcat

5.1.3.1 Docker Installation

For modern container environments, i‑net Clear Reports offers an optimized Docker installation that enables rapid deployment and easy scaling. The container-based installation is ideal for DevOps environments and cloud deployments.

Docker containers available from Docker Hub
Quick start with: docker run -d -p 9000:9000 -e CONF_listener__port=9000 --name reporting inetsoftware/i-net-clear-reports
Configurable ports and environment variables
Optimized for container orchestration (Kubernetes, Docker Swarm)

5.2 Technical Requirements

5.2.1 Java Runtime

i‑net Clear Reports requires Java as its runtime. This means it runs on any operating system for which a Java VM is available. That’s practically every modern platform and architecture.

5.2.2 .NET runtime (only for .NET integration)

.NET Standard 1.6.1 or .NET Framework 4.6.1
Windows 10, 11, 2016, and newer versions
Cross-platform compatible with .NET Standard

5.2.3 Storage space

Approximately 1.5 GB of hard disk space is required for installation and runtime.

5.3 Detailed system requirements

The exact system requirements for the current version can be found in detail in the online documentation. An overview of supported Java versions and operating systems can be found on our version support page.

5.4 Documentation and support

i‑net Clear Reports offers comprehensive documentation and long-term support for developers and administrators:

5.4.1 Developer documentation

Getting Started Guide: Getting started with i‑net Clear Reports
Getting Started Guide - i‑net Designer: Getting started with i‑net Designer
Security Information: Security features and permissions
Platform Programming Guide: Plugin development and viewer customizations
Docker Container Guide: Deployment in Docker environments
FAQ: Frequently asked questions and solutions

5.4.2 API Documentation

Java API: Complete API reference for all versions
.NET API: .NET integration and SDK
REST API: Swagger-based web API documentation

5.4.3 Version Support and Maintenance

i‑net Clear Reports is continuously developed with two major versions per year (.4 and .10). The x.10 versions are Long-Term Support (LTS) and receive:

General Support: Up to 5 years
Critical bug fixes: Up to 4 years
Regular bug fixes: Up to 3 years
New features: Only in the latest version

Currently supported versions: A detailed overview of the currently supported versions, Java versions, and support cycles can be found on our version support page.

5.4.4 Support and contact

Email support: clearreports@inetsoftware.de
Documentation: docs.inetsoftware.de
API reference: apidoc.inetsoftware.de

6 Definitions

ADFS: Active Directory Federation Services - Microsoft solution for single sign-on
API: Application Programming Interface - programming interface for integration into other applications
Band renderer: Rendering concept in which reports are created in horizontal strips (bands) of sections
Cache: Temporary storage for accelerating data access
Cassandra: NoSQL database for big data applications
Crosstab: Cross table for multidimensional display and analysis of data
CSV: Comma-Separated Values - Text file format for tabular data
Docker: Container technology for platform-independent deployment of applications
Docker Hub: Cloud-based registry for Docker containers
DOCX: Microsoft Word file format (Office Open XML)
Drive: Central storage location on the server for reports with authorization management
Faktur-X: German/French (European) format for the exchange of electronic invoices
FQDN: Fully Qualified Domain Name - complete domain name with hostname and domain
FTP: File Transfer Protocol - Protocol for file transfer
GDPR: General Data Protection Regulation - EU regulation for the protection of personal data
GIF: Graphics Interchange Format - Image file format
Host application: If i‑net Clear Reports has been embedded, the business application in which the embedding took place
HTML: HyperText Markup Language - Markup language for web pages
Jakarta EE: Enterprise Edition - Java platform for enterprise applications (successor to Java EE)
JDBC: Java Database Connectivity - Standard API for accessing databases in Java
JPEG: Joint Photographic Experts Group - Compressed image file format
JPEG2000: Enhanced JPEG compression with better algorithms
JSON: JavaScript Object Notation - data format for data exchange
JVM: Java Virtual Machine - runtime environment for Java applications
Kubernetes: Container orchestration platform for managing container applications
LDAP: Lightweight Directory Access Protocol - protocol for accessing directory services
LookAndFeel: Graphical user interface in Java Swing applications
MongoDB: NoSQL database for document-based storage
NoSQL: Not Only SQL - databases that are not relational
OAuth: Open standard for secure authorization in web applications
ODBC: Open Database Connectivity - standard API for accessing databases
ODS: OpenDocument Spreadsheet - spreadsheet format
OEM: Original Equipment Manufacturer - licensing model for software integration into own products
PAM: Pluggable Authentication Modules - authentication framework for Unix/Linux
Parameters: Input values that are passed to reports at runtime
PDF/A: ISO standard for long-term archiving of PDF documents
PDF/UA: ISO standard for accessible PDF documents (universal accessibility)
PNG: Portable Network Graphics - image file format with lossless compression
Plugin: A functional extension of the platform
Plugin Store: Central point of contact for updates and installation of new features
Process Bridge: Communication mechanism between .NET and Java processes
QR Code: Quick Response Code - 2D barcode for fast data capture
Remote Interface: Web interface for remote management of the i‑net Clear Reports Server
REST API: Representational State Transfer - Architecture style for web services
Row Buffer: Memory buffer for optimizing data processing in reports
RTF: Rich Text Format - Text file format with formatting
RPT: Report Template - file format for i‑net Clear Reports report templates
SaaS: Software as a Service - cloud-based software delivery model
SCIM: System for Cross-domain Identity Management - standard for identity management
SDK: Software Development Kit - development tools for programmers
Sideload: Manual installation of plugins outside the official store
SQL: Structured Query Language - Database language for queries
SSO: Single Sign-On - Authentication method for one-time login
SVG: Scalable Vector Graphics - Vector image format
Swagger: Specification for REST API documentation
Swing: Java GUI toolkit for desktop applications
Task Planner: Application for time-controlled and automated report execution
Tomcat: Apache Tomcat - Java-based web and application server
VPC: Virtual Private Cloud - private cloud environment in public cloud providers
WebP: Google image format with high compression
Webview: Component for displaying web content in native applications
XLSX: Microsoft Excel file format (Office Open XML)
XML: eXtensible Markup Language - Markup language for structured data
ZUGFeRD: Central User Guide of the German Electronic Invoice Forum - standard for electronic invoices