1. Chapter 7: Creating Database Reports
Guide to Oracle 10g

2. Lesson A Objectives
After completing this lesson, you should be able to:
Use the Reports Builder report styles
Use the Report Wizard to create a report
Configure the appearance of a report
View a report in a Web browser
Create a master-detail report
Guide to Oracle 10g

3. Lesson A Objectives (continued)
Create a custom template
Apply a custom template to a report
Guide to Oracle 10g

4. Introduction to Reports Builder Database Reports
Allows application developers to create reports that display data from Oracle 10g database
Developer10g
Reports Builder allows developers to preview and distribute reports in variety of different formats including:
Web pages
Portable document format (.pdf) files
Guide to Oracle 10g

5. Introduction to Reports Builder Database Reports (continued)
Layout styles:
Tabular
Form
Mailing label
Form letter
Group left group above
Matrix
Matrix with group
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6. Using the Report Wizard to Create a Report
Steps:
Specify data that report displays
Select report style
Configure report properties and layout
Report Wizard pages:
Welcome
Report type
Style
Data source
Guide to Oracle 10g

7. Using the Report Wizard to Create a Report (continued)
Report Wizard pages (continued):
Data
Fields
Shows data fields that SQL query returns
Totals
Labels
Template
Finish
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8. Configuring the Report Appearance
Use Reports Builder environment to:
Modify report appearance
Customize report features
Paper Design window
Default editing environment
Refine appearance of reports
Shows how report will appear on paper
Can preview as Web page
Guide to Oracle 10g

9. Configuring the Report Appearance (continued)
Data Model button
Modify report data
Web Source button
Displays underlying HTML code
Defines how report will appear in Web browser
Paper Layout button
Opens report in Paper Layout view
Guide to Oracle 10g

10. Configuring the Report Appearance (continued)
Paper Parameter Form button
View parameter form
Parameter form
User selects input parameter values to customize form appearance and functionality at runtime
Save report design specification using variety of formats
Reports Builder design files
Rdf extension
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11. Using the Report Wizard in Reentrant Mode
Modify SQL query
To use ORDER BY clause
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12. The Reports Builder Object Navigator Window
View report components in hierarchical tree structure
Access different components in Reports Builder environment
Access components of individual report
Reports
Top-level node
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13. The Reports Builder Object Navigator Window (continued)
Other objects:
Templates
PL/SQL libraries
Debug actions
Stack
Built-in packages
Database objects
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14. Reports Builder Object Navigator
Guide to Oracle 10g

15. Modifying the Report Appearance in the Paper Design Window
Report title appears in report margin
Area on page beyond where report data appears
Adjust column’s width
Select column
Drag to make it wider or narrower
Specify format masks for fields that display number and date data
Property Inspector
Guide to Oracle 10g

16. Modifying the Report Appearance in the Paper Design Window (continued)
Import graphic images into reports
Same as importing graphic images into forms
Guide to Oracle 10g

17. Closing and Reopening Reports
To close report:
Click File on menu bar
Click Close
To open report:
On Welcome to Reports Builder dialog
Click Open an existing report option button
Click OK
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18. Viewing the Report as a Web Page
Preview report as Web page
Click Run Web Layout button
Web page source code
File with .htm extension
Contains HTML commands and text to represent report content and formatting
Guide to Oracle 10g

19. Viewing the Report as a Web Page (continued)
View formatting changes in Web page output
Preview report using either:
Paginated HTML
Paginated HTMLCSS format
Guide to Oracle 10g

20. Creating a Master-Detail Report
One record has many associated detail records
Through foreign key relationship
Use Report Wizard to specify report style and data values
Report’s SQL query must retrieve all master and detail values
Report Wizard displays groups page
Guide to Oracle 10g

21. Specifying the Style and Data
Create new report in object navigator
Select Reports node
Click Create button
Styles for creating master-detail reports
Group left
Group above
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22. Using the Groups Page to Specify Master-Detail Relationships
Data in master-detail report has multiple levels
Each data level represents group
Top-level (master) group is level 1
Specify report groups
Move fields for each group from available fields list to group fields list
Guide to Oracle 10g

23. Report Templates Many reports that have similar appearance
Useful to create custom template to specify report appearance
Avoid performing same formatting tasks over and over again
Guide to Oracle 10g

24. Creating a Custom Template
Custom template defines:
Font sizes and styles for report’s
Title
Column headings
Data values
Text and background colors
Boilerplate objects
Store template definition in template definition file that has .tdf extension
Guide to Oracle 10g

25. The Paper Layout Template Editor Window
Environment within Paper Layout window
Used for editing templates
Similar to forms builder layout editor
Areas within painting region in report template
Margin
Body
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26. Paper Layout Template Editor
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27. Editing Template Margins
Open margins for editing
Click Margin button
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28. Editing the Template Body
Report body has two types of attributes:
Default
Override
Frame
Object that encloses similar objects within report
Parent frame
Frame that directly encloses object
Guide to Oracle 10g

29. Applying Custom Templates to Reports
Modify existing report’s template by
Opening Report Wizard in reentrant mode
Changing template specification
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30. Applying Templates by Specifying the Template Filename
Select Template file specification option button on Report Wizard template page
Enter full folder path and filename of template file
Including drive letter
Quick and easy way to apply custom templates
Disadvantage
Template file must be available at specified file location whenever report file opened
Guide to Oracle 10g

31. Registering Custom Templates in Reports Builder
Appears in predefined templates list on template page
Advantage
Don’t have to specify path to template file
File does not always have to be available
Two-step process:
Modify developer user preferences file
Copy template file to Reports Builder templates folder
Guide to Oracle 10g

32. Registering Custom Templates in Reports Builder (continued)
User preferences file
Template description
Template filename
Template page displays thumbnail images of predefined templates
Create thumbnail image of custom template
Save screenshot as Bmp file
Guide to Oracle 10g

33. Lesson A Summary Report Create report Paper design window
Summary view of database data that users can view on screen or print on paper
Create report
Specify data to appear in report
Select report style
Configure report properties and layout
Paper design window
The Reports Builder Object Navigator
Guide to Oracle 10g

34. Lesson A Summary (continued)
Create master-detail report using Report Wizard
Report template
Defines report appearance
Guide to Oracle 10g

35. Lesson B Objectives
After completing this lesson, you should be able to:
Describe the components of a report
Modify report components
Modify the format of master-detail reports
Create parameters to allow the user to customize report data
Guide to Oracle 10g

36. Report Components Data Model Paper Layout view Report frames
Specifies data that report displays
Paper Layout view
Displays report components as symbolic objects
Report frames
Group related report objects
Guide to Oracle 10g

37. The Data Model Window
Shows report’s SQL query and associated record groups
Report record group
Set of records represents data fields that query retrieves
Simple tabular report has single record group
Master-detail report has multiple record groups
Components in report Data Model have properties
Inspect using Property Inspector
Guide to Oracle 10g

38. Report Record Group Column Types
Guide to Oracle 10g

39. The Data Model Window (continued)
Group filter
Uses some criteria to limit number of records that report query retrieves
To create:
Assign value to filter type property
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40. Understanding Report Objects
Repeating rows
Each row shows same data fields with different data values
Report sections:
Header
Main
Trailer
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41. Report Frames Frames Group frame
Containers for grouping related report objects
Set specific properties for group of objects
Rather than having to set property for each item
Group frame
Encloses repeating frame and optional header frame
Guide to Oracle 10g

42. Report Frames (continued)
Repeating frame
Encloses repeating data rows
Has variable sizing
Header frame
Encloses all column headings for record group
Move object outside enclosing frame
Error message appears in Reports Builder
Guide to Oracle 10g

43. Report Frames (continued)
Report Wizard derives frame names from names of associated record groups
Select specific report frame in Paper Layout window
Select item that in frame
Select item’s parent frame by clicking Select Parent Frame button
Change frame properties on frame Property Inspector
Guide to Oracle 10g

44. Components of a Master-Detail Report
Multiple record groups
Multiple group frames
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45. Master-Detail Data Model
More complex than Data Model for single-table report
Contains multiple record groups
Data Model groups report record groups according to master-detail relationships
Each data link between two record groups represents master-detail relationship
Guide to Oracle 10g

46. Master-Detail Data Model
Guide to Oracle 10g

47. Master-Detail Report Frames
Each record group has associated group frame
Group frames for more detailed record groups nested inside group frames for less detailed record groups
Frame relationships can be hard to see
Many frames appear directly on top of each other
Open frame Property Inspector immediately after selecting frame
To check frame name
Guide to Oracle 10g

48. Modifying Master-Detail Report Properties
Page break between sets of repeating records
Open Property Inspector for repeating frame
Change Maximum Records per Page property to 1
Confine mode
Determines objects can be moved outside enclosing frames
Always safest to leave enabled
Guide to Oracle 10g

49. Modifying Master-Detail Report Properties (continued)
Flex mode
Enclosing frame automatically becomes larger
When enclosed object moved beyond enclosing frame’s boundary
Overrides confine mode
When moving report layout field
Automatically resizes all surrounding frames
Works well when to make a frame longer
But not wider
Guide to Oracle 10g

50. Modifying Master-Detail Report Properties (continued)
Elasticity
Determines whether field’s size fixed
Or whether field can expand or contract automatically
Depending on height and width of retrieved data value
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51. Report Field Elasticity Indicators
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52. Report Parameters Specifies how report appears
Specifies report’s behavior when it runs
Types:
System
User
Guide to Oracle 10g

53. System Parameters
Guide to Oracle 10g

54. User Parameters User selects user parameter value from parameter list
Shows possible values
Modify report to include user parameter
Create user parameter
Create parameter list
Modify report query to use parameter as search condition
Guide to Oracle 10g

55. User Parameters (continued)
Parameter object name
Parameter data type
Configure list of values property in user parameter Property Inspector
Syntax:
:parameter_name
Parameter form
Displays title and hint line list of one or more parameters with associated prompts.
Guide to Oracle 10g

56. Customizing the Report Parameter Form
Change text that appears in title and hint line
Reposition form items
Add additional text and graphics
Use parameter form builder utility
Also lists all of system parameters
User can modify at runtime
Guide to Oracle 10g

57. Lesson B Summary Data Model window shows: Create group filter
Report query
Record groups it generates
Data links between query and record group
Create group filter
To limit number of records report query retrieves
Paper Layout window displays layout field for each Data Model column
Guide to Oracle 10g

58. Lesson B Summary (continued)
Frames
Containers for grouping report record group data items and column headings
Report parameters
System
User
Guide to Oracle 10g

59. Lesson C Objectives
After completing this lesson, you should be able to:
Display image data in a report
Manually create queries and data links
Create summary columns
Create formula columns
Create reports that display formatted data in a Web browser window
Guide to Oracle 10g

60. Displaying Image Data in Reports
Store image data with LOB data type
Create report based on table that has field with BLOB data type
And contains image data
Guide to Oracle 10g

61. Creating and Configuring the Report Image Layout Fields
Use Report Wizard to create report
All data fields automatically appear as text
If column contains multimedia data
Data appears as text characters “MM”
Modify field by:
Opening Property Inspector
Changing File Format property to image
Guide to Oracle 10g

62. Creating Report Queries and Data Links Manually
Create query manually
Retrieve master records
Create query manually that retrieves detail records
Create data link between two queries,
Create layout fields to display query data
Guide to Oracle 10g

63. Creating Queries and Data Links Manually (continued)
Create query manually (continued)
Open Data Model window
Select SQL query tool
Click in painting region
Type SQL query
Manually create data links to represent master-detail relationships between queries
Master = parent
Detail = child
Guide to Oracle 10g

64. Creating Queries and Data Links Manually (continued)
Types of data links
Query to Query
Group to Group
Column to Column
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65. Manually Linked Queries
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66. Creating the Label, Repeating Frame, and Layout Fields
Guide to Oracle 10g

67. Creating Reports that Display Calculated Values
Formula columns
Display values that PL/SQL functions calculate using report data field values as input parameters
Summary columns
Perform summary functions
Guide to Oracle 10g

68. Creating Formula Columns
Function
Self-contained program block
Returns single value
User-defined functions
Use PL/SQL commands to calculate return value
Formula column
Displays value that user-defined function returns
Guide to Oracle 10g

69. Creating Formula Columns (continued)
Create and display formula column
Create formula column in report Data Model
Write user-defined function
Create layout field in report
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70. Creating a Formula Column in the Report Data Model
Click Formula Column tool
Be careful to place formula column in same record group as columns that formula function uses in calculations
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71. Creating the Formula Column Function
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72. Creating a Layout Field to Display the Formula Column
Display formula column on report
Open Paper Layout window
Use Field tool to create new report layout field
Place layout field in same repeating frame as source values for formula
Set new field’s Source property to name of formula column
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73. Creating Summary Columns
Returns summary value of series of data fields in repeating frame
Create
Using totals page in Report Wizard
Manually
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74. Creating a Summary Column Using the Report Wizard
Select field to be summarized and summary function on Report Wizard totals page
Wizard automatically:
Modifies report Data Model
Creates fields to display summary column on report layout
Guide to Oracle 10g

75. Creating a Summary Column Manually
Using Report Wizard
Eliminates all custom formatting
Deletes custom objects
Create summary column manually
Control summary column placement and frequency
Retain other custom objects
Guide to Oracle 10g

76. Creating a Summary Column Manually (continued)
Tasks:
Create summary column in report Data Model
Using summary column tool
Modify summary column properties
Create layout field
Place layout field in repeating frame that corresponds to record group that contains summary column
Guide to Oracle 10g

77. Displaying Formatted Reports as Web Pages
View report in Paginated HTML or Paginated HTMLCSS format
Reports Builder translates report into static Web page
Content fixed at time developer generates page
Not updated with database changes
Guide to Oracle 10g

78. Using the Oracle 10g Application Server to Generate Reports Dynamically
Oracle 10g Application Server (OAS)
Web server Oracle corporation uses to deliver Web-based Oracle 10g database applications to users
Report Server process
Queries database when user requests report
Generates dynamic Web page
Displays current database data
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79. Creating a Dynamic Web Page that Displays Database Data
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80. Creating Reports that Appear as Dynamic Web Pages
Create report using techniques learned in this chapter
Save report in either:
Report definition file (RDF)
Java server page ( JSP) format
Guide to Oracle 10g

81. Creating Reports that Appear as Dynamic Web Pages (continued)
Techniques for modifying appearance of Web reports:
Use Web source window to modify default formatting
Open existing HTML file in Reports Builder that contains formatting for report
Use Reports Builder to add commands to retrieve and display report data
Guide to Oracle 10g

82. Overview of HTML Documents
Text file with .htm or .html extension
Contains formatting symbols called tags
Define how Web page appears in Web browser
Enclose in angle brackets
Opening tag
Closing tag
Elements
Represent content that appears on Web page such as text and graphic images
Guide to Oracle 10g

83. Basic HTML Document Structure
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84. Viewing the Report Web Source File
Web source file contains
HTML tags that define report appearance
Program commands that create dynamic report elements
Web report embeds program commands using tags
Similar to html tags
Prefaced by rw:
Same for reports in either format
Guide to Oracle 10g

85. Viewing the Report Web Source File (continued)
Java commands appear enclosed in the <% and %> command delimiters
Data area
Contains commands that dynamically retrieve and display report data
Follow html comment with text <!--Data Area Generated by Reports Developer -->
Guide to Oracle 10g

86. Modifying the Default Appearance of a Web Report
Techniques for modifying appearance of Web reports:
Use Web Source window to modify default formatting
Open existing HTML file in Reports Builder that contains formatting for report
Use Reports Builder to add commands to retrieve and display report data
Guide to Oracle 10g

87. Modifying the Default Appearance of a Web Report (continued)
Report Block Wizard pages:
Style page
Groups page
Fields page
Labels page
Template page
Guide to Oracle 10g

88. Lesson C Summary Create report displays LOB data field
Manually create queries and data links in Data Model view
Create layout fields to display values that queries retrieve
Create formula and summary columns
Oracle 10g Application Server (OAS)
Display dynamic reports
Guide to Oracle 10g

89. Summary Report Report template Data Model window Paper Layout window
Summary view of database data that users can view on screen or print on paper
Report template
Data Model window
Paper Layout window
Frames
Oracle 10g Application Server (OAS)
Guide to Oracle 10g