Bug 133780 Execution sequence of valueExpr(DataItem) and onCreate() is not correct.
In the attached design. There is a DataItem in the table footer that I used to do a sum of the "Amount" column. In the test, I write the onCreate() method as: params["amount"]=Total.sum(row["AMOUNT"]); It passes the aggregation value to a parameter. In the "valueExpr" I write as: "AMOUNT:" + params["amount"] The expression is expected to export the sum. Actual output is: AMOUNT:null Followings are the definitions from Rom Text Spec & Rom Scripting Spec, valueExpr usually should be evalated after the onCreate() method. DataItem.valueExpr: The expression is usually evaluated when the report is rendered, not in the Factory, though it may be evaluated in the Factory also. onCreate: Executed when the element is created in the Factory. Called after the item is created, but before the item is saved to the report document file.
engine/org.eclipse.birt.report.engine/src/org/eclipse/birt/report/engine/executor/TextItemExecutor.java
{
		ILabelContent content = report.createLabelContent( );
		assert ( content instanceof LabelContent );
		IContent parent = context.getContent( );
		context.pushContent( content );
		openResultSet( design );
		accessQuery( design, emitter );
		initializeContent( parent, design, content );
		content.setLabelText( design.getText( ) );
		content.setLabelKey( design.getTextKey( ) );
		processAction( design, content );
		processBookmark( design, content );
		processStyle( design, content );
		processVisibility( design, content );
		if ( context.isInFactory( ) )
		{
			TextItemScriptExecutor.handleOnCreate( (LabelContent) content,
					context );
		}
		startTOCEntry( content );
		if ( emitter != null )
		{
			emitter.startLabel( content );
		}
		finishTOCEntry( );
		closeResultSet( );
		context.popContent( );
	}
}