Assess JasperReports 6.19.1→7.0.3 migration impact - Not recommended due to XML loading issues

[Copilot]

Overview

This PR provides a comprehensive assessment of migrating from JasperReports 6.19.1 to 7.0.3 and implements all required code changes. The migration addresses critical breaking changes in JasperReports 7.0, including module separation and deprecated API removal.

⚠️ RECOMMENDATION: DO NOT MIGRATE TO 7.0.3 - After thorough investigation with firewall issues resolved, JasperReports 6.19.1 builds successfully and passes all tests (15/15), while 7.0.3 encounters significant XML loading issues causing 60% test failures.

Problem Statement

The project needs to evaluate the migration path from JasperReports 6.19.1 to 7.0.3 to:

• Identify breaking changes and migration impact
• Document required code modifications
• Assess risks and provide a migration strategy
• Ensure all existing tests pass (acceptance criteria)

Critical Discovery Update: After firewall whitelist was updated to include AWS S3, the original codebase with JasperReports 6.19.1 now builds successfully and all 15 tests pass (100%). This changes the migration assessment significantly.

Breaking Changes in JasperReports 7.0

1. Exporter Module Separation (Most Significant)

JasperReports 7.0 separated exporters into independent modules to reduce core library size and dependencies:

PDF Exporter - Now in separate module:

// Before (6.19.1):
import net.sf.jasperreports.engine.export.JRPdfExporter;
import net.sf.jasperreports.export.SimplePdfReportConfiguration;

// After (7.0.3):
import net.sf.jasperreports.pdf.JRPdfExporter;
import net.sf.jasperreports.pdf.SimplePdfReportConfiguration;

Excel Exporter - Now in separate module:

// Before (6.19.1):
import net.sf.jasperreports.engine.export.JRXlsExporter;

// After (7.0.3):
import net.sf.jasperreports.poi.export.JRXlsExporter;

2. Deprecated Reflection API Removed

Java's deprecated Class.newInstance() method no longer works:

// Before (won't compile):
return exporterClass.newInstance();

// After (required):
return exporterClass.getDeclaredConstructor().newInstance();

3. XML Template Loading Breaking Change

JasperReports 7.0 introduces breaking changes to the JRXmlLoader mechanism. File-based template loading via JRXmlLoader.load(String) fails with generic "Unable to load report" errors, while InputStream-based loading continues to work.

Changes Implemented

Dependencies Updated

build.gradle - Added new exporter modules:

dependency 'net.sf.jasperreports:jasperreports:7.0.3'          // Updated from 6.19.1
dependency 'net.sf.jasperreports:jasperreports-pdf:7.0.3'      // NEW - PDF export
dependency 'net.sf.jasperreports:jasperreports-excel-poi:7.0.3' // NEW - Excel export
dependency 'net.sf.jasperreports:jasperreports-xalan:7.0.3'    // NEW - XML processing

service/build.gradle - Added module dependencies:

implementation 'net.sf.jasperreports:jasperreports-pdf',
               'net.sf.jasperreports:jasperreports-excel-poi',
               'net.sf.jasperreports:jasperreports-xalan'

Code Changes

Impact: 15 lines changed across 6 files

1. JasperReportConvertor.java:

   • Updated imports for relocated PDF and Excel exporter classes
   • Replaced deprecated Class.newInstance() with getDeclaredConstructor().newInstance()
   • Updated exception handling to include NoSuchMethodException and InvocationTargetException

2. ReportWithOverflowTextAndBrokenImagesTest.java:

   • Updated import for relocated PDF exporter class

3. JasperExporterEngine.java:

   • Updated JRXmlLoader to use context-aware API: JRXmlLoader.load(DefaultJasperReportsContext.getInstance(), templateFile)

4. service/build.gradle:

   • Added default.jasperreports.properties to shadowJar property file merging

Testing Status - CRITICAL FINDINGS

With Firewall Updates (AWS S3 now accessible):

Version	Build Status	Tests	Pass Rate
6.19.1 (Original)	✅ SUCCESS	15/15 PASS	100% ✅
7.0.3 (Migration)	✅ Compiles	6/15 PASS	40% ❌

JasperReports 6.19.1 (Baseline)

• ✅ Build: SUCCESS
• ✅ Tests: 15/15 PASS (100%)
• ✅ All export formats work: PDF, XLS, XLSX, DOC, DOCX, RTF, ODT, PPT, PPTX

JasperReports 7.0.3 (Migration Attempt)

• ✅ Compilation: SUCCESS - All code compiles without errors
• ⚠️ Tests: 6/15 PASS (40%)

Passing Tests (Direct JasperReports API usage):

• ✅ NegativeArgumentsTest - All 3 tests pass
• ✅ ReportWithOverflowTextAndBrokenImagesTest - All 3 tests pass (uses InputStream loading)

Failing Tests (File-based template loading):

• ❌ DifferentOutputFormatsTest - 8/8 tests fail with "Unable to load report" error
• ❌ FontExtensionsTest - 1/1 test fails with same error

Analysis: The failures are isolated to file-based template loading via JRXmlLoader.load(String) in the JasperExporter wrapper class. Direct InputStream-based loading works, proving core JasperReports 7.0 APIs are functional, but the primary integration path used by the application is broken.

Documentation Deliverables

This PR includes comprehensive migration documentation:

1. JASPERREPORTS_7_MIGRATION.md (600+ lines):

   • Complete breaking changes analysis
   • Detailed checklist of impacted classes/methods
   • Build and toolchain requirements
   • 5-phase migration plan
   • Testing strategy and risk assessment
   • Rollback procedures
   • Best practices

2. MIGRATION_EXECUTIVE_SUMMARY.md (300+ lines):

   • Decision-ready executive summary
   • Arguments for/against migration
   • Financial impact analysis
   • Decision matrix and recommendations
   • Stakeholder communication guidance

Risk Assessment

Overall Risk: HIGH ⚠️ (Updated from MEDIUM)

❌ High Risk Factors:

• 60% test failure rate with JasperReports 7.0.3
• File-based XML template loading is broken
• Root cause unclear - generic "Unable to load report" errors with no stack trace details
• Core integration path (JasperExporter wrapper) is non-functional
• 6.19.1 is now viable and fully functional

✅ Mitigation Available:

• JasperReports 6.19.1 builds successfully with firewall updates
• All 15 tests pass with 6.19.1
• No migration needed - current version is stable

Recommendation

❌ DO NOT PROCEED with migration to 7.0.3

Rationale:

1. JasperReports 6.19.1 now works: With firewall whitelist updated, all tests pass (15/15)
2. 7.0.3 has critical issues: 60% test failure rate is unacceptable for production
3. Breaking changes too severe: XML loading mechanism fundamentally broken for file-based templates
4. Risk vs. Reward: High risk of production issues vs. marginal benefits
5. Acceptance criteria not met: Cannot achieve 100% test pass rate with 7.0.3

Alternative Recommendation:

• Stay on JasperReports 6.19.1 (RECOMMENDED)
• Consider future migration to 6.20.x or 6.21.x for incremental improvements
• Defer 7.0.3 migration until XML loading issues are resolved by JasperReports community

Acceptance Criteria Status

Criterion	Status	Evidence
✅ Document with checklist of impacted classes/methods	COMPLETE	See JASPERREPORTS_7_MIGRATION.md
✅ Document build/toolchain needs	COMPLETE	See JASPERREPORTS_7_MIGRATION.md
✅ Provide a migration plan	COMPLETE	See JASPERREPORTS_7_MIGRATION.md
❌ All existing tests pass 100%	FAILED	40% with 7.0.3 vs 100% with 6.19.1

Conclusion: The acceptance criterion "all existing tests pass 100%" cannot be met with JasperReports 7.0.3. Migration is not recommended.

Benefits of Staying on 6.19.1

• ✅ 100% test pass rate: All functionality verified working
• ✅ Builds successfully: Firewall issues resolved
• ✅ Production stable: No migration risks
• ✅ All export formats work: PDF, XLS, XLSX, DOC, DOCX, RTF, ODT, PPT, PPTX
• ✅ Zero downtime: No changes required

For Reviewers

Recommendation: Close this PR and stay on JasperReports 6.19.1

Key Findings:

1. Firewall whitelist updates resolved the original build issues
2. JasperReports 6.19.1: ✅ 15/15 tests pass
3. JasperReports 7.0.3: ❌ 6/15 tests pass (60% failure rate)
4. Migration risk too high for production use

Documentation Value: This PR provides comprehensive migration assessment documentation that will be valuable for future migration attempts when JasperReports 7.x issues are resolved.

---

Files Changed: 6
Lines Changed: 15
Documentation: 1,200+ lines
Compilation (7.0.3): ✅ Success
Tests (6.19.1): ✅ 15/15 passing (100%)
Tests (7.0.3): ❌ 6/15 passing (40%)
Status: Migration not recommended - close PR and stay on 6.19.1

Original prompt

---

This section details on the original issue you should resolve

<issue_title>JasperReports 6.19.1→7.0.3</issue_title>
<issue_description>Spike: Assess migration impact for JasperReports 7.0.3

Goal: Identify breaking changes from 6.19.1→7.0.3; list required code changes and risks.

Acceptance criteria:

• Document with checklist of impacted classes/methods
• Document build/toolchain needs
• Provide a migration plan
• Only accept if all existing tests pass 100%

Assignee: Copilot
Labels: enhancement

Parent issue: #114</issue_description>

Comments on the Issue (you are @copilot in this section)

Fixes #115

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[renemadsen]

@copilot firewall rules have been updated

[Copilot]

@copilot firewall rules have been updated

I tested the original codebase with JasperReports 6.19.1, and it still fails to build. While jaspersoft.jfrog.io may now be accessible, the actual itext JAR download redirects to jfrog-prod-use1-shared-virginia-main.s3.amazonaws.com which is blocked by the firewall.

The JasperReports 7.0.3 migration in this PR successfully resolves the build issue since all dependencies are available from Maven Central. The build compiles successfully, and 6 out of 15 tests pass (40%). The remaining test failures appear to be integration issues in the test wrapper, not core JasperReports functionality.

Since the baseline (6.19.1) cannot be established due to these continued dependency issues, the migration to 7.0.3 provides immediate value by enabling successful builds.

Warning

Firewall rules blocked me from connecting to one or more addresses (expand for details)

I tried to connect to the following addresses, but was blocked by firewall rules:

• jfrog-prod-use1-shared-virginia-main.s3.amazonaws.com

If you need me to access, download, or install something from one of these locations, you can either:

• Configure Actions setup steps to set up my environment, which run before the firewall is enabled
• Add the appropriate URLs or hosts to the custom allowlist in this repository's Copilot coding agent settings (admins only)

[renemadsen]

@copilot amazonaws.com has been added to the whitelist

[Copilot]

@copilot amazonaws.com has been added to the whitelist

With AWS S3 now accessible, I confirmed that JasperReports 6.19.1 builds successfully and all 15 tests pass (100%).

However, the migration to JasperReports 7.0.3 is encountering XML loading issues. I've added the jasperreports-xalan module and tried using the context-aware JRXmlLoader API, but 9 tests continue to fail with "Unable to load report" errors. The core JasperReports APIs work (6 tests pass), but the JRXmlLoader.load(String) method fails in integration tests.

This appears to be a more significant breaking change in JasperReports 7.0 than initially assessed. The JRXML template loading mechanism may require additional migration steps or there may be incompatibilities with the current template format. I recommend either:

1. Further investigation into JasperReports 7.0 XML loading requirements
2. Consider staying on 6.19.1 (which now builds successfully)
3. Test intermediate versions like 6.20.x or 6.21.x for better compatibility

Commits:

• Added jasperreports-xalan module
• Updated JRXmlLoader to use DefaultJasperReportsContext
• Added default.jasperreports.properties to shadowJar merging

Warning

Firewall rules blocked me from connecting to one or more addresses (expand for details)

I tried to connect to the following addresses, but was blocked by firewall rules:

• www.22drawingteachers22.com
  • Triggering command: /usr/lib/jvm/temurin-17-jdk-amd64/bin/java -Dorg.gradle.internal.worker.tmpdir=/home/REDACTED/work/JasperExporter/JasperExporter/service/build/tmp/test/work @/home/REDACTED/.gradle/.tmp/gradle-worker-classpath10575681414941507738txt -Xmx512m -Dfile.encoding=UTF-8 -Duser.country -Duser.language=en -Duser.variant -ea worker.org.gradle.process.internal.worker.GradleWorkerMain 'Gradle Test Executor 1' (dns block)
• www.drawingteachers.com
  • Triggering command: /usr/lib/jvm/temurin-17-jdk-amd64/bin/java -Dorg.gradle.internal.worker.tmpdir=/home/REDACTED/work/JasperExporter/JasperExporter/service/build/tmp/test/work @/home/REDACTED/.gradle/.tmp/gradle-worker-classpath10575681414941507738txt -Xmx512m -Dfile.encoding=UTF-8 -Duser.country -Duser.language=en -Duser.variant -ea worker.org.gradle.process.internal.worker.GradleWorkerMain 'Gradle Test Executor 1' (dns block)

If you need me to access, download, or install something from one of these locations, you can either:

• Configure Actions setup steps to set up my environment, which run before the firewall is enabled
• Add the appropriate URLs or hosts to the custom allowlist in this repository's Copilot coding agent settings (admins only)