Working Directory Switchover

Version

Application Scenario

Working directory refers to the project currently being edited on the designer.

For example, there are three report projects, A, B, and C. Users can modify templates in the corresponding project by switching working directories among these three projects with only one designer.

Choose File > Switch Working Directory > Others and click the + icon to add local directories or remote servers.

Local Directory

To add a local directory, choose the + icon > Local Directory and select the needed directory path in the right file directory, as shown in the following figure.

Note:

The Local Directory connection cannot be used on remote servers, especially on those whose projects have started. Otherwise, a database configuration error occurs because of the occupied FineDB.

Remote Server

Working directories that you need may be not on the local, but on the server. Therefore, the remote design function is supported in FineReport. You can perform remote connections through the designer.

Choose the + icon > Remote Server and connect the remote server on the remote server configuration page, as shown in the following figure.

For details, see Remote Design.

If a remote server is connected by multiple users, templates on it can only be edited by one user at the same time. That is, if one user opens templates, these templates are locked and other users cannot edit them.

If the user closes templates, these templates are unlocked and other users can edit them after refreshing.

Difference Between Local Directory and Remote Server

Local Directory

The designer downloaded from the official website is deployed with the Tomcat server and can be directly used. Designers that use the default local working directory allow you to go to the decision-making system by choosing Server > Platform Management belong to built-in servers of the designer. The address of the decision-making platform is http://localhost:8075/webroot/decision.

Server Decision-making System

If you need to use the remote design function or deploy report projects in FineReport to other servers, these operations are not included in the local project, but in another created project. In this case, you need to connect to remote servers by choosing File > Switching Working Directory. After switching to the remote project server, you can go to the decision-making system (address: http://IP address:Port number/webroot/decision) by choosing Server > Platform Management in the designer.

Choose File > Switching Working Directory in the menu and select the corresponding report directories to switch working directories.

Switching Working Directory Logic

If you switch working directories or close the designer with unsaved operations in templates, a prompt pops up: "Select Project to Save."

Check the corresponding templates and click OK. The current templates will be closed and saved in working directory A and reopened in working directory B. If you click Cancel, the current templates will be closed in working directory A and reopened in working directory B.

Notes

When you open the designer, it switches to the working directory where the designer is located last time by default. You are advised to switch to the local directory before closing the designer, otherwise, the designer switches to the remote server by default when you open it next time, slowing down its startup. If you face such a problem and fail to open the designer, you can delete the cache directory file FineReportEnv.xml.

1. You cannot switch working directories across versions in the FineReport 11 designer. For example, if you connect FineReport 11 with the FineReport 10 remote server, an error pops up: "Incompatible working directory version."

2. You cannot open templates developed in the designer with a higher version than the designer that you currently use. For example, You cannot open templates in the FineReport 11 designer through the FineReport 10 designer, otherwise, an error pops up: "The template file to be opened is made by the designer of a higher version. Opening it may cause errors or loss of original template attributes. Ensure that the version of the designer in which your template is designed is earlier than the version of the deployed server."

3. You cannot use the built-in Tomcat server of the designer as the formal server. The reasons are as follows:

• The designer occupies memory space and CPU resources.

• The built-in database has poor performance.

• Problems like flashbacks in the designer have a large impact on the server.