iReport Ultimate Guide - Nimsoft Library

iReport Ultimate GuideFigure 19-2A simple calloutBy default, the text of a new callout is set to the user name and the current date. Double-click the callout to write your owntext. If the text is very long, you can change the size of the callout and show all its contents; right-click the callout and selectthe menu item Show all text (see Figure 19-2).To delete a callout, right-click it and select Delete.It is possible to add pins to a callout. A pin indicates the screen object to which a callout refers. It is connected to the calloutwith a line. The callout can be dragged around the screen without affecting the pin’s position; the connection line will beupdated automatically.To add a pin, right-click the callout and select Add pin. Then drag the pin to the screen object. Now you can drag the calloutwithout moving the pin. (Another way to create a pin is to hold down the ALT key, left-click the callout, and drag the mouseover a report element.)Callout data (text, position, pins, etc...) is stored in a report property called ireport.callouts as plain text. This allowsstoring callout information in any JRXML file without breaking compatibility with older versions of UR. Sincecallouts are being introduced in iReport 3.7.1, that is the only version it is possible to use the callouts in the designer. Using thereport property allows you to open the JRXML file in an older version of UR without destroying the callout data.The callout will not be visible until you open the file again.19.1.1 Current Date ToolThe Current Date tool is an easy way to create a textfield that displays the current date or time. When the tool is dropped in thereport, the Date Format dialog appears, asking the user to specify the display format of the date or time (Figure 19-3).346