Oracle Developer: Build Reports

Transcription

1 Oracle Developer: Build Reports Volume 2 Student Guide GC10 Production 1.0 April 1999 M08693

2 Authors Christian Bauwens Ursula Hovy Technical Reviewers Gunnar Boehrs Jackie Bruce Ruth Delaney Laurent Dereac Astrid Dietrich Brian Fry Mary Lee Stella Misiulis Paul Narth Sergiy Pechersky Raza Siddiqui John Walsh Publisher Sherry Polm Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved. This documentation contains proprietary information of Oracle Corporation. It is provided under a license agreement containing restrictions on use and disclosure and is also protected by copyright law. Reverse engineering of the software is prohibited. If this documentation is delivered to a U.S. Government Agency of the Department of Defense, then it is delivered with Restricted Rights and the following legend is applicable: Restricted Rights Legend Use, duplication or disclosure by the Government is subject to restrictions for commercial computer software and shall be deemed to be Restricted Rights software under Federal law, as set forth in subparagraph (c) (1) (ii) of DFARS , Rights in Technical Data and Computer Software (October 1988). This material or any portion of it may not be copied in any form or by any means without the express prior written permission of Oracle Corporation. Any other copying is a violation of copyright law and may result in civil and/or criminal penalties. If this documentation is delivered to a U.S. Government Agency not within the Department of Defense, then it is delivered with Restricted Rights, as defined in FAR , Rights in Data-General, including Alternate III (June 1987). The information in this document is subject to change without notice. If you find any problems in the documentation, please report them in writing to Education Products, Oracle Corporation, 500 Oracle Parkway, Box SB-6, Redwood Shores, CA Oracle Corporation does not warrant that this document is error-free. All references to Oracle and Oracle products are trademarks or registered trademarks of Oracle Corporation. All other products or company names are used for identification purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners.

3 Contents... Preface Profile xv Related Publications xvi Typographic Conventions xvii Introduction Overview I-3 Course Objectives I-5 Course Content I-7 Lesson 1: Introduction to Oracle Reports Overview 1-3 What Is Oracle Developer? 1-5 Introducing the Oracle Developer Release 6.0 Components 1-9 Report Builder Components 1-13 Getting Started in the Oracle Reports Interface 1-17 Navigating Around the Oracle Reports Main Menu 1-19 Customizing Your Oracle Reports Session 1-21 Oracle Reports Environment Variables 1-25 Oracle Reports Help Options 1-27 Introducing the Course Application 1-29 Summary 1-31 Practice Session Overview: Lesson Practice Session: Lesson Lesson 2: Designing and Running Reports Overview 2-3 Designing Reports 2-5 Design Considerations 2-7 Retrieving and Sharing Data 2-15 Running a Report 2-17 Viewing the Report Output 2-19 Summary 2-29 Practice Session Overview: Lesson Practice Session: Lesson Oracle Developer: Build Reports iii

4 Contents... Lesson 3: Report Builder Concepts Overview 3-3 Report Executables 3-5 Report Builder Components 3-9 Object Categories 3-13 Summary 3-23 Practice Session Overview: Lesson Practice Session: Lesson Lesson 4: Creating Reports Using the Report Wizard Overview 4-3 Invoking Report Builder and the Report Wizard 4-5 Creating a Tabular Report Using the Wizard 4-7 Creating Other Report Styles 4-23 Summary 4-33 Practice Session Overview: Lesson Practice Session: Lesson Lesson 5: Enhancing Reports in the Live Previewer Overview 5-3 What Is the Live Previewer? 5-5 Modifying a Report in the Live Previewer 5-7 Summary 5-22 Practice Session Overview: Lesson Practice Session: Lesson Lesson 6: Managing Report Templates Overview 6-3 Using the Report Templates 6-5 Modifying a Template 6-7 Predefining Your Own Templates 6-13 Summary 6-17 Practice Session Overview: Lesson Practice Session: Lesson iv Oracle Developer: Build Reports

5 Contents... Lesson 7: Report Storage Methods Overview 7-3 Storage Methods and Requirements 7-5 Documenting Your Reports 7-9 File Portability 7-11 Converting Report Definitions 7-15 Migrating Reports from Previous Releases 7-17 Summary 7-19 Practice Session Overview: Lesson Practice Session: Lesson Lesson 8: Enhancing Reports Using the Data Model: Creating Queries and Groups Overview 8-3 Describing the Report Data Model 8-5 Modifying Properties of a Query 8-7 Changing the Group Structure 8-13 The Group Hierarchy 8-15 Ordering Data in a Group Hierarchy 8-17 Filtering Data in a Group 8-21 Adding New Data Oracle8 Objects in Report Builder 8-30 Using Data Links to Structure Data 8-36 Efficiency Issues: Multiple- or Single-Query Hierarchy 8-42 Summary 8-44 Practice Session Overview: Lesson Practice Session: Lesson Lesson 9: Enhancing Reports Using the Data Model: Creating Columns Overview 9-3 The Data Model Column Types 9-5 Maintaining Database Columns 9-7 Using a Database Column to Output Contents of a File Oracle Developer: Build Reports v

6 Contents... Creating a Column 9-11 Creating Summary Columns 9-13 Example Report Displaying Subtotals 9-15 Example Report Displaying Percentages 9-17 Creating Formula Columns 9-21 Creating Placeholder Columns 9-23 Example Report to Populate a Placeholder 9-25 Summary 9-27 Practice Session Overview: Lesson Practice Session: Lesson Lesson 10: Enhancing Reports Using the Layout Model Overview 10-3 Viewing the Layout Model Regions 10-5 Viewing the Report Sections in the Layout Model 10-7 Designing Multipanel Reports 10-9 The Layout Model Layers Creating Layout Objects The Layout Model Tools Creating Additional Layouts in a Report Creating Variable Length Lines Displaying a Multimedia File from a Button Creating Explicit Anchors Summary Practice Session Overview: Lesson Practice Session: Lesson Lesson 11: Modifying Properties Overview 11-3 Modifying Layout Object Properties 11-5 Displaying File Contents with a Link File 11-7 Modifying Common Layout Properties Sizing Objects Layout Object Relationships vi Oracle Developer: Build Reports

7 Contents... Modifying Properties of a Field Modifying Properties of a Repeating Frame Summary Practice Session Overview: Lesson Practice Session: Lesson Lesson 12: Creating and Using Report Parameters Overview 12-3 Creating User Parameters 12-5 Referencing Parameters in a Report Query 12-7 Hints and Tips for Referencing Parameters Creating a List of Values Referencing System Parameters Building a Parameter Form Summary Practice Session Overview: Lesson Practice Session: Lesson Lesson 13: Embedding a Chart in a Report Overview 13-3 Creating and Embedding a Graphics Chart in a Report 13-5 Embedding an Existing Chart in a Report 13-9 Summary Practice Session Overview: Lesson Practice Session: Lesson Lesson 14: Enhancing Matrix Reports Overview 14-3 The Matrix Data Model 14-5 Matrix Layout 14-7 Creating Matrix Summaries 14-9 Building a Nested Matrix Summary Practice Session Overview: Lesson Practice Session: Lesson Oracle Developer: Build Reports vii

8 Contents... Lesson 15: Coding PL/SQL Triggers in Reports Overview 15-3 Types of Triggers in Reports 15-5 Using Report Triggers 15-7 Using Data Model Triggers Using Layout Model Triggers Writing Common Code Summary Practice Session Overview: Lesson Practice Session: Lesson Lesson 16: Using the Report Builder Built-In Package Overview 16-3 Contents of the Report Builder Built-in Package 16-5 Outputting Messages 16-7 Executing a Nested Report 16-9 Restricting Data Initializing Fields Performing DDL Statements Setting Format Attributes Summary Practice Session Overview: Lesson Practice Session: Lesson Lesson 17: Maximizing Performance Using the Reports Server Overview 17-3 Why Use a Remote Server? 17-5 Reports Server Architecture and Configuration 17-9 Reports Server Clustering Viewing and Scheduling Reports in the Queue Manager Summary Practice Session Overview: Lesson Practice Session: Lesson viii Oracle Developer: Build Reports

9 Contents... Lesson 18: Building Reports for Different Environments Overview 18-3 Different Development and Run-Time Environments 18-5 Developing Reports to Run in Different GUIs 18-7 Building Character Mode Reports 18-9 Building Reports to Run in Different Languages Summary Appendix A: Solutions Practice Session Overview: Lesson 1 A-2 Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 1 A-3 Practice Session Overview: Lesson 2 A-8 Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 2 A-9 Practice Session Overview: Lesson 3 A-14 Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 3 A-15 Practice Session Overview: Lesson 4 A-18 Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 4 A-19 Practice Session Overview: Lesson 5 A-24 Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 5 A-25 Practice Session Overview: Lesson 6 A-30 Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 6 A-31 Practice Session Overview: Lesson 7 A-34 Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 7 A-35 Practice Session Overview: Lesson 8 A-37 Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 8 A-38 Practice Session Overview: Lesson 9 A-44 Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 9 A-45 Practice Session Overview: Lesson 10 A-51 Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 10 A-52 Practice Session Overview: Lesson 11 A-57 Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 11 A-58 Practice Session Overview: Lesson 12 A-61 Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 12 A Oracle Developer: Build Reports ix

10 Contents... Practice Session Overview: Lesson 13 A-65 Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 13 A-66 Practice Session Overview: Lesson 14 A-69 Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 14 A-70 Practice Session Overview: Lesson 15 A-75 Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 15 A-76 Practice Session Overview: Lesson 16 A-81 Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 16 A-82 Practice Session Overview: Lesson 17 A-90 Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 17 A-91 Appendix B: Table Descriptions and Data Summit Sporting Goods Database Diagram B-2 S_CUSTOMER Description B-3 S_CUSTOMER Data B-4 S_DEPT Description and Data B-8 S_EMP Description B-9 S_EMP Data B-10 S_ITEM Description B-13 S_ITEM Data B-14 S_ORD Description and Data B-16 S_PRODUCT Description B-17 S_PRODUCT Data B-18 S_REGION Description and Data B-22 S_TITLE Description and Data B-23 Oracle8 Objects: Types, Tables B-24 Appendix C: Frequently Asked Questions Frequently Asked Questions C-2 Frequently Asked Questions and Answers C-3 Appendix D: Oracle Rdb Overview What Is Oracle Rdb? D-2... x Oracle Developer: Build Reports

11 Contents... Appendix E: Introduction to Query Builder What Is Query Builder? E-3 The Query Builder Window E-7 Building a New Query E-9 Datasource Components E-11 Refining a Query E-13 Viewing and Saving Queries E-17 Including Additional Tables E-19 Relationships E-23 Selecting Rows with Conditions E-29 Operators E-31 Entering Multiple Conditions E-33 Changing Conditions E-35 Defining Columns Using an Expression E-37 Defining Columns Using a Function E-39 Appendix F: Object Features in Oracle Developer Overview F-3 New Oracle8 Datatypes F-5 Creating Oracle8 Objects F-11 Referencing Objects F-19 Displaying Oracle8 Objects in the Object Navigator F-21 Summary F-29 Appendix G: Using the Layout Editor in Oracle Developer Overview G-3 Why Use the Layout Editor? G-5 How to Access the Layout Editor G-7 The Layout Editor Components G-9 Creating and Modifying Objects in the Layout G-11 Formatting Objects in the Layout G-19 Coloring Objects and Text G-21 Importing Images and Drawings G-25 Summary G Oracle Developer: Build Reports xi

12 Contents xii Oracle Developer: Build Reports

13 14... Enhancing Matrix Reports

14 Lesson 14: Enhancing Matrix Reports Objectives At the end of this lesson, you should be able to do the following: Describe the matrix Data Model objects Describe the matrix Layout objects Create and modify matrix summaries Display zeros in cells with no value Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved Oracle Developer: Build Reports

15 Overview Overview Introduction Matrix or cross product reports show cells of information that relate to values appearing across the top and down the left side of the report. In an earlier lesson you created a matrix report and matrix with group report using the Report wizard. In this lesson, you modify the data model and layout objects to enhance your matrix reports. Objectives At the end of this lesson, you should be able to do the following: Design a matrix Data Model Design a matrix Layout Model Modify a matrix structure Create additional matrix summaries Display zeros in cells with no value Oracle Developer: Build Reports 14-3

16 Lesson 14: Enhancing Matrix Reports The Matrix Data Model Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved. 1 Cross product group 4 Cell column is the source of a cross product summary that becomes the cell content 2 Row and Column groups 5 Row and Column summaries 3 Cell group 14-4 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

17 The Matrix Data Model The Matrix Data Model Introduction To maintain and enhance the structure of a matrix report, you must understand the Data Model objects and their interdependency. What Does the Wizard Create? The Data Model opposite is the matrix report created in an earlier lesson. It demonstrates the structure of the Matrix and Matrix with Group styles. Simple Matrix Style The wizard creates three data groups: Department records (the rows) Job Title records (the columns) Salary records (the values used to calculate the matrix cells) There is an extra group that surrounds the row and column groups. It is called the cross product group and contains the summary column that forms each cell value, SumSalary, as well as the summaries to total the row and column values. To create a cross product group, use the Cross Product tool in the vertical toolbar. Matrix with Group The data model is identical, except for the addition of a break group, similar to a master/detail hierarchy. The break group exists one level above, and outside, the matrix group. The entire cross product group, with its contents, repeats for each record in the break group. Oracle Developer: Build Reports 14-5

18 Lesson 14: Enhancing Matrix Reports The Matrix Layout Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved. 1 Repeating frame for rows (Down Direction) 2 Repeating frame for columns (Across) 3 Matrix object, the intersection of the two repeating frames 4 Matrix with Group style: Outer repeating frame for break group 14-6 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

19 Matrix Layout Matrix Layout Introduction Although the supplied templates create good-looking, professional report output, they do not help to explain the layout objects in a classroom environment. The number of objects and their interdependency are more complex in matrix reports than in the other styles covered so far. This section explains the objects by showing an expanded layout where each outer object is slightly larger than its contents. What Does the Wizard Create? The layout for a Matrix report is more complex than other styles because of the special relationship between the row and column groups and the cell values. Simple Matrix Style The wizard creates the following objects: One repeating frame with Print Direction of Down to hold the row values One repeating framewith Print Direction of Across to hold the column values A field for the summary of the cell values; the source is SumSalary, which resides in the cross product group Fields for the row and column values, as well as for the row, column, and report summaries if applicable A matrix object that corresponds to the cross product group; this object intersects the row and column repeating frames, and contains the cell field Matrix with Group The Matrix with Group style is identical except for the addition of a repeating frame that surrounds the entire matrix layout and corresponds to the break group in the Data Model. Oracle Developer: Build Reports 14-7

20 Lesson 14: Enhancing Matrix Reports Creating Matrix Summaries Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved. 1 Product Order = G_DEPT 3 Product Order = G_DEPT G_TITLE 2 Product Order = G_TITLE 14-8 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

21 Creating Matrix Summaries Creating Matrix Summaries Introduction When creating row or column summaries, or the summary for the cell values, use the summary tool in the vertical toolbar, but ensure that you create the summaries inside the cross product group (but outside the row and column groups). This section discusses an extra property that applies only to cross product summaries, the Product Order property. Setting the Product Order The wizard sets a sensible default for this property. You do not need to alter the setting, but you need to understand this property if you create complex matrix reports, or add columns to an existing matrix report. The product order defines the order in which Report Builder evaluates the groups in the cross product for a summary. Product Order also defines the frequency of a summary, formula, or placeholder column in a cross product group. That is, the column has one value for each combination of values in its Product Order groups. The Product Order list of values provides all possible group combinations. In the matrix report: F_SumSalPerDEPT has one value for each department (G_DEPT) F_SumSalPerTITLE has one value for each job title (G_TITLE) F_SumSALARY, the matrix cell, has one value for each combination of G_DEPT and G_TITLE, so the Product Order is G_DEPT G_TITLE. Source Column Reset At Product Order F_SumSALPerDEPT_NAME G_DEPT G_DEPT F_Sum_SALPerTITLE G_TITLE G_TITLE F_SumSALARY G_TITLE G_DEPT G_TITLE The Reset At option has the same effect as in other report styles. When you create summaries with the wizard, each summary resets for each occurrence of the group. For example, the department summary resets for each department. If you want the summary values to accumulate throughout the report, change Reset At to a higher level, such as Report. Oracle Developer: Build Reports 14-9

22 Lesson 14: Enhancing Matrix Reports Building a Nested Matrix Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved Oracle Developer: Build Reports

23 Building a Nested Matrix Building a Nested Matrix Introduction The nested matrix style, which you created with the wizard by adding an extra level in the Rows tab, has some specific features. This section briefly describes the Data Model and Layout Model, pointing out the differences from the Matrix with Group style. It also explains how summaries evaluate the extra group level of a nested matrix. What Is in the Nested Matrix Data Model? The wizard creates the same objects as for a simple matrix structure. In addition, it creates an additional break group for each level of nesting. The cross product group encloses the additional break groups as well as the two original dimension groups of the rows and columns. Creating the Cross Product Group If you enhance the existing Data Model to include an additional level of nesting, the existing cross product group does not recognize any newly created group. You must create the cross product group after you create all the groups that you want in the nested matrix. How to Recreate the Cross Product Group 1 Delete the existing cross product group. Note: The cross product summaries are automatically deleted. 2 Create the new groups that you need. 3 Recreate the cross product group. Use the cross product tool (AxB) to click and drag a region surrounding the break groups and the two dimension groups (rows and columns). 4 Use the reenterable wizard to recreate the summaries. Differences Between a Nested Matrix and a Matrix with Group Matrix with Group Data Model: The cross product group is the child of a parent break group at a level above and outside the cross product. Nested Matrix Data Model: The cross product contains three or more groups: one or more levels of break group and two dimensional groups to form rows and columns. Note: You can mix these styles. That is, you can create a Matrix with Group report where the matrix has several nested levels within it. Oracle Developer: Build Reports 14-11

24 Lesson 14: Enhancing Matrix Reports Nested Matrix Layout Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved Oracle Developer: Build Reports

25 Building a Nested Matrix What Is in the Nested Matrix Layout Model? The wizard creates the same objects as for a simple matrix structure. It also creates the following objects: One repeating frame for each additional break group, nested within the same overall matrix structure One matrix object for each additional break group The exact appearance depends on whether the extra level is in the Row or in the Column tab. The diagram opposite shows nested rows. In the Object Navigator, you can see the matrix structure in the Dimension and Frequency nodes. These nodes exist only if there is a matrix. You do not see a node for the matrix object name, but it does have properties. You can open the property palette in the Layout Model only. Creating a Matrix Object When possible, use the wizard to create your matrix reports, since the layout consists of many layers and interdependent objects. If you resize the repeating frames, take care to maintain the intersection between them, otherwise you might destroy the matrix object. Report Builder gives you a warning message if this is likely to happen. If you destroy the matrix object, or want to create the matrix structure yourself, you must recreate the matrix object. Each matrix object intersects and determines the relationship between two and only two repeating frames. How to Create the Matrix Object 1 Make sure that the two related repeating frames intersect each other correctly. 2 Select both repeating frames (Shift-Select). Note: if you do not select both frames, you receive an error message: REP-3100: Matrix must include at least 1 Down and 1 Across repeating frame. 3 Choose Insert >Layout Matrix. 4 Move the matrix object back through the layout layers until it is behind the cell field (Arrange >Move Backward). This step is not necessary to make the report run, but it is useful to see the cell field if the matrix has a solid fill. Oracle Developer: Build Reports 14-13

26 Lesson 14: Enhancing Matrix Reports Creating Matrix Summaries F_SumSALARY F_SumSALPerDEPT F_Sum_REG_NAME F_SumSALPerTITLE Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved Oracle Developer: Build Reports

27 Building a Nested Matrix Creating Nested Matrix Summaries The wizard creates nested summaries in the cross product group. If you create or alter a nested summary, you must set the Product Order correctly. Always test the report output very carefully to ensure that the summaries are displaying exactly the value you expect. Setting the Product Order Remember, the Product Order indicates the way in which Report Builder evaluates a summary. Product Order also determines the position (frequency) of the summary if you use the reenterable wizard. The diagram opposite shows three summary fields created by the wizard: F_SumSALperTITLE: Total salary for each column of job title. Displayed once for each title. F_SumSALperDEPT: Total salary for each department row nested within a specific region row. Displayed once for each combination of region/department. F_SumSALARY: The cell value. Displayed once for each combination of region/department/title. Field Name Reset At Product Order F_SumSALPerTITLE G_TITLE G_TITLE F_SumSALPerDEPT G_DEPT_NAME G_DEPT_NAME F_SumSALARY G_DEPT_NAME G_REG_NAME G_TITLE G_DEPT_NAME The diagram also shows a fourth summary, F_Sum_REG_NAME, which you might want to create yourself, to produce a subtotal for each region. 1 Create another summary in the cross product group. 2 Create a layout field and place it as shown in the diagram, in the R_G_REG_NAME repeating frame (use the Object Navigator to identify it). The following table shows the property settings. Field Name Reset At Product Order F_Sum_REG_NAME G_REG_NAME G_REG_NAME Oracle Developer: Build Reports 14-15

28 Lesson 14: Enhancing Matrix Reports Displaying Zeros Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved Oracle Developer: Build Reports

29 Building a Nested Matrix Displaying Zeros in Cells with No Value The field that displays each cell of the matrix is sourced to a summary column, such as SumSalary. If there is no value for a particular row/column combination, the summary column is null and therefore the cells displayed as a blank field. You can very simply change the blank to zero or any default value you choose. To display zeros, open the property palette for either the cell field or the SumSalary summary column and set the Value if Null property to zero. Oracle Developer: Build Reports 14-17

30 Lesson 14: Enhancing Matrix Reports Summary Create matrix with the wizard Consider creating or modifying a template with extra spacing Data and layout reflect cross product structure Matrix-specific: Cross Product group Product Order property Matrix layout object Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved Oracle Developer: Build Reports

31 Summary Summary Let the Wizard and Template Work for You Use the wizard to create your matrix, even if you need to modify it later. Allowing the wizard to create the initial layout model saves you a lot of time. If you make many modifications to your wizard reports, consider creating or modifying a template to include object spacing horizontally and vertically, between frames, fields, and so on. This helps you to select and manipulate the objects in the Layout Model. Note: Remember, you can override the default template properties for the Matrix and Matrix with Group sections of an existing template. Matrix Structure The Data Model and Layout Model of a matrix report contain special features, and relationships between objects, to reflect the cross product structure of the report. Matrix-Specific Objects and Properties Matrix reports include special objects, and properties: Data Model: Cross Product group; Product Order property Layout Model: Matrix object Oracle Developer: Build Reports 14-19

32 Lesson 14: Enhancing Matrix Reports Practice 14 Overview Opening and changing an existing matrix report Building a nested matrix report Adding summaries to the nested matrix report Displaying zeros for summary values and restricting columns per page Displaying more meaningful column information and rotating the text Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved Oracle Developer: Build Reports

33 Practice Session Overview: Lesson 14 Practice Session Overview: Lesson 14 This practice session contains: Opening and changing an existing matrix report Building a nested matrix report Adding summaries to the nested matrix report Displaying zeros for summary values and restricting the number of columns per page Displaying more meaningful column information and rotating the text Introduction In this practice session you use an existing matrix report to investigate the different methods of displaying the cell values and the implications. You use an existing external query to create a nested matrix report. You then add row and column-level summaries to the report and display zeros for null values. If you have time, include the product names instead of the product IDs and rotate the names. Oracle Developer: Build Reports 14-21

34 Lesson 14: Enhancing Matrix Reports Practice Session: Lesson 14 1 Open report p4q6.rdf. a Use the Report wizard to apply a template file to the report. The file corpmat.tdf should be located in your working directory. The new template gives you spaces between the layout objects to make it easier to see the different objects in the Layout editor. b How many repeating frames do you have? c Change the properties of the cell object to display zero for a null value. d Run and test the report. e Close the report without saving it. 2 Create a new report, importing the external query p4q6.sql from your working directory. a Choose the following settings: Report Style Query Matrix Row Fields Matrix (Import file p4q6.sql) Level 1 - Month Level 2 - Name Matrix Column Fields Matrix Cell Fields Matrix Totals Product_id Sum of total_value Sum of the cell field Oracle Developer: Build Reports

35 Practice Session: Lesson 14 b Change the labels and widths for the following fields: Field Label Width NAME Customer 10 PRODUCT_ID Product 5 MONTH Month 4 SUMTOTALVALUE Total 5 All Summaries Total: 5 c Run the report. d Which summaries were created? e Use the Data Model editor to create summaries for each month and for the level month and product. f Use the Layout editor to create the fields. You will have to expand the appropriate repeating frame. g Run and test the report. h Save the report as p14q2.rdf. Do not close it. 3 Continue with the report from the previous exercise. a Add zeros for null values in the cells. b Make sure that the report shows only three product columns on each page. c Format all numeric data to be right aligned. d Add commas and two decimal places where appropriate. e Run and test the report. f Save the report as p14q3.rdf, and close it. Oracle Developer: Build Reports 14-23

36 Lesson 14: Enhancing Matrix Reports If You Have Time 4 Open the report as p14q3.rdf. a b c d Make the necessary changes in the Data Model editor to include the product name. In the Layout Model editor delete the product_id field and insert a boilerplate object to display the product name. Rotate this object by 90 degrees. Run and test the report. Save the report as p14q4.rdf and close it Oracle Developer: Build Reports

37 15... Coding PL/SQL Triggers in Reports

38 Lesson 15: Coding PL/SQL Triggers in Reports Objectives At the end of this lesson, you should be able to do the following: Describe the different types of triggers Describe sample uses of triggers Write and reference common code Create a PL/SQL library Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved Oracle Developer: Build Reports

39 Overview Overview Introduction This lesson identifies different trigger types and creates conditional trigger code to control report output. It also explains how to improve productivity and maintenance by sharing and reusing commonly referenced code. Objectives At the end of this lesson, you should be able to do the following: Describe the different types of triggers Describe sample uses of the different types of triggers Write and reference common code Create and reference a PL/SQL library Oracle Developer: Build Reports 15-3

40 Lesson 15: Coding PL/SQL Triggers in Reports Types of Triggers in Reports Report: Five triggers Report Trigger node in Object Navigator Data Model: Formula (column) Filter (group) Parameter validation Layout: Format trigger on most objects Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved. Trigger Code Parameter boolean Boolean: true false Column Number Character Number Date Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved Oracle Developer: Build Reports

41 Types of Triggers in Reports Types of Triggers in Reports Introduction You can code PL/SQL in a variety of triggers in a report to provide conditional or additional processing at run time. This session discusses examples of each type of PL/SQL trigger. The Three Trigger Types Report: - A set of five report-level triggers. Each trigger fires at a different stage of the report execution. - Access report triggers from the Report Triggers node in the Object Navigator. Data Model: - Column formula fires each time the column is processed. - Group filter fires for each record in the group. - Parameter validation fires when the run-time parameter form is displayed and when the user leaves the parameter field. - Access data model triggers in the property palette of a data model object column, group, or parameter or the corresponding layout object field, repeating frame, or parameter field. Layout: - Format triggers on most layout objects (excluding anchors). Each trigger fires as the layout object is processed. - Access format triggers in the property palette of a layout object. Note: Report Builder does not allow data manipulation language (DML) commands INSERT, DELETE, UPDATE in layout format triggers. Trigger Code When you create a trigger such as a report trigger or a PL/SQL formula, the Program Unit editor supplies a template for the function block, giving the basic syntax that you require. You can change the name of the function. The value that you return must match the return datatype in the function declaration. Oracle Developer: Build Reports 15-5

42 Lesson 15: Coding PL/SQL Triggers in Reports Using Report Triggers Before Parameter Form F 1 2 if readonly=yes 3 After Parameter Form F Before Report page1 if > 1 page Between Pages page2 After Report F F Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved. 1 If After Parameter Form returns FALSE, the cursor returns to the run-time parameter form. If the run-time parameter form is not displayed, control returns to the calling program. 2 If READONLY=Yes, Report Builder implicitly sets the read-only transaction (SET TRANSACTION READONLY) after the Before Report Trigger fires. 3 If READONLY=Yes, Report Builder implicitly ends the read-only transaction (COMMIT) after the final page and before the After Report Trigger fires Oracle Developer: Build Reports

43 Using Report Triggers Using Report Triggers Introduction Report triggers enable you to execute PL/SQL functions at specific times during the execution and formatting of your report. These triggers enable you to: Customize the formatting of your report Perform initialization tasks Access the database Report triggers must return a boolean value true or false. Accessing the Report Triggers You can access the report triggers from the Object Navigator. Open the Report Triggers node and double-click on the object icon of the required trigger to open the program unit. Trigger Fires Use to Before Parameter Form After Parameter Form Before Report Between Pages After Report Before run-time parameter form is displayed; fires even if parameter form is suppressed After run-time parameter form is displayed; fires even if parameter form is suppressed Before a report executes: after queries are parsed, but before records are fetched Before each page is formatted, except the first page; in Previewer, fires only once for each page, even if you revisit the page After you exit the Previewer, or after report output is sent to its destination; fires on success only Access and change parameter values (initial or command line), global variables; create temporary tables; insert into tables to be queried Access and change parameter values (initial, command line, or user-entered); create temporary tables; insert into tables to be queried Carry out initialization procedures Carry out customized page formatting; insert or update values in tables Clean up initial processing, such as deleting temporary tables Oracle Developer: Build Reports 15-7

44 Lesson 15: Coding PL/SQL Triggers in Reports Using Report Triggers After Parameter Form Example: build dynamic WHERE clause FUNCTION AfterPForm RETURN BOOLEAN IS BEGIN IF :p_customer IS NULL THEN :p_where_clause := ; ELSE :p_where_clause := where id >= :p_customer ; END IF; RETURN(TRUE); END; Query syntax: SELECT ID, NAME FROM CUSTOMER &p_where_clause ORDER BY BY NAME Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved Oracle Developer: Build Reports

45 Using Report Triggers Creating a Dynamic WHERE Clause Use the After Parameter Form report trigger to build a dynamic WHERE clause depending on the value of a bind parameter that the user enters at run time. There are two possibilities at run time: The bind parameter is NOT NULL: The WHERE clause restricts the query; therefore the Oracle server makes use of an existing index when retrieving data. The bind parameter is NULL: The WHERE clause is also NULL; therefore the Oracle server uses a full table scan to retrieve all records. Oracle Developer: Build Reports 15-9

46 Lesson 15: Coding PL/SQL Triggers in Reports Using Data Model Triggers Group Filter Restrict records in a group Perform PL/SQL for each record FUNCTION G_empGroupFilter RETURN BOOLEAN IS BEGIN IF :name = Operations AND :salary > 3000 THEN RETURN(my_function); ELSE RETURN(TRUE); END IF; END; PL/SQL filters result in ALL records being fetched Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved Oracle Developer: Build Reports

47 Using Data Model Triggers Using Data Model Triggers Introduction This section gives examples of: Using a PL/SQL group filter Validating a parameter value Using a PL/SQL Group Filter Use a group filter when you want to do the following: Restrict records in a specific group, depending on other processing in the report; that is, when a WHERE clause in a query is not applicable Perform some PL/SQL processing for each record in a group A group filter is useful when you want to restrict group values of a lower group in the group hierarchy. The function must return a boolean value: True: the record is included False: the record is excluded Report Builder fetches all records and applies the group filter to each record. Therefore avoid group filters as a method of restricting many records in a group. Note: You cannot add a filter to a matrix cross product group. Example Use a group filter that calls a function for some records in the G_emp group, depending on the department in the master group. 1 Open the property palette for the G_emp group. 2 Change Group Filter to PL/SQL. The PL/SQL Filter property appears. 3 Choose the PL/SQL Filter property to open the PL/SQL editor. 4 Enter the code. This filter code must return a boolean value, true or false. Note: It is more efficient to use a WHERE clause in a query when possible. You cannot use a WHERE clause in this case, because you want to process all records and call the function for some. Oracle Developer: Build Reports 15-11

48 Lesson 15: Coding PL/SQL Triggers in Reports Using Data Model Triggers Parameter Validation Example: do not allow report output to be sent directly to a printer FUNCTION DESTYPEValidTrigger RETURN BOOLEAN IS BEGIN IF :DESTYPE = Printer THEN RETURN(FALSE); ELSE RETURN(TRUE); END IF; END; You cannot reassign values to parameters or columns in this trigger Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved Oracle Developer: Build Reports

49 Using Data Model Triggers Validating a Parameter Value Both system parameters and user parameters have a Validation Trigger property, in which you can write a PL/SQL function to validate the value of the parameter. The trigger code must return a boolean value true or false depending on whether the validation is successful or not. If the returned value is false, the cursor remains in the parameter and the user has the following two options: Enter a different value Cancel the report You can test the value of a parameter, but you cannot change the value. If you want to assign a new value to the parameter, use the After Parameter Form report trigger. Example To prevent report output from being sent directly to a printer, test the value of the DESTYPE system parameter. 1 Open the property palette for the DESTYPE parameter. 2 Choose Validation Trigger to open the PL/SQL editor. 3 Enter the code and make sure that the value Printer has an initial capital. Oracle Developer: Build Reports 15-13

50 Lesson 15: Coding PL/SQL Triggers in Reports Using Layout Triggers Format triggers: Exist on most layout objects Can suppress an entire layout section (master group frame): no records fetched Can suppress the display of individual records (repeating frame): all records fetched Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved Oracle Developer: Build Reports

51 Using Layout Model Triggers Using Layout Model Triggers Introduction Most layout objects contain a format trigger; it is one of the common properties of a layout object. Format triggers enable you to modify the display of objects dynamically at run time or to suppress display altogether. The trigger must return a boolean value true or false. The following pages discuss some examples of format triggers. Suppressing the Entire Layout for a Query Because Report Builder is driven by the layout, you can use a format trigger on a group frame to conditionally suppress the entire layout associated with a query. In this case, the query does not retrieve any data. Suppressing Individual Records Do not use format triggers to suppress individual records that you can restrict on the Data Model. For example, a format trigger on a repeating frame does not prevent data from being retrieved, it simply determines whether or not you see it in the output. Therefore it is more efficient to restrict individual records using the Maximum Records property in a query or a First type of group filter when possible. Note: Summaries compute against all data fetched by the Data Model. If you suppress records in the layout only, summaries give misleading results. Oracle Developer: Build Reports 15-15

52 Lesson 15: Coding PL/SQL Triggers in Reports Displaying a Text String in Place of Column Headings 1 Dept: f_deptno Name Salary No employees in this department Dept: 10 Name Salary Dept: 40 No employees in this department 2 Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved. 1 Boilerplate text: Position behind column heading frame, or position below and create collapsible anchor to column heading 2 Column heading frame does not display; Suppressed by format trigger Oracle Developer: Build Reports

53 Using Layout Model Triggers Coding a Format Trigger on a Frame Requirement: Display a Text String In Place of Column Headings Display a master-detail report for departments and employees. If a department has no employees, suppress the detail column heading frame and display a piece of text instead. Example 1 Create a summary column, :count_emp, in the master group that counts the number of employee records (reset = master group). 2 Create a piece of boilerplate text, No employees in this department. 3 Position the text behind the column heading frame. 4 Code a format trigger on the column heading: function hide_headings return boolean is begin if :count_emp = 0 then return(false); else return(true); end if; end; 5 Either code the reverse logic in the format trigger of the boilerplate text item created in step 2 or ensure that the column heading frame has a solid fill. Note: You should code format triggers at the highest possible level of the layout hierarchy. The format trigger on the column headings frame suppresses all objects enclosed by the frame. Do not duplicate code unnecessarily by coding the same trigger on all individual objects in the frame; this can cause increased processing and maintenance overheads. Oracle Developer: Build Reports 15-17

54 Lesson 15: Coding PL/SQL Triggers in Reports Dynamically Altering the Display of Records Employee Details f_name f_date f_salary f_name f_date 2 Employee Details Ngao 08-MAR Biri 07-APR Magee 14-MAY-90 Employee 1000 Details Ngao 08-MAR-90 Biri 07-APR-91 Magee 14-MAY Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved. 1 One repeating frame is positioned behind the other or positioned below with collapsing anchor 2 Report output run by payment clerks 3 Report output run by other employees Oracle Developer: Build Reports

55 Using Layout Model Triggers Coding a Format Trigger on a Repeating Frame Requirement: Dynamically Alter the Display of Records Dynamically In a report of employee details, display salaries if the user is a payment clerk, but hide salaries and alter the appearance of remaining fields when any other employee runs the report. Example 1 In the layout, create two repeating frames sourced by the same group. One repeating frame must contain a salary field, the other must not. Note: You can create two separate default layouts and modify the layout as required. 2 Place one repeating frame behind the other. 3 Add a format trigger to suppress the top repeating frame (the one that contains the salary field), or alternatively use conditional formating: function pay_clerks_see_this return boolean is begin if :user_type = PAY_CLERK then return(true); else return(false); end if; end; Note: User_type can be a column or parameter that is initialized at run time. 4 Either code the reverse logic on the other repeating frame or ensure that the top repeating frame (containing salary) has a solid fill. Oracle Developer: Build Reports 15-19

56 Lesson 15: Coding PL/SQL Triggers in Reports Dynamically Hiding Fields Employee Details f_name f_date f_salary Employee Details Ngao 08-MAR Biri 07-APR Magee 14-MAY-90 Employee 1000 Details Ngao 08-MAR-90 Biri 07-APR-91 Magee14-MAY Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved. 1 Report for payment clerks shows all fields 2 Report for other employees shows gap where salary is hidden Oracle Developer: Build Reports

57 Using Layout Model Triggers Format Trigger on a Field Requirement: Dynamically Hide Fields Given the same employee details report as before, hide the salary field without rearranging the other fields in the repeating frame. The report contains a gap in the layout when the salary field is not displayed. Example Place the format trigger on the salary field to display it only when payment clerks run the report. The code is the same as before: function pay_clerks_see_this return boolean is begin if :user_type = PAY_CLERK then return(true); else return(false); end if; end; In this example you do not need to create any additional layout object or code. Oracle Developer: Build Reports 15-21

58 Lesson 15: Coding PL/SQL Triggers in Reports Suppressing Null Fields in a Letter Heading f_name f_address1 f_address2 f_address3 f_address4 2 1 FUNCTION Dear Sir, label_field RETURN BOOLEAN IS IS BEGIN We are writing IF IF to advise :address2... IS IS NULL THEN... RETURN(FALSE);... ELSE RETURN(TRUE); END IF; END; Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved. 1 Format Trigger on F_Address2 field references the column ADDRESS2 2 Create anchors, with Collapse Vertically=Yes, on fields below the suppressed field Oracle Developer: Build Reports

59 Using Layout Model Triggers Coding a Format Trigger on a Field Requirement: Suppress Null Fields in an Address The letter opposite includes a customer address. Address lines in a database often have optional fields to provide for a variable number of lines in an address. You want to suppress fields that are NULL, so that the address does not contain large spaces between existing lines. Example 1 Code a format trigger on the optional field to suppress the field when the value is NULL. 2 Create an anchor from the field below, up to the optional field. Set the Collapse Vertically property to Yes. Repeat for all fields below the optional field to avoid any unwanted space in the label. Oracle Developer: Build Reports 15-23

60 Lesson 15: Coding PL/SQL Triggers in Reports Inserting Spacing Between Groups of Records f_1 f_2 f_3 3 4 FUNCTION spacing RETURN BOOLEAN IS IS BEGIN IF IF MOD(:count_column, 3) 3) = 0 THEN RETURN(TRUE); ELSE RETURN(FALSE); END IF; END; Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved Transparent rectangle 3 Summary column name (created in Data Model) 2 Repeating Frame, Vertical Elasticity = Variable 4 Format trigger on transparent rectangle Oracle Developer: Build Reports

61 Using Layout Model Triggers Coding a Format Trigger on a Boilerplate Object Requirement: Insert Spacing Between Groups of Records Display additional spacing between a defined number of records; for example, group every three records together. Example 1 Create a transparent rectangle inside the repeating frame to increase spacing conditionally at run time. 2 In the repeating frame property palette, set Vertical Elasticity to Variable. 3 In the Data Model, create a summary column named COUNT_COLUMN that counts the number of records retrieved (Reset=Report). 4 On the rectangle, create a format trigger that references the summary column, as shown on the opposite page. Note: You can vary the number of records in each group dynamically at run time by creating a parameter. Oracle Developer: Build Reports 15-25

62 Lesson 15: Coding PL/SQL Triggers in Reports Writing Common Code At Report level Object Navigator, Program Units Menu: Tools >PL/SQL Editor In a library Object Navigator, PL/SQL Library File >New: create new library File >Open: add to existing library Attach library to report Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved Oracle Developer: Build Reports

63 Writing Common Code Writing Common Code Introduction If you use the same program unit in several places in a report, or in multiple reports, consider writing the code once as a report-level program unit, or in a PL/SQL library, and then call the program unit when you require it in your PL/SQL trigger code; this enables you to maintain the code in one place. Even if you do not use the code many times, consider writing anything other than very simple PL/SQL blocks at report level, to simplify maintenance. Remember that you can also code stored procedures and functions in the database; you must decide whether server-side or client-side processing is more efficient in each case. Two Ways to Create Report-Level Program Units In the Object Navigator, select the Program Units node and create a new program unit. From the menu, select Program >PL/SQL Editor. Choose New to create a new program unit. Writing Code as Report-Level Program Units You can create a report-level program unit that contains a function, procedure, or package, and that you call from any object in the same report. You cannot reference a report-level program unit from a different report. Three Ways to Create Library Program Units In the Object Navigator, select the PL/SQL Libraries node and create a new library. From the menu, select File >New >PL/SQL Library. From the menu, select File >Open to open an existing library and create additional program units. Referencing Code from a PL/SQL Library You can reference library code in a report trigger by attaching one or more libraries to one or more report definitions, which enables you to reference the same code in multiple reports. To attach a library to a report, open the report definition, select the Attached Libraries node in the Object Navigator, and add each library that you need in the report. Oracle Developer: Build Reports 15-27

64 Lesson 15: Coding PL/SQL Triggers in Reports Summary Trigger types Report, Data Model, Layout Examples Building a dynamic WHERE clause Validating a parameter value Dynamically altering record display Suppressing null fields Common code Report-level program units PL/SQL libraries Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved Oracle Developer: Build Reports

65 Summary Summary Using PL/SQL Triggers Choose the most applicable type of trigger for your requirement. Report-level triggers fire once for each of the five events during the report execution. Data Model triggers can affect which records are processed and how they are processed. Layout triggers affect the way in which objects are formatted. Writing Common Code Use report-level program units or PL/SQL libraries for common code requirements to improve productivity and maintenance. Objects That Must Return a Value The following table is a reminder of the Report Builder triggers that must always return a value, and it shows the values that are acceptable. Trigger Type Valid Values Result if False Report trigger True, False Abort execution Group filter True, False Do not process record Validation trigger True, False Return to parameter form Format trigger True, False Do not format object PL/SQL Formula (column) Computation: Character, Number, Date N/A Oracle Developer: Build Reports 15-29

66 Lesson 15: Coding PL/SQL Triggers in Reports Practice 15 Overview Creating a format trigger to display different layouts conditionally Creating and using a report-level PL/SQL function Creating and using an external PL/SQL library Creating a PL/SQL group filter Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved Oracle Developer: Build Reports

67 Practice Session Overview: Lesson 15 Practice Session Overview: Lesson 15 This practice session contains: Creating a format trigger to display different layouts conditionally Creating and using a report-level PL/SQL function Creating and using an external PL/SQL library Creating a PL/SQL group filter Introduction In this practice session you create a format trigger, or use conditional formatting to display one of two layouts for the same data, depending on a parameter value at run time. You also conditionally flag some records in a report by creating and referencing a report-level (local) PL/SQL function. You then move the code into a new PL/SQL library and alter the reference to use the library function instead. If you have time, restrict the number of records processed in a report by creating your own group filter. Oracle Developer: Build Reports 15-31

68 Lesson 15: Coding PL/SQL Triggers in Reports Practice Session: Lesson 15 1 Create a new report, using p15q1.sql. a Display the records in two different layouts, showing different columns in each. b Create a Group Above layout using the following columns from the query: Group G_CUSTOMER G_ID Column CUSTOMER_ID ID DATE_ORDERED DATE_SHIPPED PAYMENT_TYPE TOTAL c Create a Tabular layout using the following columns from the query: Column ID DATE_ORDERED DATE_SHIPPED TOTAL d e Make sure that only the Group Above layout is displayed when you choose a destination of Screen, and only the Tabular layout is displayed when you choose a destination of Preview. To test the result, display the DESTYPE parameter in the report. Make sure that you can enter a parameter value at run time. Hint: As an alternative to coding Format triggers, you can also use Conditional Formatting. Save the report as p15q1.rdf Oracle Developer: Build Reports

69 Practice Session: Lesson 15 2 Continue with the previous report. a Modify the report so that the Tabular (Preview) layout displays an extra column that indicates, with an asterisk, those orders that were shipped more than 15 days after the order date. b Remember to change destination to Preview during testing. c Move the function code into a new PL/SQL library, named p15lib.pll. d Call the external function from your report, instead of calling the report-level function. e Save the report to p15q2.rdf. 3 Continue with the previous report. a Modify the same layout to display additional spacing between every two records. b Save the report as p15q3.rdf and close it. If You Have Time 4 Open report p15q1.rdf. a Write your own group filter to restrict the number of customers displayed depending on the value of a parameter that you enter at run time. Hint: You need to create two parameters to keep track of how many records have been processed compared to the cutoff number of records required. b Test the report several times by changing the cutoff parameter at run time. c Save the report as p15q4.rdf. Oracle Developer: Build Reports 15-33

70 Lesson 15: Coding PL/SQL Triggers in Reports Oracle Developer: Build Reports

71 16... Using the Report Builder Built-In Package

72 Lesson 16: Using the Report Builder Built-In Package Objectives At the end of this lesson, you should be able to do the following: Describe the package contents Output messages at run time Execute a drill-down report Create and populate temporary tables Modify visual attributes dynamically Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved Oracle Developer: Build Reports

73 Overview Overview Introduction This lesson provides examples of the contents and use of the Report Builder built-in package. The package contains program units that you can reference in your PL/SQL code. Objectives At the end of this lesson, you should be able to do the following: Describe the contents of the Report Builder built-in package Output messages at run time Execute a drill-down report Create and populate temporary tables within a report Modify visual attributes dynamically at run time Oracle Developer: Build Reports 16-3

74 Lesson 16: Using the Report Builder Built-In Package Contents of the SRW Package SRW.BREAK SRW.SET_ATTR SRW.DO_SQL SRW.RUN_REPORT SRW.REFERENCE SRW.USER_EXIT SRW.SET_MAXROW SRW.MESSAGE SRW.TRACE SRW.PROGRAM_ABORT Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved Oracle Developer: Build Reports

75 Contents of the Report Builder Built-in Package Contents of the Report Builder Built-in Package Introduction The Report Builder built-in package, known as the SRW package, contains procedures, functions, and exceptions that can help you to do the following: Control report execution Output messages at run time Initialize layout fields Perform DDL statements (create or drop temporary tables) Call user exits Dynamically set format attributes, such as font style and fill patterns Referencing the Contents of the Package You can reference any part of the SRW package in a PL/SQL statement in any PL/ SQL area of a report, such as a layout format trigger or a report-level trigger. Rules You can only call the contents of the SRW package from within Report Builder. Other tools, such as Form Builder, do not recognize this package. You must always reference an SRW procedure, function, or exception by preceding it with the package name, SRW; for example, SRW.MESSAGE, SRW.DO_SQL. Oracle Developer: Build Reports 16-5

76 Lesson 16: Using the Report Builder Built-In Package Warning Outputting Messages WHEN <exception> THEN SRW.MESSAGE(999, Warning: report continues ); Error WHEN <exception> THEN SRW.MESSAGE(999, Error: report terminated ); RAISE SRW.PROGRAM_ABORT; Exceptions SRW.INTEGER_ERROR SRW.NULL_ARGUMENTS Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved Oracle Developer: Build Reports

77 Outputting Messages Outputting Messages Introduction The SRW.MESSAGE packaged procedure displays a message with a code and text string, which you specify. The message is displayed in the following format: MSG-code: text The message is displayed in a small dialog box. The user must acknowledge the message before continuing. Message Code and Text You can enter a code number from zero up to 10 digits. If you enter a number of fewer than five digits, the code is displayed with leading zeros. You can enter a text string to a maximum of 190 characters, excluding the code number. You can embed extra spaces to display your message neatly in the message dialog box. Reports does not suppress extra spaces in the message text. Is It a Warning or an Error? SRW.MESSAGE does not implicitly terminate the report execution. You can choose to issue a warning message that enables the report to continue execution after the user accepts the message. To force the report to terminate after outputting the message, raise the exception SRW.PROGRAM_ABORT. Note: You cannot suppress or replace the default message that Report Builder gives if you abort a report. Your own error message augments the existing messages. Causes of Exceptions Exception Name SRW.INTEGER_ERROR SRW.NULL_ARGUMENTS Cause You entered a code that is not a numeric integer. You omitted either the code number or text message or both. Oracle Developer: Build Reports 16-7

78 Lesson 16: Using the Report Builder Built-In Package Executing a Report 1 BLOGGS SMITH JONES BLOGGS.LIS xxx xxxxxxx xxx xxxxxxx SMITH.LIS yyy yyyyyyy yyy yyyyyyy 2 SRW.RUN_REPORT JONES.LIS zzz zzzzzzz zzz zzzzzzz Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved. 1 Output from master output 2 Output from detailed report 16-8 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

79 Executing a Nested Report Executing a Nested Report Introduction Use SRW.RUN_REPORT to execute a second report from within a report process. For example: Output parts of a report to different destinations Divide a large report into several smaller reports that can be run conditionally Both Reports Use the Same Process SRW.RUN_REPORT starts only one run-time process; it does not start a new process for each report execution. Example Run a report called MANAGERS that retrieves the employee record for each manager. Call the EMPS report (for example, from a group filter). EMPS retrieves the employee records of all employees managed by the current manager only. Sample code to implement this example appears on the following page. Oracle Developer: Build Reports 16-9

80 Lesson 16: Using the Report Builder Built-In Package Executing a Report Example SRW.RUN_REPORT ( Report=EMPS DESTYPE=FILE DESNAME= :LAST_NAME.LIS BATCH=YES MGRNO= TO_CHAR(:ID)); Exceptions SRW.RUN_REPORT_FAILURE SRW.RUN_REPORT_BATCHNO Function SRW.GETERR_RUN Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved Oracle Developer: Build Reports

81 Executing a Nested Report Example Function Code FUNCTION MGR_REP RETURN BOOLEAN IS BEGIN SRW.RUN_REPORT ( REPORT=EMPS DESTYPE=FILE DESNAME= :LAST_NAME.LIS BATCH=YES MGRNO= TO_CHAR(:ID)); RETURN(TRUE); EXCEPTION WHEN SRW.RUN_REPORT_FAILURE THEN SRW.MESSAGE(100, Error executing EMPS report ); RAISE SRW.PROGRAM_ABORT; END; Note: Use LAST_NAME to create the output filename for each manager; use ID to restrict the EMPS query. Causes of Exceptions Report Builder raises a specific exception that applies to the SRW.RUN_REPORT procedure in two cases: Exception Name SRW.RUN_REPORT_FAILURE SRW.RUN_REPORT_BATCHNO Causes Detail report does not exist. Detail report failed during execution. BATCH parameter is used inconsistently: master report running with BATCH=YES, called a detail report with BATCH=NO. Displaying Report Failure Message If the detail report fails during execution, you can display information about the cause by using the SRW.GETERR_RUN function. Assign the function to a local PL/SQL character variable, which you display using the SRW.MESSAGE procedure.... msg char(150);... EXCEPTION WHEN SRW.RUN_REPORT_FAILURE THEN msg := SRW.GETERR_RUN; SRW.MESSAGE (100, msg);... Oracle Developer: Build Reports 16-11

82 Lesson 16: Using the Report Builder Built-In Package Executing a Drill-Down Report Details Details Details SRW.RUN_REPORT xxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved. 1 Output from master output 2 Output from detailed report Oracle Developer: Build Reports

83 Executing a Nested Report Calling a Drill-Down Report You can call the SRW.RUN_REPORT procedure from a button in your master report and display the detail report in a second previewer window on the screen. How to Create a Drill-Down Report 1 Create a button in the master report within the repeating frame. 2 Display the button property palette. Under the Button Behavior node, change the Type property to PL/SQL, then select the PL/SQL Trigger property to display the Program Unit editor. 3 Enter the function as described in the previous example. Do not include the BATCH parameter, since you want to display the detail report interactively in a second previewer. 4 Compile and close the Program Unit editor. 5 Run the master report. For reports that you send to a file, do not include the pathname when coding the DESNAME parameter. Allow the REPORTS60_PATH variable to search the correct path for the report. Testing Drill-Down Reports During Development To test a drill-down report, use the Reports Runtime. Remember that buttons are not active in the Report Builder Live Previewer. Oracle Developer: Build Reports 16-13

84 Lesson 16: Using the Report Builder Built-In Package Restricting Data Before Report trigger SRW.SET_MAXROW( Q_EMP,3); Q_EMP G_EMP ID LAST_NAME ID LAST_NAME 1 BLOGGS 2 SMITH 3 JONES Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved Oracle Developer: Build Reports

85 Restricting Data Restricting Data Introduction Use SRW.SET_MAXROW to restrict the maximum number of records you want to retrieve for a specified query. Report Builder uses only the retrieved rows of the query in subsequent processing, such as computations and summaries. Suppressing a Query At run time, you can choose not to display any data from a query by setting the maximum number of records to zero. This prevents Report Builder from retrieving any records from the database. Example Below is a function to display data for the Q_emp query only if a value of one or more is entered in a run-time parameter called HOW_MANY: FUNCTION FETCHIT RETURN BOOLEAN IS BEGIN IF :HOW_MANY >= 1 THEN SRW.SET_MAXROW ( Q_emp, :how_many); ELSE SRW.SET_MAXROW( Q_emp, 0); END IF; RETURN(TRUE); EXCEPTION WHEN SRW.MAXROW_UNSET THEN SRW.MESSAGE (100, Data was fetched before SRW.MAXROW was called ); RAISE SRW.PROGRAM_ABORT; WHEN SRW.MAXROW_INERR THEN SRW.MESSAGE(200, Contact someone clever! ); RAISE SRW.PROGRAM_ABORT; END; You must set SRW.SET_MAXROW in the Before Report trigger; that is, after the query has been parsed but before it has been executed. If you call it after the Before Report trigger, Report Builder raises the SRW.MAXROW_UNSET exception. If you handle SRW.MAXROW_INERR, always raise SRW.PROGRAM_ABORT, because your report has an internal problem and you cannot guarantee the outcome. Oracle Developer: Build Reports 16-15

86 Lesson 16: Using the Report Builder Built-In Package Initializing Fields Layout editor Output: logical page no. = 2 Page: F_NEWPAGE Page: 5 1 FUNCTION F_LOGICAL_PAGEFormatTrigger RETURN BOOLEAN IS IS my_page number; BEGIN SRW.GET_PAGE_NUM(my_page); SRW.SET_FIELD_NUM(0,my_page+3); RETURN(TRUE); END; 2 Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved. 1 Create format trigger on f_newpage field 2 Set field value to my_page Oracle Developer: Build Reports

87 Initializing Fields Initializing Fields You can dynamically initialize the value in a layout field by using the relevant SET_FIELD packaged procedure; for example: SRW.SET_FIELD_CHAR (0, a text string ) SRW.SET_FIELD_NUM (0, 1234) SRW.SET_FIELD_DATE (0, 01-JAN-95 ) The first argument is always 0 (zero); you can set the value of the current object. These procedures are relevant only in the format trigger of a field of the correct type. If you use a procedure that conflicts with the field type, it has no effect in the report; Report Builder ignores the code and does not raise an error. Why Use SRW.SET_FIELD? You might want to retrieve the current logical page number and recalculate the value before displaying it. Example Create a function to display the logical page number + 3 in a field called F_NEWPAGE. Because the logical page number variable is available only in the report layout, not in the Data Model, you cannot calculate the value in a data column. Therefore you use a layout field to get the current page number and output a new number by initializing the same field. Make use of a packaged procedure called SRW.GET_PAGE_NUM to retrieve the current logical page number into a local PL/SQL variable, as in the format trigger code opposite. Oracle Developer: Build Reports 16-17

88 Lesson 16: Using the Report Builder Built-In Package Performing DDL Statements Example SRW.DO_SQL( CREATE TABLE SRW_LOG (RPT_NAME VARCHAR2(40), REC_NUM NUMBER, MSG_TEXT VARCHAR2(80)) ); SRW.DO_SQL( INSERT INTO SRW_LOG (RPT_NAME, REC_NUM, MSG_TEXT) VALUES ( PAY_REPORT, TO_CHAR(:ID), :LAST_NAME PAY REPORT RUN ) ); Exception SRW.DO_SQL_FAILURE Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved Oracle Developer: Build Reports

89 Performing DDL Statements Performing DDL Statements Introduction The SRW.DO_SQL packaged procedure executes any specified SQL statement from within Report Builder. Why Use SRW.DO_SQL? Use SRW.DO_SQL to perform DDL statements dynamically, during run time. For example, create a temporary table and insert rows into it during execution. You can also perform DML statements using this procedure, but DML statements run faster if you code them directly within a PL/SQL block. Code DML statements in the SRW.DO_SQL procedure only if necessary. For example: To insert records into a permanent table in the database, code DML in a PL/SQL block. To insert records into a temporary table that does not exist until run time, code DML in SRW.DO_SQL. Querying from Temporary Tables If you want to create a temporary table and reference it in a query in the same report, the table must exist before the Before Report trigger fires. That is when Report Builder parses its queries. Therefore you must create this table in the Before Parameter Form or After Parameter Form report trigger. Oracle Developer: Build Reports 16-19

90 Lesson 16: Using the Report Builder Built-In Package Setting Format Attributes Tuesday, 01 Sep borderwidth fill pattern format mask printer tray control Car Policy define a bookmark Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved Oracle Developer: Build Reports

91 Setting Format Attributes Setting Format Attributes Introduction The SRW.SET_<attributes> packaged procedures apply specified format attributes to the current layout object: frame, repeating frame, field, or boilerplate object. Why Use a Format Attribute? Some of the reasons that you would want to use format attributes are: To change the visual appearance of layout objects conditionally, depending on values in a repeating frame, or on run-time parameter values To switch to different printer trays as your report formats To place a logo or standard links in an HTML document To define a bookmark in an HTML or PDF document Coding a Format Attribute You can code the packaged procedure in a function as a local or report-level program unit, or in a PL/SQL library. This is useful if you want a common format attribute in more than one object or more than one report. You can then call the function whenever required, from the format trigger of a specific object. As an alternative to a PL/SQL library, in the Object Navigator you can drag and drop report-level program units between different reports. However, note that this creates a copy of the program unit in each report, rather than a reference to one piece of code. Oracle Developer: Build Reports 16-21

92 Lesson 16: Using the Report Builder Built-In Package Setting Format Attributes Visual attributes SRW.SET_FILL_PATTERN( solid ); SRW.SET_BORDER_WIDTH(250); SRW.SET_FORMAT_MASK( Day, Month yyyy ); Printer tray control SRW.SET_PRINTRER_TRAY( letterhead ); Define a bookmark SRW.SET_BOOKMARK( Car Policy ); Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved Oracle Developer: Build Reports

93 Setting Format Attributes Example Conditionally set the following attributes if salary equals 2000: Attribute Background fill color Fill pattern Font style Font face Font weight Text color Value Dark yellow Sandpaper Italic Helvetica Extra bold Dark blue FUNCTION SAL_MASK RETURN BOOLEAN IS BEGIN IF :SALARY > 2000 THEN SRW.SET_BACKGROUND_FILL_COLOR( darkyellow ); SRW.SET_FILL_PATTERN( sandpaper ); SRW.SET_FONT_STYLE(SRW.ITALIC_STYLE); SRW.SET_FONT_FACE( helvetica ); SRW.SET_FONT_WEIGHT(SRW.EXTRABOLD_WEIGHT); SRW.SET_TEXT_COLOR( darkblue ); END IF; RETURN(TRUE); END; Using Format Attributes in Character-Mode Reports Some attributes are applicable to character environments only; some are for bitmapped environments only. If you include a bitmapped attribute and then run the report in character mode, or the reverse, Report Builder ignores the code and does not cause an error. This enables you to develop a report for use in a different environment. Oracle Developer: Build Reports 16-23

94 Lesson 16: Using the Report Builder Built-In Package Summary Package contents Procedures Functions Exceptions: SRW.PROGRAM_ABORT to exit Examples Drill-down report Support for DDL statements Conditional layout formatting and display Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved Oracle Developer: Build Reports

95 Summary Summary The SRW package contains procedures, functions, and exceptions. Remember that you can raise the exception SRW.PROGRAM_ABORT in your PL/SQL code to stop report processing at any time. The SRW package provides a number of features, including: - Drill-down reports, using SRW.RUN_REPORT in a button - Support for DDL statements, using SRW.DO_SQL, to enable you to create or drop temporary tables from PL/SQL code in a report - Conditional formatting and display using SRW.SET<attr> attributes Oracle Developer: Build Reports 16-25

96 Lesson 16: Using the Report Builder Built-In Package Practice 16 Overview Building a report containing conditional highlighting Building a drill-down report Writing to a temporary table from a report Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved Oracle Developer: Build Reports

97 Practice Session Overview: Lesson 16 Practice Session Overview: Lesson 16 This practice session contains: Building a report containing conditional highlighting Building a drill-down report Writing to a temporary table from a report Introduction In this practice session, you highlight values based on conditional PL/SQL code. You build a master report that enables you to call a separate report from a button in the previewer. If you have time, you add report-level triggers to an existing report to write messages to a temporary table at various stages of report execution. Write PL/SQL functions as local PL/SQL (report-level), and reference the code in a condition within the relevant object trigger in the report. Oracle Developer: Build Reports 16-27

98 Lesson 16: Using the Report Builder Built-In Package Practice Session: Lesson 16 1 Open report p8q5.rdf. a Display the column CUST_TOTAL in the customer group as red bold italics if its value is 10,000 or more. Hint: Check the help system for the SRW.SET_<attributes> or use conditional formatting: Attribute Text color Font weight Font style Suggested Values Red SRW.BOLD_WEIGHT SRW.ITALIC_STYLE b You can import the file p16q1a.txt. Alter the pattern and color of those records where the customer total is 5000 or less. Hint: Check the help system for the SRW.SET <attributes> or use conditional formatting. Attribute Fill pattern Foreground fill color Background fill color Suggested Values Crisscross, sandpaper Yellow Green c d You can import the file p16q1b.txt. Write the necessary format triggers. Save the report as p16q1.rdf. 2 Call a drill-down report using a button. a Continue with the previous report. b Alter query Q_2 to include the customer ID, but do not display it in the report. c Add a button to this report to display a drill-down report when the button is chosen at run time. The button should be displayed once for every customer record Oracle Developer: Build Reports

99 Practice Session: Lesson 16 d e f When the button is chosen, the detail report (p12q1.rdf) is called with the customer ID as a parameter. Hint: Have a look at report p12q1.rdf to check the name of the parameter. You can import the file p16q2d.txt. Save the report as p16q2.rdf. Test the report using the run-time executable and then close the run time. If You Have Time 3 Open report p9q1.rdf. In this report, you use report triggers to create a temporary table at the start of report execution and insert rows into the table at various stages of the execution. a Write a trigger that creates a temporary table to hold the date and userid each time the report is run. The table should contain three columns: one date column, one character column of width 10, and one character column of width 80. CREATE TABLE RUNREPORT (DATE_RUN DATE, USER_RUN VARCHAR2(10), COMMENTS VARCHAR2(80)) b The same trigger should also insert the current date, userid, and Starting Report into this table. INSERT INTO RUNREPORT (DATE_RUN, USER_RUN, COMMENTS) VALUES (SYSDATE, USER, Starting Report ) Hint: Think about how you code the single quotes. c Save the report as p16q3.rdf. d Compile the PL/SQL and run the report. Make sure that you view more than one page. e Run and test the report. f Using SQL*Plus, verify that your table exists and was populated successfully. g Log on to SQL*Plus (in Microsoft Windows, select the SQL*Plus icon in the Oracle group) using the same userid as you used for Reports. h Display all records in the RUNREPORT table. SQL> col comments format a40 SQL> SELECT * FROM RUNREPORT; Oracle Developer: Build Reports 16-29

100 Lesson 16: Using the Report Builder Built-In Package i j k l Try running the report more than once. When you run the report a second time, the table already exists and Report Builder raises an exception. Make the necessary change to your code so that the report runs even when the table exists. Write a trigger that inserts a record with the comment Printing another page whenever it begins a new page. Write a trigger that inserts a record with the comment Report completed when the report finishes. Save and run the report. Verify the results in SQL*Plus Oracle Developer: Build Reports

101 17... Maximizing Performance Using the Reports Server

102 Lesson 17: Maximizing Performance Using the Reports Server Objectives At the end of this lesson, you should be able to do the following: Distinguish between local client and remote server reporting Describe the three-tiered architecture of Report Builder View and schedule server-side reports using the Queue Manager Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved Oracle Developer: Build Reports

103 Overview Overview Introduction In this lesson you learn how to control and monitor a remote Reports Server installation, and how to view and schedule reports sent from a client to the Reports Server. Objectives At the end of this lesson, you should be able to do the following: Distinguish between local client and remote server reporting Describe the three-tiered architecture of Report Builder View and schedule server-side reports using the Queue Manager Oracle Developer: Build Reports 17-3

104 Lesson 17: Maximizing Performance Using the Reports Server Why Use a Remote Server? Client reporting All processing and formatting is done on the client Suitable for small and medium size reports Everyone runs the same report again and again, no sharing Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved. DB Developer/2000 Release Oracle Developer: Build Reports

105 Why Use a Remote Server? Why Use a Remote Server? Introduction This section compares and contrasts the features of running reports on a local client and on a remote server. Formatting Reports on a Local Client When you run a report on the client, the client machine has to do all the formatting. For small to medium-sized reports, this processing might not require much time and effort. However, for large reports, the length of time needed by the client can be very inconvenient. Rerunning the Same Report When running reports locally on the client, several users often run the same report on their own machine; therefore, the report might run many times, which is unnecessary if the required output already exists. Oracle Developer: Build Reports 17-5

106 Lesson 17: Maximizing Performance Using the Reports Server Running Reports on a Remote Server Benefits of the Reports Server (RWMTS60) Formats, prints reports on a powerful server Eliminates rerunning reports Enhances scalability and performance Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved. RWRUN60 RWRUN60 RWRUN60 DB RWMTS60 DB Oracle Developer Release Oracle Developer: Build Reports

107 Why Use a Remote Server? Running Reports on a Remote Server Oracle Reports Release 6 provides a powerful and intelligent Reports Server that resides on a high performance server machine that is capable of processing and formatting your reports at high speed and can return the completed output to the client machine. The Reports Server is a single process, and dynamically manages a set of report runtime engines. Each Reports Runtime engine is responsible for executing a single report at any given time; each engine can reside in memory to execute additional report requests over a period of time. Benefits of the Reports Server Reports are formatted on a high-performance NT or UNIX server. The Reports Server detects duplicate reports. Users can share output without rerunning the report. The Reports Server caches the output in a central repository on the server machine. You can implement multiple run-time engines for one Reports Server. You can implement multiple Reports Servers on one machine. Oracle Developer: Build Reports 17-7

108 Lesson 17: Maximizing Performance Using the Reports Server Reports Server Architecture (Thin) Client RWCLI60 Queue Manager RWRQM60 Application server (Unix/NT) RWMTS60 RWRUN60... RWRUN60... RWRUN60 DB server DB DB Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved Oracle Developer: Build Reports

109 Reports Server Architecture and Configuration Reports Server Architecture and Configuration Introduction This section details the three-tiered architecture of remote server reporting and discusses the commands to invoke a report on the remote server. You also learn how to install and connect to the Reports Server. The Three-Tiered Architecture Client Tier The client tier is a front-end machine that sends commands to the remote Reports Server. Invoke the executable RWCLI60 to schedule a report from the command line. Invoke the Queue Manager (RWRQM60) to view and schedule reports. Start up the Reports Server manually from the Queue Manager, or start it from the command line. Application Tier The middle application tier contains the remote Reports Server, which can consist of multiple runtime engines. You can use multiple Reports Servers to execute reports. A Reports Server spawns extra runtime engines as necessary, depending on a parameter in a server initiation file. Each run-time engine dies off when there are no jobs to run and when it has been idle for a set time. Database Server Tier The database server resides on a back-end machine. This can be the same machine as the application tier. The same Reports Server and the same run-time engine can connect to different database aliases for each report run. Oracle Developer: Build Reports 17-9

110 Lesson 17: Maximizing Performance Using the Reports Server Reports Server Clustering Master Report Server Multi Tiered Server Multi Tiered Server Engine Engine Engine Engine Slave Report Servers Multi Tiered Server Engine Engine Engine Engine Multi Tiered Server Engine Engine Engine Engine Engine Engine Engine Engine Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved Oracle Developer: Build Reports

111 Reports Server Clustering Reports Server Clustering Introduction While the introduction of a multi-tiered server is a benefit in itself, it still only allows for a single machine to act as the server. In order to scale beyond the bounds of a single machine, Oracle Reports Release 6 introduces the Reports Server Clustering feature. Scalable Load Management Reports server clustering works as a master-slave configuration. One reports server is designated to be the master, all other reports servers are slaves. By clustering individual reports servers they act as a single logical, but distributed, report engine. When you submit jobs to the Reports Server they are automatically routed to an available engine running on any machine within the cluster. If your reporting demands grow to the extent where performance is degrading, it is simply a matter of adding a new machine to the cluster to extend the available processing power. When you add machines to the cluster, the Report Server automatically recognizes their existence and starts to issue job requests to them. In case one of the machines becomes unavailable due to failure or shutdown, the server automatically ceases to issue requests. If an engine dies while running a job, the job is resubmitted using the retry mechanism there is no guarantee that it will run on the same slave however. Optimizing Resources The master server performs duplicate job and tolerance checks before a job is allocated. If it receives a duplicate request within a defined time period, the job is serviced from the cache rather than by re-executing it. Running a Report In a Report Server Cluster you run a report by specifying server=master_name in the command line for the client executable. The master server then assigns incoming jobs to the engines on the slave servers. Oracle Developer: Build Reports 17-11

112 Lesson 17: Maximizing Performance Using the Reports Server Parameters for RWCLI60 SERVER = <master_server> MODULE REPORT = <runfile> DESTYPE = FILE, PRINTER, MAIL, CACHE, LOCALFILE, SYSOUT DESNAME = <desname> DESFORMAT = PDF, DFLT, HTML, HTMLCSS, RTF, DELIMITED RWCLI60.EXE SERVER=masterserver MODULE=my_rep.rdf DESTYPE=FILE DESNAME=my_rep.pdf DESFORMAT=pdf Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved Oracle Developer: Build Reports

113 Reports Server Clustering Parameters for Running a Remote Report RWCLI60 sends a request to the Reports (master) server. RWCLI60 is invoked by a Common Gateway Interface (CGI) script. There is a CGI version available for Web servers (RWCGI60). SERVER=<tnsname>, where <tnsname> is an alias for your Report Server that you create in <oracle_home>\net80\admin\tnsnames.ora. We discuss the Reports Server name and parameters later in this lesson. You cannot set DESTYPE to Screen or Preview when using RWCLI60. HTMLCSS uses cascading style sheets, available in Netscape 4.0 or higher. Note: RWCLI60 accepts the same parameters as the Reports Runtime, RWRUN60. Running a Remote Report from the Command Line Example 1 Invoke the command line. In Windows NT, Choose Start >Run. 2 Enter the command string, for example: RWCLI60.EXE SERVER=masterserver REPORT=my_rep.rdf DESTYPE=FILE This command sends the report to the remote master server, and the report runs immediately. Returning Control to the Client Include BACKGROUND=yes in your RWCLI60 command line, and then RWCLI60 returns immediately after submitting a job request to the Reports Server. Oracle Developer: Build Reports 17-13

114 Lesson 17: Maximizing Performance Using the Reports Server The Schedule Parameter SCHEDULE = [FREQ from] TIME [retry n after LEN] RWCLI60... SCHEDULE=monthly_last_weekday_from_17:00_Oct_23,_1999_ retry_3_after_1_hour FREQ CLOCK DATE Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved. TIME Oracle Developer: Build Reports

115 Reports Server Clustering The Schedule Parameter SCHEDULE is a scheduling parameter that you can include in the RWCLI60 command line to control the time and frequency with which your report runs. The syntax of the SCHEDULE parameter comes primarily from the syntax of a cron job on UNIX. To avoid quoting the schedule string, use underscores (_) instead of spaces. In default mode the program runs the report immediately. Syntax The full syntax of the SCHEDULE parameter is: [SCHEDULE=] string where the string is: [FREQ from] TIME [retry {n} + after LEN] FREQ = hourly daily weekly monthly {every LEN DAYREPEAT} {last {WEEKDAYS weekday weekend} before {n}+} TIME = CLOCK [DATE] [INCR] CLOCK = <hh:mm> DATE=<calendar date> INCR = {+LEN} {next SUFFIX} LEN = {n} * SUFFIX SUFFIX = <time, date, FREQ> Example SCHEDULE=hourly_from_09:00am_May_01,_1999 SCHEDULE=last_weekday_from_17:00_Oct_23,_1999_retry_3_after_1_hour Note: This syntax is necessary only if you want to control your report jobs from the command line. You can also specify the scheduled time and frequency of a report when you define a new job in the easy-to-use Queue Manager screen, which we use later in this course. Oracle Developer: Build Reports 17-15

116 Lesson 17: Maximizing Performance Using the Reports Server Reports Caching Cached reports on server: Tolerance = n (minutes) Tolerance = 0 (default/current behavior) Maximum tolerance is 2 32 minutes (approximately 10,000 years) Cached output controlled by a server parameter CACHEDIR Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved Oracle Developer: Build Reports

117 Reports Server Clustering Reports Caching Include the TOLERANCE parameter in your command line to cache the report output for a specified number of minutes. Setting TOLERANCE=60 means that the Reports Server can detect a duplicate report request from the same userid, and return the existing cached output to the client without rerunning the report if the existing report output is 60 minutes old or less. Setting TOLERANCE=0 forces the report to rerun for each request. This is the default behavior. Cached Output The Reports Server uses a parameter CACHEDIR to determine where to place the cached output. The default directory is <oracle_home>\report60\server\cache. Oracle Developer: Build Reports 17-17

118 Lesson 17: Maximizing Performance Using the Reports Server Reports Server Configuration Parameters Installing a Reports Server on Windows NT Service example (normal) RWMTS60 -install my_server tcpip Non-service (less common) RWMTS60 -listen my_server INITENGINE=2 MINENGINE=1 Command line values override server.ora file Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved Oracle Developer: Build Reports

119 Reports Server Clustering Reports Server Configuration Parameters When you first install a Reports Server, it creates a.ora file with the same name as the server. The file exists in <oracle_home>\report60\server, and you can edit the parameters in the file. You can start up the Reports Server manually as a nonservice; however, on Windows NT it is more common to install the server as a service. Service: All parameters have default values that you can modify in the server.ora file. Nonservice: You can initialize some parameters on the command line when you start up the server. Server File Contents The following parameters exist in the <server>.ora file, and are also available on the command line, if installing manually as a nonservice: Parameter NAME INITENGINE Description A server name that exists in TNSNAMES.ORA file Number of run-time engines running after you invoke Reports Server MINENGINE Minimum number of engines running per server at any time; default = 0 MAXENGINE Maximum number of engines running per server at any time; default = 1 MAXIDLE Maximum time for an engine to remain idle before it is shut down; default = 30 (minutes) Oracle Developer: Build Reports 17-19

120 Lesson 17: Maximizing Performance Using the Reports Server Reports Server Configuration Parameters server_name.ora file in <oracle_home>\report60\server MAXCONNECT=20 CACHEDIR="C:\ORANT\REPORT60\server\cache" CACHESIZE=50 SOURCEDIR="C:\develop\reports" INITENGINE=1 MINENGINE=1 MAXENGINE=3 MAXIDLE=30 SECURITY=1 ENGLIFE=200 Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved Oracle Developer: Build Reports

121 Reports Server Clustering Reports Server Configuration Parameters Additional <servername>.ora parameters: Parameter Description INTERACTIVE Enable Reports Server to send output to screen/preview (Y or N) MAXCONNECT SOURCEDIR CACHEDIR CACHESIZE TEMPDIR SECURITY ENGLIFE Number of Reports Server connections and number of ISV connections Directory that Reports Server initially searches for source (.rdf,.rep) file Output directory of cached report Size determines how big cache can be Directory that Reports Server uses for temporary filespace; if not specified, default = REPORTS30_TMP path Level of access, 0 to 3, for accessing cached output files through Queue Manager; 0 = anyone, 1 = same userid, 2 = same process, 3 = none, default = 1 Maximum number of reports run before engine shuts down and is replaced; default = 200 Log File Contents A <servername>.log file in the same directory contains an administrative actions log, which includes the following information: Shutdown time Startup time Engine start and stop time How Parameters Control Run-Time Engines To conserve application server resources, excess or idle report engines remove themselves from memory for one of the four following reasons: When an engine is idle for a [MAXIDLE] period of minutes, an engine removes itself from the process table and frees up any associated resources. When an engine has run its [ENGLIFE] number of jobs, the reports engine dies gracefully, to be replaced by another engine. In response to changes to the maximum number of engines [MAXENGINE], excess engines are removed. When the multitiered Reports Server shuts down. Oracle Developer: Build Reports 17-21

122 Lesson 17: Maximizing Performance Using the Reports Server Configuring a Clustered Reports Server: Example Add to master_name.ora configuration file clusterconfig= (server=nt-2 minengine=0 maxengine=2 initengine=2 cachedir= H:\Cache ) (server=sun-1 minengine=0 maxengine=2 initengine=2 cachedir= /share/cache ) Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved Oracle Developer: Build Reports

123 Reports Server Clustering Configuring a Clustered Reports Server Reports Server clustering works as a master-slave configuration. You designate a server to be the master by adding the following line in the servername.ora configuration file: clusterconfig= (server=server_name minengine=minimum number of master engines maxengine=maximum number of master engines initengine=initial number of master engines cachedir=directory for central cache) Note: You need an entry for each slave server. The next thing you do is to ensure that the master can see the slaves, and that the slaves can see the master: Add a line to the master tnsnames.ora file for each slave: slave_name.world=(address=(protocol=tcp)(host=slave_name)(port=1949 )) Add a line to the slave tnsnames.ora file to identify the master master_name.world=(address=(protocol=tcp)(host=master_name)(port=1949)) Technical Note The Reports Server requires Oracle Net8. When installing Report Builder, the Installer knows this is a dependency and installs it if necessary. Reports supports the following protocols: NAMED PIPES, and TCP/IP. If you have a sqlnet.ora file with a default domain, you must make sure that you specify the domain in your tnsnames.ora file when entering the server name. For example, my_server.world=(). Alternatively, if you do not use your sqlnet.ora file, remove or rename it. Oracle Developer: Build Reports 17-23

124 Lesson 17: Maximizing Performance Using the Reports Server What Is the Queue Manager? Real-time Reports Server status View report status and scheduled jobs Refresh to see the up-to-date status Reprioritize or cancel jobs Administrator password encrypted in.ora file Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved Oracle Developer: Build Reports

125 Viewing and Scheduling Reports in the Queue Manager Viewing and Scheduling Reports in the Queue Manager Introduction This section explains the features of the Queue Manager and how to use it to view and schedule reports in an easy-to-use GUI interface. What Is the Queue Manager? The Queue Manager is a facility that enables users and administrators to view the current status of each report. You can see all the jobs controlled by the master, as well as the server on which each job is running, and the time that each report started and finished and whether it terminated successfully or with an error. You can also view jobs that are scheduled to run at a future date or time. You can reprioritize or cancel your own scheduled jobs. Administrators can reprioritize or cancel any scheduled jobs. Administrator Privilege In the <servername>.ora file, the first line gives an encrypted password, IDENTIFIER=. You can set this password the first time that you start the Reports Server. At the login prompt, choose any username and password to assign as Administrator. Oracle Developer: Build Reports 17-25

126 Lesson 17: Maximizing Performance Using the Reports Server Queue Manager Past jobs Current jobs Scheduled jobs Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved. Queue Manager All my jobs All jobs Refresh Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved Oracle Developer: Build Reports

127 Viewing and Scheduling Reports in the Queue Manager Viewing Report Jobs The Queue Manager status bar enables you to switch between different views of report jobs. Icon Name Show Past Jobs Show Current Jobs Show Scheduled Jobs Description Displays jobs that have already run for a given Reports Server Displays jobs that are currently running Displays scheduled jobs in order to reprioritize or cancel a job Viewing Different Owners Jobs The Queue Manager status bar enables you to restrict the view of jobs by owner. Icon Name Show all My Jobs Show all Jobs Description Displays your reports for a given Reports Server Displays all reports for a given Reports Server Displaying Up-to-Date Job Status Choose Refresh on the status bar to refresh the screen and display the up-to-date status. The default update interval is 15 seconds. You can alter this interval in the Queue Manager preferences screen: Options >Preferences >Polling Interval Oracle Developer: Build Reports 17-27

128 Lesson 17: Maximizing Performance Using the Reports Server Using the Queue Manager Queue Manager RSVR1 RSVR2 Connect to any number of servers Administrator can shut down server Reports Server restores scheduled jobs after shutdown Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved Oracle Developer: Build Reports

129 Viewing and Scheduling Reports in the Queue Manager Connecting to a Reports Server You can connect to any Reports Server by changing the server name in the Queue Manager status bar. Shutting Down a Reports Server You can shut down the Reports Server from the Queue Manager menu if you have Administrator privileges: Queue >Shutdown This option remains grayed out if you are not logged on as administrator. Retaining Scheduled Jobs After Shutdown The Reports Server maintains a list of all scheduled jobs in a file, <oracle_home>/ report60/server/<servername>.dat. If the Reports Server shuts down and restarts for any reason, it reads this file at startup and restores all scheduled jobs. Oracle Developer: Build Reports 17-29

130 Lesson 17: Maximizing Performance Using the Reports Server Reports Server ActiveX Control Embed in any ActiveX container Run report with a call to RWRBE60 or RWMTS60 Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved Oracle Developer: Build Reports

131 Viewing and Scheduling Reports in the Queue Manager The Reports Server ActiveX Control The Oracle Developer installation provides an ActiveX control, which you can use from other Windows applications to invoke the remote Reports Server and schedule your reports. The ActiveX control is RWSXU60.OCX. This control displays the Queue Manager. You can embed this control in any ActiveX container. Remote or Local Remote Reporting The ActiveX control can run a report by a synchronous or an asynchronous call to the remote Reports Server; it can also run a report by calling the Reports Background Engine. Oracle Developer: Build Reports 17-31

132 Lesson 17: Maximizing Performance Using the Reports Server Summary Reports Server provides: Increased efficiency and scalability Three-tiered architecture Reports client (RWCLI60) Reports Server (RWMTS60) Reports caching Status and rescheduling (RWRQM60) ActiveX control for other applications Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved Oracle Developer: Build Reports

133 Summary Summary The new remote Reports Server provides increased efficiency, scalability and distributed capabilities for large reports. The Queue Manager provides an easy-to-use GUI for viewing and scheduling report jobs. By caching report output, you can ensure that users do not rerun common reports unnecessarily. You can embed the Reports Server ActiveX control in other Windows applications to run and schedule reports. Oracle Developer: Build Reports 17-33

134 Lesson 17: Maximizing Performance Using the Reports Server Practice 17 Overview Running a report on your local machine Running reports on a remote server using the Queue Manager Copying output from a remote server to your local machine Running a report on a remote server using the command line Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved Oracle Developer: Build Reports

135 Practice Session Overview: Lesson 17 Practice Session Overview: Lesson 17 This practice session contains: Running a report on your local machine Running reports on a remote server using the Queue Manager Copying output from a remote server to your local machine Running a report on a remote server using the command line Introduction In this practice session you run a report locally and then on a remote server, using the Queue Manager. You also use the Queue Manager to view the submitted jobs. If you have time, you can submit a report to a remote server using the command line options. Oracle Developer: Build Reports 17-35

136 Lesson 17: Maximizing Performance Using the Reports Server Practice Session: Lesson 17 1 Run longrun1.rdf on your local client machine. a Open longrun1.rdf and run the report. Notice the time it takes for the report to run to completion. If it has not completed within five minutes, note how many pages have been formatted, then cancel the report. Note: Change Destination Type to File in the run-time parameter form when running this report. 2 Run longrun1.rdf and longrun2.rdf by calling the Reports Server from the Queue Manager. Note: Your instructor will give you specific instructions to complete this exercise. The location of the remote server, directory paths, and so on, might differ for your class. a Invoke the Queue Manager. Enter repserver1 as your server name. Note if there are any jobs in the queue. b Schedule a new job to run longrun1.rdf report on the Reports Server. Choose applicable settings from the tab pages of the Queue Manager. For Destination Type, choose ToLocalFile, ToFile, or Cache; the report default is Screen, which is not valid when running a remote report. c Do the same for longrun2.rdf. d Display all jobs to see where your jobs are queued in relation to the reports of other students. e Display all your own jobs only. f Refresh the screen several times to see how quickly the report pages are formatted. g Cancel your own longrun2.rdf from the server queue. 3 When the report longrun1.rdf has finished, copy the output to a filename, longrun1.pdf, in your home directory. If You Have Time 4 Run longrun1.rdf by scheduling a new job from the command line. a Using RWCLI60 from the command line, submit your longrun1.rdf report to the Reports Server. b Ensure the output is in PDF format and that it is cached Oracle Developer: Build Reports

137 18... Building Reports for Different Environments

138 Lesson 18: Building Reports for Different Environments Objectives At the end of this lesson, you should be able to do the following: Build reports for different GUIs Build character mode reports Build reports to run in other languages Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved Oracle Developer: Build Reports

139 Overview Overview Introduction Oracle Developer applications are portable across multiple platforms and multiple languages. You can reduce cross-platform development effort by planning for platform-specific features or restrictions. In this lesson you learn how to build reports to run on various platforms, and in different environments and languages. Objectives At the end of this lesson, you should be able to do the following: Build and run reports in different environments using the MODE parameter Describe the considerations when building reports for different graphical user interfaces (GUIs) Recognize the settings necessary to build character mode reports Describe the facilities available for building reports to run in other languages Oracle Developer: Build Reports 18-3

140 Lesson 18: Building Reports for Different Environments Different Development and Runtime Environments Report Builder development Bitmapped only Report Builder Run-time Bitmapped MODE = bitmap Character mode MODE = character Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved Oracle Developer: Build Reports

141 Different Development and Run-Time Environments Different Development and Run-Time Environments Introduction Although you always develop your reports in a bitmapped environment, the production reports can run in either bitmapped or character mode. Therefore you can develop a report in a bitmapped environment that is to run in a character mode environment. Bitmapped Environment This environment has a unit of pixel and typically supports a mouse. Interaction with the host computer is continuous. The bitmapped Designer allows you, as a developer, to take advantage of the graphical user interface. Character Mode Environment This environment has a unit of character, typically 80x24, and rarely supports a mouse. Interaction with the host computer is at field level; that is, when the user navigates from the field. A report that runs in character mode cannot display any graphics features, such as images, drawings, or multimedia objects. Running a Character Mode Report from the Builder You can test your character mode reports very easily in the bitmapped Report Builder and view the report output in the Previewer. The execution of the report as bitmapped or character simply depends on a system parameter called MODE. You can change this parameter in Report Builder, to test the character output during your report development. Oracle Developer: Build Reports 18-5

142 Lesson 18: Building Reports for Different Environments Developing Reports to Run in Different GUIs Use common fonts or map fonts in uifont.ali Use common colors Beware of DPI (dots per inch) Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved Oracle Developer: Build Reports

143 Developing Reports to Run in Different GUIs Developing Reports to Run in Different GUIs Introduction There are a few points that you should consider when moving a report from one GUI to another, because the following GUI differences may affect the report output. Use Common Fonts If possible, use fonts that you know exist on the target GUI; otherwise, remember to set up your font alias file so that the fonts that you use during development map to existing similar fonts on the target GUI. Example In the uifont.ali file on Microsoft Windows, map Motif and Mac fonts to Microsoft Windows: /* Motif fonts */ lucidatypewriter= Courier New lucidabright= Times New Roman fixed = Courier New /* Mac fonts */ Avant Garde = Arial New York = Times New Roman In the uifont.ali file on UNIX (motif), map Microsoft Windows fonts to Motif: /* Microsoft Windows fonts */ Courier New = lucidatypewriter Times New Roman = lucidabright Use Common Colors If possible, use a color that you know exists on the target GUI; otherwise, use one that maps well to the default color of the target GUI. Beware of Dots Per Inch The dots per inch (DPI) may differ between machines, even if they both use the same GUI. This only affects how alphanumeric characters wordwrap on the screen. Therefore, if you design a report that is displayed in the previewer, try to use the same DPI as the users who will eventually run the report. Oracle Developer: Build Reports 18-7

144 Lesson 18: Building Reports for Different Environments Building Character Mode Reports Use predefined character mode template Modify report properties Avoid GUI objects: graphics, buttons, OLE2 Avoid borders Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved Oracle Developer: Build Reports

145 Building Character Mode Reports Building Character Mode Reports Introduction Because of the difference between GUI and character mode environments, and because of the limitation of character mode, consider the following points during development. Set Report-Level Properties Define character mode settings before creating any part of your report layout, in preparation for running in character mode. There are two methods: Select the character mode template in the Report wizard. This is the simplest method. You can copy and modify the template to create character-mode templates with different settings. Open the report property palette and modify the character mode settings. Always select Use Character Units in Designer when developing character reports. Avoid Graphics, Buttons, and OLE Avoid using graphic objects. When executing a report in character mode, Report Builder converts all boilerplate objects (except rectangles, lines, and text) to rectangles, as well as any field with a nontext source (for example, a file column referencing a multimedia file) and any Graphics Display. To include graphics, you can choose to show the area that contains a graphic object by selecting the Convert Bitmapped Objects to Boxes check box in the Character Mode tab of report properties. This option displays an empty rectangle with a border in place of the graphic object. Avoid Borders Border behavior differs between the environments. If you must use borders in character mode reports, select the Convert Borders check box under the character mode in the report property palette. This option displays borders in the Layout editor more effectively. Oracle Developer: Build Reports 18-9

146 Lesson 18: Building Reports for Different Environments Building Character Mode Reports Also consider: Font Color Fill patterns Format attributes Printer codes Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved Oracle Developer: Build Reports

147 Building Character Mode Reports Font Before creating any layout, choose a font that converts successfully to ASCII/EBCDIC characters, such as Courier. The character template provides a suitable font. Text styles of Underline, Inverted, and Blink convert to character mode attributes Underline, Reverse Video, and Blink, but only if you use a character mode terminal definition that supports those attributes. Similarly, the text weight of Medium may convert to bold. Color Avoid the use of color; Report Builder assigns colors to fill patterns. Fill Patterns Avoid the use of fill patterns; a transparent fill successfully converts to a character mode transparent fill, but all other fill patterns convert to a solid fill. Format Attributes Only certain mask attributes apply in character mode when using the SRW.SET_ATTR procedure. Report Builder ignores bitmapped codes when running the report in character mode, and vice versa. You can therefore include both bitmapped and character mode attributes in the same report if you want it to run in both environments. Printer Codes You can include printer codes in your reports in preparation for running in character mode; Report Builder ignores the codes if you run the report in bitmapped mode. Oracle Developer: Build Reports 18-11

148 Lesson 18: Building Reports for Different Environments Setting NLS Language Environment Variables NLS_LANG DEVELOPER_NLS_LANG, USER_NLS_LANG NLS_LANG=French_France.WE8DEC UNICODE NLS_LANG=<lang>_<territory>.AL24UTFFSS Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved Oracle Developer: Build Reports

149 Building Reports to Run in Different Languages Building Reports to Run in Different Languages Introduction This section gives a brief overview of the features in Oracle and Oracle Developer that provide support for building multilingual applications: Switching languages using Oracle s National Language Support (NLS) Translating an application using Translation Builder Setting NLS Language Environment Variables Three language environment variables are available: NLS_LANG DEVELOPER_NLS_LANG USER_NLS_LANG DEVELOPER_NLS_LANG and USER_NLS_LANG take the same parameter as NLS_LANG. Use them as an alternative to NLS_LANG when you need to use two sets of resource and message files at the same time; for example, if you prefer to develop using English but need to build an application in another language. Syntax NLS_LANG = <language>_<territory>.character_set Language: Language conventions for displaying messages and day and month names Territory: Conventions for default date format, and for displaying currency, decimal, and thousands symbols Character_set: Character set in which data is displayed Example NLS_LANG=French_France.WE8DEC Using Unicode in Oracle Developer Unicode (UCS-2) is a fixed-length two-byte character set that represents up to 65,536 characters. Using Unicode in Oracle Developer enables you to display multiple languages in one application without switching character sets. Syntax NLS_LANG = <language>_<territory>.al24utffss Oracle Developer: Build Reports 18-13

150 Lesson 18: Building Reports for Different Environments Translating a Developer/2000 Application Use Translation Builder to: Extract strings; import into repository Execute translation Merge back into original resource Consider: Format masks Hardcoded strings Multiple character sets Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved Oracle Developer: Build Reports

151 Building Reports to Run in Different Languages Translating an Oracle Developer Application Translation Builder is a component of Oracle Developer that supports and manages translations of text extracted from both Oracle resource files, such as Oracle Developer applications, and non-oracle resource files such as Microsoft Windows (.rc) and HTML files. You can translate a report from any language to any other language. Once a translation is complete, you can use that translation as a base for further translations. Translations are portable across multiple platforms. How to Translate a Resource 1 Use the Project Navigator to extract translatable strings from Oracle or non-oracle resources and import them into the translation repository. 2 Add a translation by indicating the language. 3 Execute the translation using the Translation editor. 4 Preview the translation by performing appearance checking and tuning to preserve an acceptable look and feel. 5 Extract the translated strings and merge them back into the original resource. Considerations When Designing Multilingual Applications Format masks: Make sure to provide extra space for translation of date and numeric format masks. Text strings: Avoid hardcoding a string containing language-specific words such as a month name. Character sets: If using an application that will run with multiple character sets, determine the one that is most frequently used and generate the application files with the relevant NLS language settings. Oracle Developer: Build Reports 18-15

152 Lesson 18: Building Reports for Different Environments Summary GUIs: Colors, uifont.ali Character mode: Templates, report properties, MODE parameter Languages: NLS, Unicode, Translation Builder Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved Oracle Developer: Build Reports

153 Summary Summary Building reports to run on different GUIs: - If reports must run on different GUIs, remember to use common features, such as the common color names. - Use uifont.ali to map different fonts if necessary. Building character mode reports: - Use the character template. - Copy the template and rename it to create several templates with different settings, such as page sizes. - Use the MODE parameter to switch from bitmap to character mode. Building reports to run in different languages: - Oracle Developer provides National Language Support. - Oracle Developer provides Unicode support to handle multiple character sets in one application. - Translation Builder supports and manages translations of extracted text strings. Oracle Developer: Build Reports 18-17

154 Lesson 18: Building Reports for Different Environments Oracle Developer: Build Reports

155 A... Solutions

156 Appendix A: Solutions Practice Session Overview: Lesson 1 Introduction This practice familiarizes you with Oracle Developer by asking you a number of questions that you answer by navigating through the interface and by investigating Help Topics. After each question, space is provided for you to write the answer. Or, if you prefer, use a separate sheet of paper. Depending on the size of your group, the instructor might ask you to answer some of the questions and share your answers with the rest of the class. Depending on the environment you are using in this course, the instructor might ask you to compile some reports from the Project Builder. A-2 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

157 Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 1 Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 1 1 Launch Report Builder and then choose Cancel in the wizard. Choose Report Builder in the launcher. When Report Builder is up, choose Cancel in the wizard. 2 Change your preferences so that a newly opened report is not immediately executed. To do this you must suppress the Report editor on Open. Select Tools >Preferences from the menu. On the General tab, select the option Suppress Report Editor on Open and then choose OK. 3 Open the report named p2q2.rdf. Choose Open from the toolbar or File >Open from the menu and then select the file named p2q2.rdf. 4 Change your preferences so that you can work with a report definition either in a file or the database. Ensure that the default list shows only reports. Select Tools >Preferences from the menu. On the Access tab select the option File/Database and check Reports. Notice that the select in All is cleared. Choose OK to accept your preferences. 5 Open another report: p2q3.rdf. Notice the additional dialog box. Choose Open from the toolbar or File >Open from the menu. Accept the dialog box. In the File Browse dialog box, select the file named p2q3.rdf and choose OK. 6 Reset your preferences to work with files only. Enable a report to be run automatically on open. Select Tools >Preferences from the menu. On the General tab clear the option Suppress Report Editor on Open. On the Access tab select the option File. Choose OK to accept your preferences. Oracle Developer: Build Reports A-3

158 Appendix A: Solutions 7 Use the context-sensitive Help to discover more about preferences. Select Tools >Preferences from the menu. Choose Help or press the Help key (F1 on Windows systems). General: a What setting must you choose for color mode if you want to alter the color palette for a specific report? Choose the General tab in the Help system. In the dialog box, select Color Mode and choose Display. You must set the color mode to Editable. b What menu option do you use to alter the color palette? Format >Layout Options >Color Palette. Close the Help system. Run-time values: Go back into the Tools >Preferences Help system. c What is the purpose of the Runtime Values? Choose the Runtime Values tab in the Help system. Run-time values are values used if you run your report in the current session. d When do they take effect? Immediately e What must you do to change the default setting in your report? You must update the Initial Value of the appropriate parameter in the report definition. f What are the names of the three run-time values that affect the report destination, and what are the three related report parameters? Destination Format DESFORMAT Destination Name Destination Type DESNAME DESTYPE Close the Help system and leave the Preferences dialog box. A-4 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

159 Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 1 8 Use Help Topics to discover more about the functionality of Oracle Developer Report Builder: Choose Help >Report Builder Help Topics from the menu. a What is MAPI? Use the index to look for MAPI. Choose MAPI, about. MAPI is the Microsoft Messaging Application Program Interface used to send reports to an system. b What are the prerequisites for sending a report as an attachment? You must have an appropriate MAPI mail client. c The report is sent as what type of attachment format? Bitmapped reports are sent as PostScript files, character mode reports as ASCII text. d What are the three steps to install Oracle Developer demonstrations? Use the index to look for Demos, Installing. The three steps are: 1. Install the demo database objects. 2. Install Report Builder Demo fonts. 3. Install Java classes for the Java Reports demo. 9 Use Help on Manuals to answer the following questions in the Oracle Information Navigator: Note: In the Information Navigator, choose Tools >Preferences to initialize your Web browser. Your instructor will tell you which browser to use. Choose Help >Manuals from the menu. a What are the three top-level folder names for the online manuals? Oracle Developer: Guidelines for Building Applications 6.0 Oracle Developer: Getting Started 6.0 Configuring the Oracle Developer Server 6.0I Oracle Developer: Build Reports A-5

160 Appendix A: Solutions b c d In the Getting Started Manual, what are the five topics included in Administrative Procedures? Expand the node Oracle Developer: Getting Started in the Oracle Information Navigator. Choose Oracle Developer: Index. Go to Administrative Procedures. The five topics are: Building Oracle Developer Database Tables Using the Database Tables Granting and Revoking User Access Deleting the Oracle Developer Database Tables Upgrading the Oracle Developer Database Tables In Designing Portable Applications, what is the purpose of section 6.3? Expand the node Oracle Developer: Guidelines for Building Applications in the Oracle Information Navigator. Choose Designing Portable Applications. Section 6.3 discusses developing a report for maximum portability. Name the three language environment variables available when developing multilingual applications. Choose Oracle Developer: Guidelines for Building Applications and then choose Index in the Oracle Information Navigator. Go to Multilingual Applications in the index. The three environment variables are: DEVELOPER_NLS_LANG NLS_LANG USER_NLS_LANG A-6 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

161 Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 1 10 Use Quick Tour to find out how to prepare a report for the World Wide Web. Choose Help >Quick Tour from the menu. In the Web browser, choose Report Builder, then choose Preparing a Report for the World Wide Web. a What changes do you have to make to your report to deploy it on the Web? Page 2 of 9: You can prepare an existing report for the World Wide Web without making any changes to the report. b What output formats can you choose from? Page 4 of 9: You can choose from HTML or PDF output formats. Oracle Developer: Build Reports A-7

162 Appendix A: Solutions Practice Session Overview: Lesson 2 This practice session contains: Invoking the Reports Runtime executable from the Program Manager Executing a number of different reports. For each report, answer some questions Introduction Before you learn to develop reports in the Builder, you should investigate the runtime executable that you use constantly in the production environment and for testing your reports prior to production. This practice session consists of a combination of practical and paper-based questions. A-8 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

163 Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 2 Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 2 1 Invoke the Reports Runtime executable. Choose Reports Runtime from the Oracle Developer menu. This may differ according to the classroom setup. 2 Run the report called p2q2.rep. From the menu choose File >Run. The File Browse window opens. Select p2q2.rep and choose Open. a Examine the report in the Previewer window. Among the styles discussed in this lesson as a reference, what style of report is it? Tabular report b How many groups of data are there in this report? One group of data, each row being displayed once within the group. c In the Previewer window, use the scroll bars to move up and down the report to see all of the data. Use the scroll bar on the right side of the Previewer to scroll up and down the report data. d Close the Previewer window. You are now back in the Runtime window. In the Previewer, choose Close Previewer. 3 From the Runtime window, run report p2q3.rep. From the menu choose File >Run.The file Browse window opens. Select p2q3.rep and then choose Open. a In the Previewer window, move to the next page. Notice that this report has a header page with text. Notice that the Previewer also has many more buttons highlighted. This is because there are more available actions, such as Next Page, Previous Page, Last Page, and First Page. Choose Next Page to navigate from one page to another. b What style of report is this? Tabular report Oracle Developer: Build Reports A-9

164 Appendix A: Solutions c In the Previewer window, experiment with the horizontal and vertical split screen features. To split the Previewer horizontally: Choose the small gray area at the top of the right scroll bar. Keep the left mouse button down and drag the gray area. As you do this, you see that a thick dotted line is dragged down the Previewer. Release the left mouse button when you have reached the desired split point. Now you have two windows, which work independently from each other. Move the split bar back to its original position. To split the Previewer vertically: Choose the small gray area at the left of the horizontal scroll bar at the bottom of the window. Keep the left mouse button down and drag the gray area. As you do this, you see that a thick dotted line is dragged right across the Previewer. Release the left mouse button when you have reached the desired split point. Now you have two windows, which work independently from each other d Close the Previewer window. You are now back in the Runtime window. In the Previewer choose Close Previewer. 4 From the Runtime window, run report p2q4.rep. From the menu choose File >Run. The File Browse window opens. Select p2q4.rep and then choose Open. a What style of report is this? It is a Master/Detail report. b How many groups of data are in this report? There are two groups of data. c How many pages are there in this report? There are three pages. Choose Last Page to navigate to the last page. d Close the Previewer window. You are now back in the Runtime window. In the Previewer, choose Close Previewer. A-10 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

165 Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 2 5 From the Runtime window, run report p2q5.rep From the menu choose File >Run.The File Browse window opens. Select p2q5.rep and choose Open. a What style of report is this? It is a Matrix report. b How many groups of data are in this report? There are four groups of data: Year Department Job Title Salary There actually is an additional, invisible cross product group around Year, Department, and Job; this special group defines the matrix structure and is explained in the lesson on matrix reports. c Close the Previewer window. You are now back in the Runtime window. In the Previewer choose Close Previewer. 6 From the Runtime window, run report p2q6.rep. From the menu choose File >Run. The File Browse window opens. Select p2q6.rep and choose Open. a Notice the Parameter Form. You are requested to input a customer ID. The report will display order information based on your input. b Specify a valid customer ID and run the report. Valid values include 201, 210, and 213; choose one of these and then choose Run Report. Click in the Customer ID field and enter one of the suggested numbers. Choose Run Report. c What do you think would be a better method of providing valid values to a user? It would be more user-friendly to display a list of values for the Customer IDs. You could even make the list more meaningful by adding the customer names. This can be built into the report. In later lessons you will see how this can be implemented. Oracle Developer: Build Reports A-11

166 Appendix A: Solutions d Close the Previewer window. You are now back in the Runtime window. In the Previewer, choose Close Previewer. e Run the report again. This time do not specify a customer ID. From the menu choose File >Run. The File Browse window opens. Select p2q6.rep and choose Open, then immediately choose Run Report without entering a value for customer ID. i What is the result? The result is that the report does run; however, it does not display any data. There are no NULL customer IDs. ii In a production situation, what should happen in this instance? The user should be prevented from entering a NULL value or a blank. In later lessons you will see how this can be implemented. f Close the Previewer window. You are now back in the Runtime window. In the Previewer, choose Close Previewer. g Run the report again. This time enter Customer ID 999. From the menu choose File >Run. The File Browse window opens. Select p2q6.rep and choose Open. Enter the customer ID 999 and choose Run Report. i What is the result? The result is that the report does run; however, it does not display any data. There is no customer ID 999. ii In a production situation, what should happen in this instance? The user should be prevented from entering an invalid value. In later lessons you will see how this can be implemented. h Close the Previewer window. You are now back in the Runtime window. In the Previewer, choose Close Previewer. A-12 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

167 Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 2 7 From the Runtime window, run report p2q7.rep. From the menu choose File >Run. The File Browse window opens. Select p2q7.rep and choose Open. a In the Parameter Form notice the list of values for the Customer information. The report displays order information based on your input. b Select a valid customer name and run the report. Select a customer name from the list of values for customer. Close the Previewer window. You are now back in the Runtime window. In the Previewer, choose Close Previewer. 8 From the Runtime window, run report p2q8.rep. From the menu choose File >Run. The File Browse window opens. Select p2q8.rep and choose Open. a What do you notice that is different about this report? A button is displayed to the right of the customer information. b Choose Details. Another report is called to display information about the orders the customer has placed with the company. This is called a Drill-Down report. c Close the Orders Report Previewer window and then close the Customer Report Previewer window. You are now back in the Runtime window. In the Orders Report Previewer choose Close Previewer. In the Customer Report Previewer choose Close Previewer. d Exit Reports Runtime. From the menu choose File >Exit. Oracle Developer: Build Reports A-13

168 Appendix A: Solutions Practice Session Overview: Lesson 3 This practice session contains: Invoking Report Builder Opening an existing report Switching views in the Report editor Accessing the Help system Introduction The questions in the practice session provide an introduction to the Report Builder interface. You open and navigate through an existing report definition and use the Help system to obtain information about some of the Report executables. A-14 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

169 Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 3 Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 3 1 If you closed Project Builder in Practice 1, invoke Project Builder and then invoke Report Builder from the Project Builder Launcher toolbar. If it is still open, go to Report Builder. If you need to reopen Report Builder, choose Project Builder from the Oracle Developer menu. Do not open an existing project. Choose Cancel. In the Launcher choose Report Builder. 2 Open an run an existing report: p3q2.rdf. In the Welcome dialog box of Report Builder select the Open an Existing Report option and choose OK. Open p3q2.rdf from the file system and run the report. If prompted, connect to the database using the login information your instructor gives to you. When the parameter form comes up, choose Run Report, accepting all the defaults. 3 In the Report editor, switch to the Data Model view. In the Object Navigator, select Q_1. Hint: Use the Find field at the top of the Object Navigator. Notice the object that is selected in the Data Model view. While the Report Editor window is active, choose View >Data Model from the menu. Activate the Object Navigator window. Click in the Find field and enter Q_. The Navigator expands the appropriate node and highlights the first object that meets the entered value. In the Data Model editor, the query object Q_1 is selected. Oracle Developer: Build Reports A-15

170 Appendix A: Solutions 4 In the Report editor, switch to the Layout Model. In the Object Navigator, select F_ID. Hint: Use the Find field at the top of the Object Navigator. Notice the object that is selected in the Layout Model view. Fully expand the Layout Model node and select R_G_ORD_ID. Notice the object that is selected in the Layout Model view. While the Report Editor window is active, choose View >Layout Model from the menu. Activate the Object Navigator window. Click in the Find field and enter F_. The Navigator expands the appropriate node and highlights the first object that meets the entered value. In the Layout Model editor the field F_ID is selected. In the Object Navigator window, select the Layout Model node and choose Expand All in the toolbar; or choose Navigator >Layout Model editor. Choose Expand All from the menu. Select R_G_ORD_ID. In the Layout Model editor, the repeating frame R_G_ORD_ID is selected. 5 In the Report editor, switch to the Parameter Form view. In the Object Navigator, expand the Parameter Form node. Select PF_DESTYPE. Notice the object that is selected in the Parameter Form. Use the Find field at the top of the Object Navigator to select P_CUSTID. Is any object selected in the Parameter Form? What is the reason? While the Report Editor window is active, choose View > Parameter Form from the menu. In the Object Navigator select the Parameter Form node and choose Expand All from the toolbar or choose Navigator >Expand All from the menu. Select PF_DESTYPE. In the Parameter Form editor the object PF_DESTYPE is selected. In the Object Navigator window, click in the Find field and enter P_. The Navigator expands the appropriate node and highlights P_CUSTID. In the Parameter Form editor the object PF_DESTYPE is not selected, because P_CUSTID is a parameter and not a parameter field. Parameters are part of the Data Model, not the Parameter Form. A-16 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

171 Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 3 6 Use Help Topics to answer the following questions: From the menu, choose Help >Report Builder Help Topics. In the Index tab, enter Executables in the selection field; select Invoking from the index entry list below and choose Display. Choose Related Topics. a What is RWMTS60? Choose RWMTS60 from the dialog box. b What is RWCLI60? Choose RWCLI60 from the text. c Close the Help system. Oracle Developer: Build Reports A-17

172 Appendix A: Solutions Practice Session Overview: Lesson 4 This practice session contains: Creating and saving a Tabular report Modifying the report to create and save a Group Above break report Creating and saving a form letter Creating and saving a Matrix report Creating and saving a Matrix with Group report Introduction The questions in the practice session are intended to ensure that you have a good understanding of how to create various styles of report using the Report Wizard. Note: When you are completing the practice sessions, keep to the file-naming conventions that the questions specify. You might need these files in later practices. In addition, note the field headings and widths. With many reports, you need to change these to achieve the desired result. Many of the practice sessions ask you to rename files beforehand; be sure to use Save As, not Save, so that you do not overwrite the existing file name. A-18 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

173 Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 4 Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 4 Invoking Report Builder and the Wizard If Report Builder is not open, launch it from Project Builder and create a new report using the Report Wizard. Select Project Builder from the Oracle Developer menu. Do not open an existing project. Choose Cancel. In the Launcher, choose Report Builder. In the Welcome dialog box of Report Builder, select the Use the Report Wizard option and choose OK. If Report Builder is open after the previous practice session: Close any reports currently in the Object Navigator. Create a new report by selecting the Report node and choosing Create Object. Note: There is an alternative method. If no reports are open in the Object Navigator, you can double-click the Report node. 1 Create a tabular report containing the following data. Use Query Builder to build the query. S_DEPT: NAME S_EMP: FIRST_NAME, LAST_NAME, TITLE, SALARY, COMMISSION_PCT Display all fields. Do not make any changes to the other wizard pages. In the Select Data Tables dialog box, highlight the S_DEPT and S_EMP tables, choose Include, and close the dialog box. In the Query Builder window, select the columns from the tables and choose OK. Choose Next. Copy all fields from the Available Fields area to the Displayed Fields area. Choose Next on all other wizard pages and choose Finish on the last page. Oracle Developer: Build Reports A-19

174 Appendix A: Solutions 2 Using the reentrant Report Wizard, make the following modifications (test your report frequently). Select Tools >Report Wizard from the menu or choose Report Wizard from the horizontal toolbar. Modify the query to sort the data in descending order of salary. On the Data tab choose Query Builder. In the Query Builder window choose Sort. Copy the SALARY column to the Sorted Columns, select it, and choose Sorting Order Descending. Close the Sort dialog box and the Query Builder. Choose Finish to test your report. Add a summary to show the total salary value. Reenter the Report wizard by choosing Report Wizard from the toolbar. On the Totals tab select SALARY and choose Sum. Reduce the width of SALARY and TOTAL to 6. Change the COMMISSION_PCT label to Comm and reduce the width to 4. Make the necessary changes on the Labels tab and choose Finish to test your report. Save the report to a file named p4q2.rdf. Select File >Save As from the menu and save the file to disk. 3 Using the reentrant wizard, modify the report to create a break report. Choose report style Group Above. Choose the report style on the Style tab. Group the report by the department name. On the Groups tab copy NAME to the Group Fields area. Choose the template called Bright 1. Choose the template on the Template tab. Choose Finish to close the Wizard. Save the report as p4q3.rdf. Select File >Save As from the menu and save the file to disk. A-20 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

175 Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 4 4 Create a new report containing the following data: Use the Report Wizard. Choose Mailing Labels style. Use Query Builder to build the query. Create a new report by selecting the Report node in the Object Navigator and choosing Create Object. As an alternative you can also select File >New >Report from the menu. Choose Mailing Label style. For the query type, accept the default selection of SQL statement. Choose Query Builder. In the Select Data Tables highlight the S_CUSTOMER and S_ORD tables, choose Include, and close the dialog box. In the Query Builder window select the necessary columns from the tables and choose OK. S_CUSTOMER: NAME, ADDRESS, CITY, STATE S_ORD: ID, DATE_SHIPPED, TOTAL In the text area, include all four customer fields, each field on a new line. Copy NAME, CITY, ADDRESS, and STATE to the Mailing Label Text area. To enter the line feeds you can either use the button or simply press the [Return] key. Select the template Draft and choose Finish. Select the template on the next page. Save the report to a file named p4q4.rdf. Select File >Save As from the menu and save the file to disk. Oracle Developer: Build Reports A-21

176 Appendix A: Solutions 5 Using the reentrant wizard, modify the report to create a Form Letter style. Reenter the Report wizard by choosing Report Wizard from the toolbar or selecting Tools >Report Wizard from the menu. On the Style tab choose Form Letter. In the text area, enter some free-flowing text for each order. For example: Order No. &<ID> was shipped to &<NAME> in &<CITY> on &<DATE_SHIPPED>. The order has a total value of &<TOTAL> dollars. Copy the fields that you want to use to the Form Letter Text area and enter your free-flowing text. Select a different template and choose Finish. Save the report as p4q5.rdf. Select File >Save As from the menu and save the file to disk. 6 Create a new report.use Query Builder to build the query. Create a new report by selecting the Report node in the Object Navigator and choosing Create Object. As an alternative you can also select File >New >Report from the menu. Choose the matrix report style. On the first page choose Matrix. For the query, import the contents of p4q6.sql. Choose Import SQL Query and select p4q6.sql from the Import dialog box. Display customer names down the left side of the page. Copy NAME to the Matrix Row Fields area. Display product numbers across the top of the page. Copy PRODUCT_ID to the Matrix Column Fields area. Display the total value in the cells. Choose Sum to copy the sum of TOTAL_VALUE to the Matrix Cell Fields area. Create a summary to give the total of the sum(total_value) values. Select Sum(TOTAL_VALUE) and choose Sum. A-22 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

177 Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 4 Reduce the widths of PRODUCT_ID to 5 and all four summaries to 7. Change the PRODUCT_ID label to Product. Make the necessary changes in the Labels and Width fields. Choose a template that gives Landscape output. Select one of the Landscape templates and choose Finish to run your report. Save the report to a file named p4q6.rdf. Select File >Save As from the menu and save the file to disk. If You Have Time 7 Modify the matrix report to create a Matrix with Group. Reenter the Report wizard by choosing Report Wizard from the toolbar or Tools >Report Wizard from the menu. On the Style tab choose Matrix with Group. Choose Month as the group and check that all totals have a width of 7. Go to the Group tab and copy MONTH to the Matrix Group Fields area. Check on the Labels tab that all fields with a label Total: have a width of 7. Save the report as p4q7.rdf. Select File >Save As from the menu and save the file to disk. Note: The query for the matrix reports above has been restricted to display only products beginning with 4, so that you can see and understand the complete matrix more easily. Oracle Developer: Build Reports A-23

178 Appendix A: Solutions Practice Session Overview: Lesson 5 This practice session involves modifying reports by applying changes in the Live Previewer Introduction In this practice session you will reuse some of the reports that you created in the last session. A-24 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

179 Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 5 Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 5 1 Open report p4q2.rdf. Make the following changes in the Live Previewer: To open the file select File >Open from the menu or choose Open on the toolbar. Run the report by selecting it in the Object Navigator and then selecting Program > Run Report from the menu or choosing Run in the toolbar. a Make the columns SALARY and COMM right justified. Do not forget to justify the column header accordingly. Select the columns SALARY and COMM and their labels. Then choose End Justify from the style bar or select Format > Justify >End from the menu. b Add commas and a currency symbol to SALARY. Add two decimal places. While the column is selected choose Commas from the style bar. This adds the group separators. Then choose Add Decimal Place from the style bar to add one decimal place. Repeat the action for the second decimal place. You can also select the commas and decimal places options from the Format menu. c Add one decimal place and a percent sign to COMM. While the column is selected choose Percent and then Add Decimal Place from the style bar. You can also select the percent and decimal places options from the Format menu. d Edit the heading of the COMM field. Change the text to Comm Pct. Select the label of the COMM field, then click it again to get into Change mode. Enter your text, then click outside the label to make your changes permanent. Oracle Developer: Build Reports A-25

180 Appendix A: Solutions e Make the total at the end of the report right justified and add commas, currency symbol, and two decimal places, as in the column SALARY. Select the column, then choose End Justify from the style bar or select Format >Justify >End from the menu. While the column is selected choose Commas and then Add Decimal Place from the style bar. Repeat the action for the second decimal place. f Change the label of the total to bold font. Select the label, then choose Bold from the style bar or use Format >Font in the menu. g Make whatever other changes you like. No formal solution. h Save the report to a file named p5q1.rdf and close it. 2 Open report p4q3.rdf. Make the following changes in the Live Previewer: To open the file select File >Open from the menu or choose Open from the toolbar. Run the report by selecting it in the Object Navigator and then selecting Program > Run Report from the menu or choosing Run from the toolbar. a Remove the border around the total for each department. Select the column, and choose Line Color from the vertical toolbar. Choose No Line to remove the line color. b Add commas and two decimal places to the SALARY field and the total and make them right justified. Do not forget to justify the column header for the SALARY field accordingly. Select the column and its header, then choose End Justify from the style bar or select Format >Justify >End from the menu. While the column is selected choose Commas and then Add Decimal Place from the style bar. Repeat the action for the second decimal place. You can also select the options from the Format menu. A-26 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

181 Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 5 c Make the same changes to the total at the end of the report. Move the grand total so that it aligns with the SALARY field (you must do this manually; use the ruler guides to help you). Select the column, then choose End Justify from the style bar or select Format >Justify >End from the menu. While the column is selected choose Commas and then Add Decimal Place from the style bar. Repeat the action for the second decimal place. You can also select the options from the Format menu. d Change the color of the heading to gray. Select a label, and choose Select Parent Frame from the style bar. Choose Fill Color from the vertical toolbar. e Make whatever other changes you like. No formal solution. f Save the report to a file named p5q2.rdf and close it. 3 Open report p5q3_a.rdf. Make the following changes in the Live Previewer: To open the file select File >Open from the menu or choose Open from the toolbar. Run the report by selecting it in the Object Navigator and then selecting Program > Run Report from the menu or choosing Run from the toolbar. a Add a date at the top center of the page. Give it any format you want. Hint: Choose the font, style, and text color you want before inserting the date. Choose Insert Date and Time from the top toolbar or Insert >Date and Time from the menu. b Make whatever other changes you like. No formal solution. c Save the report to a file named p5q3.rdf and close it. Oracle Developer: Build Reports A-27

182 Appendix A: Solutions 4 Open report p4q6.rdf. Make the following changes in the Live Previewer: To open the file select File >Open from the menu or choose Open from the toolbar. Run the report by selecting it in the Object Navigator and then selecting Program > Run Report from the menu or choosing Run from the toolbar. a Right justify the Product ID field. Select the Product ID field, then choose End Justify from the style bar or choose Format >Justify >End from the menu. b Remove the border around the cell values and the parent frame. Select the column, hold down the [Shift] key, and choose Select Parent Frame from the style bar.then hold down the [Shift] key and select the column again. Choose Line Color from the vertical toolbar. Choose No Line to remove the line color from both the column and the parent frame. c Add commas and two decimal places to the cells and summaries and make them right justified. Select the columns and choose End Justify from the style bar or select Format >Justify >End from the menu. While the columns are selected choose Commas and then Add Decimal Place from the style bar. You can also select the options from the Format menu. d Add a gray line color to the parent frames of NAME and PRODUCT ID. Select the column NAME and choose Select Parent Frame from the style bar. Choose Line Color from the vertical toolbar. Repeat for the column PRODUCT. e Save the report to a file named p5q4.rdf and close it. A-28 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

183 Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 5 If You Have Time 5 Open the file p5q2.rdf and conditionally highlight the SALARY field. To open the file select File >Open from the menu or choose Open from the toolbar. Run the report by selecting it in the Object Navigator and then selecting Program > Run Report from the menu or choosing Run from the toolbar. a If the salary is less than 1000, then print the field in italics. Select the SALARY field, then choose Format >Conditional Formatting from the menu or use the right mouse button to open the pop-up menu and choose Conditional Formatting from the pop-up menu. The Conditional Formatting dialog box opens. Choose New and enter the condition and formatting as required. Choose OK to return to the first page but do not close the dialog box. b If the salary is more than 2000, then print the field in italics and make the text color red. Choose New again and enter the second condition and formatting as required. Choose OK to return to the first page of the dialog box and then OK again to close the dialog box. 6 Save the report to a file named p5q5.rdf and close it. Oracle Developer: Build Reports A-29

184 Appendix A: Solutions Practice Session Overview: Lesson 6 This practice session contains: Customizing an existing template Applying the modified template to an existing report Introduction In this practice session, you open an existing template, which is one of the standard templates shipped with the Oracle Developer Release 6 installation. You modify objects in the margin and body regions and save the template to a new filename. Then you apply the modified template to an existing report and note the differences. A-30 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

185 Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 6 Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 6 1 Customize an existing template, adding a company logo and report title to the report margin, and modify the report body. a Open corp1.tdf. This file should exist in your home directory; it is a copy of the Corporate 1 predefined template. Select the Templates node in the Object Navigator. Choose Open and select the file named corp1.tdf. b Display the margin region. (This usually appears by default when you open a template.) c Delete the Oracle buildings logo. Import summitlo.tif and place in the top left corner of the margin; this file should exist in your home directory. Select the Oracle buildings logo and press the [Delete] key. Choose File >Import >Image from the menu. From the File Browse window choose the file name summitlo.tif. Resize it to fit into the margin region. d Modify the report title line: change 21st Century Products to Summit Report. Choose the Text tool from the vertical toolbar. Select the text 21st Century Products and change it to Summit Report. e Display the body region to view the changes you will make in the next steps. Choose the Margin/Body toggle button from the toolbar in the Template editor. f Change the foreground color (fill color) of the section frame to white. Make these changes general, not specific to a particular layout. In the Template editor select the Section Frame. Select any of the objects and use the Select Parent Frame tool to select the outermost frame. Use the Fill Color palette or the property palette to change the color. Alternative solution: In the Object Navigator expand the Body node, the Default node, and the Frames node. Open the property palette for the body of the section frame. Oracle Developer: Build Reports A-31

186 Appendix A: Solutions Under the heading Style, change the Foreground Color property to White. g Change the justification of number fields to End. Do not forget to change the justification of labels for number fields to End. Select the number field and the number heading in the Template editor and choose the End justify tool from the stylebar. Alterative solution: Open the Field Labels/Headings and the Fields nodes in the Object Navigator. Select Number in both nodes. Open the property palette for your selections. Choose Union (the button is a toggle and the tooltip says Intersection at this point) from the property palette toolbar to display all properties. Under the headings Label and Fields, change the number justification to End. Change the justification of number summary fields to End. Select Summaries in the Object Navigator. In the property palette change the number justifications for fields to Right. h Save the template as summit.tdf. 2 Apply the modified template to an existing report. Hint: you must search for the template file; it does not appear in the list of predefined templates. a b c d e Open p4q3.rdf. Apply summit.tdf to the report. Invoke the Report Wizard. On the Template tab select the option Template File. Choose Browse to enter the name of the file in the field below. The report shows some changes but not all. Which template changes have been applied and which have not? Changes applied: Logo, report title, color of section frame region Changes not applied: Number justification To apply all changes to your report you will have to create the layout again. From the menu choose Edit >Select All to select all layout objects. Now delete them. Invoke the Report Wizard and reapply your template. Save the report as p6q2.rdf. A-32 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

187 Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 6 3 Continue to modify the template and test it using a new report. a Change the text color of the master group fields to red for the Group Left style only. Hint: In the Template editor, use the Report Style list to switch to a Group Left style. This way you can select the correct group. You may also want to use the Zoom Out tool, so that you can see the entire template layout structure, and recognize the difference between the master group fields and the detail group fields. Select the Character, Number, and Date fields and change the text color with the Text color palette. Alternative solution: In the Object Navigator, expand the Override node, then the Group Left, the Section (Level1), and the Fields nodes. Bring up the property palette for all the fields Change the text color to red. b Save your template as summit2.tdf and close it. c Create a new report, using the Report Wizard. Use the layout style Group Left. Import the query p6q3.sql from your working directory. Make NAME the group field. Display all other columns. Do not create summaries. Change the width of SALARY to 6 and COMM to 4. Apply the Template file summit2.tdf. No formal solution. d Save the report as p6q3.rdf and close it. Oracle Developer: Build Reports A-33

188 Appendix A: Solutions Practice Session Overview: Lesson 7 This practice session contains: Using the Help system to find comprehensive information on storage types and executables Converting the storage type of a report using the Convert utility Documenting a report using the Report on Reports utility Because the Report Builder tables are optional in Oracle Developer, your classroom might not have the tables available for you to save your report. Your instructor will advise you whether to attempt this question. A-34 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

189 Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 7 Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 7 1 Search in the Help system for information on the RWCON60 executable. From the menu, choose Help >Report Builder Help Topics. Enter RWCON60 in the Find tab. What is this executable used for? RWCON60 enables you to convert one or more report definitions or PL/SQL libraries from one storage format to another. Can you compile more than one report with this utility? Yes What other tool could you use to compile several reports? Hint: You may want to refer to Lesson 1. Project Builder When converting a report to a template, what is converted and what is not? Only objects in the header and trailer pages and in the margin area are used in the template. Objects in the body are ignored. 2 Use the Convert utility in Report Builder to convert a report from.rdf to.rep. a Open p6q3.rdf, if it is not already open. b Convert it to a.rep file. Choose File >Administration >Convert from the menu. Document Type: Report Source Type: Report Binary File (RDF) Source: Enter the filename, including the path, or choose Browse. Destination Type: Report Binary Run-only File (REP) Leave Destination empty. c What other methods could you use to compile a report? File >Administration >Compile report or Ctrl T What is the difference? The Compile option from the menu compiles the presently selected report; the Convert utility enables you to choose which report or reports to compile. It also enables you to convert to other storage types. Oracle Developer: Build Reports A-35

190 Appendix A: Solutions d e Convert the same report to a.rex file. Choose File >Administration >Convert from the menu. Document Type: Report Source Type: Report Binary File (RDF) Source: Enter the filename, including the path, or choose Browse. Destination Type: Report ASCII File (REX) Leave Destination empty. Open a system editor to look at the.rex file. No formal solution. If You Have Time 3 If the database product tables are installed, document a report definition that is saved in the database. a Save report p6q3 to the database. Either change your preferences to be able to save to the database (Tools >Preferences >Object tab) or use the convert utility (File >Administration >Convert). b Run the Report on Reports utility to produce documentation on the report p6q3. Set the run-time parameters to output to a file in PDF format. Choose File >Administration >Report on Reports. Select report name P6Q3. Destination Type: File Destination Name: p6q3.pdf Destination Format: PDF c Open the PDF file and scroll through the documentation. A-36 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

191 Practice Session Overview: Lesson 8 Practice Session Overview: Lesson 8 This practice session contains: Creating a second query in an existing report Restricting records in a query Restricting records with a packaged filter Creating a data link Creating a report containing a master group with two detail groups Creating an external query file and referencing the file in a new report Introduction In this practice session you include new data in a report by adding a query to an existing single-query report created with the wizard. You also practice linking data from different queries to alter the report structure. Using two different techniques, you restrict the records in a report. If you have time, you create a external query and link it to a report. Oracle Developer: Build Reports A-37

192 Appendix A: Solutions Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 8 1 Open report p8q1_a.rdf, which contains a single-query report showing customer information. a In the Data Model create a new query. Either use the Query Builder or import filename p8q1.sql. Change the group_name to G_ORD. QUERY: Q_ORD: SELECT customer_id, id, date_shipped, total FROM s_ord b Open the Report Wizard and choose a Tabular layout. c Copy group G_ORD to the Displayed Groups area. d Copy all remaining fields to the Displayed Fields area. e Choose Finish. f Note how the data appears in the Live Previewer. The Q_CUSTOMER data appears before the Q_ORD data. Remember that you can alter the order in which the data is printed by modifying query order in the Data Model. You may want to try that. Note: If you do adjust the order of the queries, put them back in the original order and save before the next question. g Save the report as p8q1.rdf. Do not close the report. 2 Modify the previous report to restrict the number of customer records processed by the group. a Place a filter on the G_CUSTOMER group to display only the first four customers. Run to test. Select the group G_CUSTOMER in the Data Model and open the property palette. Set the property Filter Type to First and enter the number of records. b Save the report as p8q2.rdf and close it. c Close the report and any others you still have open in the Object Navigator. A-38 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

193 Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 8 3 Open p8q1.rdf. a In the Data Model link the two queries together on the primary and foreign keys. Hint: To create the link, select the Link tool. Click and drag from the Primary Key field in the Customer group to the Foreign Key field in the Ord group. b Redo the layout by opening the Report Wizard. Choose Group Above style. Do not display CUSTOMER_ID. c Run to test. d Save the report as p8q3.rdf. 4 Modify p8q3.rdf to show and restrict customers credit rating. You need to modify the query properties. a Include CREDIT_RATING in the query statement, although you do not need to display it. Restrict the query statement to show those who have a poor credit rating. In the Data Model select the query Q_CUSTOMER. Press the right mouse button to open the SQL Query Statement or open it from the property palette. Either enter WHERE S_CUSTOMER.CREDIT_RATING = POOR directly in the query statement area or use the Query Builder to build the WHERE clause. If you use the Query Builder, click in the blank condition field Conditions panel to activate it. Then click the column CREDIT_RATING in the S_CUSTOMER table. Enter = POOR and press Return. b Run to test. c Save the report as p8q4.rdf and close it. Oracle Developer: Build Reports A-39

194 Appendix A: Solutions 5 Create a new report that lists the sales representatives and the products they have sold. a Choose a Group Above report style. b Import the query file p8q5_a.sql. c Make NAME and ID the group fields. Make sure that these fields are in one group, at Level 1, not two separate groups. d Do not display ID, but display all other fields in the order described in the following table. Hint: You can change the order of fields in the Report Wizard from the Fields tab. e Change the following field attributes: Column Label Width NAME Name 20 PRODUCT Product 10 PRODUCT_ID ID 4 QUANTITY Quantity 4 PROD_TOTAL Total 6 f g h i j k Use the template file summit.tdf Run and test your report. Now you need to show not only which products the sales representatives have sold but also who are the customers they have done business with. Go to the Data Model and add a new query, importing the file p8q5_b.sql. This query returns the customer names, their IDs, and the total sales per customer for each sales representative. Rename the group G_CUSTOMER. Link the second query to the correct group. Click and drag from ID in G_NAME to SALES_REP_ID in G_CUSTOMER. Use the Report Wizard to display the new group. Do not display SALES_REP_ID or ID. A-40 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

195 Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 8 l Change the following field attributes: Column Label Width CUSTOMER Customer 10 CUSTOMER_ID ID 4 CUST_TOTAL Total 6 m n Run and test your report. Save the report as p8q5.rdf and close it. If You Have Time 6 Create an External Query module that selects the following data: Select the External SQL Queries node in the Object Navigator and choose Create. Columns id, name id, first_name last_name, title, salary a b Table s_dept s_emp Remember to include a join condition. Give the columns meaningful names. Write the following query: SELECT S_DEPT.ID DEPT_ID, S_DEPT.NAME DEPARTMENT, S_EMP.ID EMP_ID, S_EMP.FIRST_NAME S_EMP.LAST_NAME EMPLOYEE, S_EMP.TITLE, S_EMP.SALARY FROM S_DEPT, S_EMP WHERE S_EMP.DEPT_ID=S_DEPT.ID c Save the query as p8q6.sql and close the query window. Oracle Developer: Build Reports A-41

196 Appendix A: Solutions 7 Use the Report Wizard to create a Group Left report using the external query created in question 6. a Department information should be in the master group. b Look at the Data Model. Notice that the break group exists. c In the Data Model, move TITLE into a group at the top of the hierarchy. Hint: Move it into the Department group first, then up into its own new group. Click and drag TITLE to the Department group, then up again to make a separate group. Rename the group G_TITLE. Note: Because this is a single-query report, you can also make the group change using the Report Wizard Group tab. However, you have learned that you can combine many queries and groups in your own reports, and this simple exercise helps you to practice moving columns in the data model. d Open the Report Wizard and choose Finish to update the layout and run the report. e Run and test the report. f Save the report as p8q7.rdf and close it. 8 Create a new report, using a ref cursor query. a In the Object navigator, create a package defining a record and a ref cursor. The record has the following fields: Name last_name first_name salary Definition s_emp.last_name%type s_emp.first_name%type s_emp.salary%type Select the Program Units node in the Object Navigator and choose Create. In the New Program Unit dialog box enter a name for the package and choose Package Spec. Enter the code for the package specification. A-42 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

197 Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 8 PACKAGE RefCur IS TYPE EmpRec IS RECORD ( last_name s_emp.last_name%type, first_name s_emp.first_name%type, salary s_emp.salary%type); Type EmpCur IS REF CURSOR RETURN EmpRec; END; Note: You can import the file p8q8a.txt. You can also import the text file p8q8a.txt. While the PL/SQL editor is active and the cursor is in the text area, choose File >Import Text from the menu to import the text file. b In the Data Model create a Ref Cursor Query. The function opens the cursor for the following select statement: SELECT last_name, first_name, salary FROM s_emp Note: You can import the file p8q8b.txt. Write the following function or import the text file p8q8b.txt: FUNCTION QR_1RefCurDS RETURN RefCur.EmpCur IS V_EmpCur RefCur.EmpCur; BEGIN OPEN V_EmpCur FOR SELECT last_name, first_name, salary FROM s_emp; RETURN V_EmpCur; END; c Open the Report Wizard to create the layout for the report. Select all the fields and choose a template. d Run and test the report. e Save the report as p8q8.rdf and close it. Do you still have any objects open in the Object Navigator? If you do, close them all. Oracle Developer: Build Reports A-43

198 Appendix A: Solutions Practice Session Overview: Lesson 9 This practice session contains: Creating a new report with summaries Opening an existing report to add summary calculations to the columns Creating a report that displays the contents of a file in a column Creating a new report with ranking summary columns (Use an ORDER BY clause to create the ranking effect.) Opening an existing report to add placeholders for the highest and lowest values in the report Introduction In your reports, you may need to include additional columns with summary functions or even add summaries, such as break totals and report totals. This practice gives you the opportunity to create summaries and additional columns with functionality that cannot be achieved using SQL alone. A-44 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

199 Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 9 Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 9 1 Create a new report using the Report Wizard. Choose a Group Above report style. a Display the following data: Table Column Definition Group Label Width s_ord id G_ord Ord. No. 4 date_ordered Order Date 9 s_item item_id G_item No. 2 product_id Product No. 5 price Price 4 quantity_shipped Quantity 4 line_total price*quantity_shipped Total 4 b Do you need a formula column to calculate the line_total? No, it is a much better solution to do the calculation directly in the query. Enter the formula price*quantity_shipped into the query text and give it an alias name of line_total. You can also use the Query Builder to create expressions in the query. Select the table S_ITEM. Choose Define Column. Click inside the Defined Columns box. Enter Line_Total. Click inside the Defined As box. Enter the expression price*quantity_shipped. Choose OK. Oracle Developer: Build Reports A-45

200 Appendix A: Solutions c Create the following summaries. Can you use the Report Wizard to create the summaries? Because this is a single query report you can use the Report Wizard. Column line_total line_total Summary sum % Total d e f g Use the summit.tdf template file from the file system. In the Template tab choose and apply the template. Finish and run the report. In the Data Model, rename the groups to G_ORD for the break group and G_ITEM for the detail group. Alter the position of columns in the G_ORD group so that DATE_ORDERED is above ID, and change the break order on DATE_ORDERED so that it is sorted in descending order. Open the property palettes for each group and change the names. Click on DATE_ORDERED and drag it above ID; be careful not to drag it outside the group. Open the property palette for DATE_ORDERED and change the Break Order property to Descending. Run and test the report (do not reenter the wizard). Save the report as p9q1.rdf and close it. 2 Open report p8q5.rdf. a Add a summary to total PROD_TOTAL for each employee master. Can you use the Report Wizard? Because this is a multiquery report, you have to create all summaries manually unless you created them with the first query. Select Summary Column in the vertical toolbar and click inside the group G_NAME. This creates a new summary. Open the property palette for the new column and name it REP_TOTAL. In the Summary section select the function Sum. The Source is PROD_TOTAL. Reset at G_NAME. A-46 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

201 Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 9 b Create columns to show the percentage of the total per sales representative for PROD_TOTAL and CUST_TOTAL. Select Summary Column in the vertical toolbar and click inside the group G_PRODUCT. This creates a new summary. Open the property palette for the new column and name it PCT_PROD. In the Summary section select the function % of Total. The Source is PROD_TOTAL. Reset at G_PRODUCT. Compute at G_NAME. Select Summary Column in the vertical toolbar and click inside the group G_CUSTOMER. This creates a new summary. Open the property palette for the new column and name it PCT_CUST. In the Summary section select the function % of Total. The Source is CUST_TOTAL. Reset at G_CUSTOMER. Compute at G_NAME. c Make all the new summaries four characters wide. d Run and test the report. e Save the report as p9q2.rdf and close it. 3 Create a new report using the Report Wizard. a Choose a Tabular report style and display the following information: Table Column Label s_product id Id name short_desc Name Description s_image filename picture Oracle Developer: Build Reports A-47

202 Appendix A: Solutions b Restrict the query to return only products with ID beginning with 10 or 30 because you do not have picture files for all products. Enter the following: WHERE S_PRODUCT.ID LIKE 10% OR S_PRODUCT.ID LIKE 30% into the query. You can also use the Query Builder to create complex WHERE clauses. Click in the condition fields in the Conditions panel. Then select the column ID from the S_PRODUCT table. This copies the name of the column into the condition field. Enter LIKE 10% into the condition field and press Return. Enter S_PRODUCT.ID LIKE 30% and press Return. You will see AND in the box to the left. To put an OR between the two conditions select AND, then choose Or from the toolbar. c Run the report. d In the Data Model change the properties for the column filename to read from file, file format image. e Use the Report Wizard to redo the layout. f In the Live Previewer resize the picture column to about 3x3 inches. Hint: You need to enable Flex Mode. Use the last image on the page to resize the picture column g Save the report as p9q3.rdf and close it. 4 Open report p9q1.rdf to list the orders ranked by their total. a In the Data Model add a new column s_ord.total to the query. Hint: You will have to move the new column TOTAL to the G_ORD group. Any new column is added in the lowest group, so you must move it up to G_ORD. b Because you want to list the highest total first, set the break order for TOTAL accordingly, and move the TOTAL column so that it is first in the G_ORD group. Set the break order for TOTAL to Descending. Click and drag TOTAL to be the first column in the group G_ORD. A-48 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

203 Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 9 c d e f To display the ranking add another column called RANK in the group G_ORD. Create a summary column in the group G_ORD. Name it Rank. Select the function Count. The Source is ID. Reset at Report. Use the Report Wizard to display the rank, giving it a width of 2. You do not need to display the total, because there is already a total on the G_ITEM group. Run the report to test. Save the report as p9q4.rdf and close it If You Have Time 5 Open report p9q1.rdf to display the highest and lowest orders at the end of the report. a In the Data Model add the columns necessary to list the maximum order total and the corresponding ID as well as the minimum order total and the corresponding ID. Hint: You need one formula column and some summaries and placeholders. You can import the code for the formula column from the file p9q5.txt. At report level create two summary columns: Name Function Source Reset At CS_Max Maximum SumLine_totalPerID Report CS_Min Minimum SumLine_totalPerID Report Oracle Developer: Build Reports A-49

204 Appendix A: Solutions a (continued) Also at report level create two placeholder columns. Name them CP_Maxid and CP_Minid. This is where the IDs of the highest and lowest orders will go. Create a formula column in the upper group and name it CF_GetIds. Return number 1 (although it does not really matter what you return if the formula column is a character type). The PL/SQL formula is the following: function CF_GetIdsFormula return Number is begin if :SumLine_TotalPerId = :CS_Max then :CP_Maxid := :ID; end if; if :SumLine_TotalPerId = :CS_Min then :CP_Minid := :Id; end if; return (1); end; b c d Use the Report Wizard to put the new columns into the layout. Display the maximum order total, the maximum ID, the minimum order total, and the minimum ID. Display columns CS_Max, CS_Min, CP_Maxid, and CP_Minid. Give them more meaningful labels. Run the report to test. Scroll down to the last page to see the new columns. Save the report as p9q5.rdf and close it. A-50 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

205 Practice Session Overview: Lesson 10 Practice Session Overview: Lesson 10 This practice session contains: Opening an existing report to add header and trailer pages Modifying an existing report to add a button to display a multimedia column Modifying an existing report to add a repeating frame to the header section displaying order information. Opening an existing report and adding flexible lines Modifying an existing report to anchor a boilerplate object to an outer frame Introduction In this practice session, you use reports created in earlier practice sessions. The aim is to familiarize you with the different layout regions of a report. You also add flexible lines to a frame and anchor one object to another. Oracle Developer: Build Reports A-51

206 Appendix A: Solutions Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 10 1 Open report p9q4.rdf. Modify the report as follows: a Create a header section. Open the Layout Model editor. Choose Header Section from the horizontal toolbar or choose Layout Section >Header Section from the menu. Make sure that you are editing the Body region. Display the summitlo.tif file as fixed boilerplate in the Body region. Choose File >Import >Image from the menu to import the file. Move and resize it. Add a rectangle boilerplate object. Give it fill color. Choose the Rectangle tool from the vertical toolbar. Make the rectangle large enough to fit the logo inside. Choose Fill Color from the vertical toolbar. Place the logo on top of the rectangle. Center the two objects. Select the rectangle and choose Arrange >Send To Back from the menu. Select the logo, press the [Shift] key, and select the rectangle. Choose Arrange >Align Objects from the menu. In the dialog box select Align to Each Other and then Align Center both horizontally and vertically. Choose OK. Hint: Use the Arrange option from the menu. b Add a report title in the body region. Use font Arial, size 18 bold. Choose the Text tool from the vertical toolbar and click in the layout area. Enter the text and click outside the text object. While the text object is selected, choose font and size from the stylebar. A-52 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

207 Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 10 c Add a trailer section that displays today s date with the text End of report run on: in the body region. Choose a larger font. Hint: Copy and paste the date from the Margin Area of the report. Choose Trailer Section from the horizontal toolbar, or choose Layout Section >Trailer Section from the menu. Make sure that you are editing the Body region. Choose the text tool from the vertical toolbar and click in the layout area. Enter the text and click outside the text object. While the text object is selected, choose font and size from the stylebar. Choose Margin from the horizontal toolbar, or choose Layout Section >Margin View from the menu. Select the f_date1 field and then choose Edit >Copy from the menu. Choose Trailer from the horizontal toolbar, or choose Layout Section >Trailer View from the menu. Choose Edit >Paste from the menu and move the field to the desired place. d Run and test the report. e Save the report as p10q1.rdf and close it. 2 Open report p9q3.rdf and modify it to display the product picture in a separate window. a Delete field F_FILENAME from the body region of the main section in the Layout Model (not the column from the Data Model). Open the Layout Model editor. Choose Body from the horizontal toolbar or choose Layout Section >Body View from the menu. Select the f_filename field and press [Delete]. Oracle Developer: Build Reports A-53

208 Appendix A: Solutions b Add a button to display the picture from the multimedia column. Give it a meaningful label. In the Object Navigator, change the name to PICTURE_BUTTON Choose the button tool from the vertical toolbar and create a button in place of the f_filename field. Make the following changes in the property palette: Property Label Type Text Type Multimedia Column Value Text Picture Multimedia Column Filename c d e f g h i Resize the other layout fields to 1/4 inch in height. Hint: Use the Arrange option on the menu. Select all the layout fields by shift-clicking them. Choose Arrange >Size Objects from the menu. Select Custom for height and enter.25. Make the button the same size. Hint: Use the Arrange option on the menu. Give all fields and the button the same vertical alignment. Hint: Use the Arrange option on the menu. Align the fields and the button using Arrange >Align Objects from the menu. Resize the repeating frame and all enclosing frames to be just large enough to fit the fields inside. Hint: Think of Flex Mode. Enable Flex Mode and resize the repeating frame. Save the report as p10q2.rdf and close it. Run and test your report. Do not use the Live Previewer; use Reports Runtime. Choose File >Administration >Convert to convert the.rdf file into a.rep file. Now invoke the Reports Runtime and test your report. A-54 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

209 Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 10 3 Open report p9q1.rdf. a b Modify the report to list all orders and order dates contained in the report in the Body region of the Header section. Open the Layout Model editor. Choose Header Section from the horizontal toolbar, or choose View >Layout Section >Header Section from the menu. Make sure that you are editing the Body region. Choose the Additional Default layout tool from the vertical toolbar and click in the Layout area. In the Report Wizard choose a tabular layout. Select the group G_ORD and give a print direction down. Select the fields ID and DATE_ORDERED. Save the report as p10q3.rdf and close it. 4 Open report p5q3.rdf. a b c d Use the Report Wizard to give last_name and first_name a width of 6 (you can also do it directly in the Layout Model or from the Live Previewer). Add flexible lines vertically between the fields. Choose the line tool from the vertical toolbar. Create lines between the fields. If you want to ensure that the lines are vertical, press the [Shift] key while drawing. Make the lines the same height as the fields using the Arrange >Size Objects menu option. In the property palette, set Line Stretch with Frame to R_G_LAST_NAME. Run and test the report. Save the report as p10q4.rdf. Oracle Developer: Build Reports A-55

210 Appendix A: Solutions If You Have Time 5 Continue with report p10q4.rdf. a b c d Add boilerplate and anchor it to halfway down the right side of the Report Group frame. Hint: To ensure that you get the right frame, select the frame M_G_LAST_NAME_GRPFR. You can use either the Object Navigator or the Select Parent Frame tool. Pull the frame out slightly to the right. After you have fastened your anchor, you can make it smaller again. Choose the Text tool from the vertical toolbar and click to the right of the layout objects. Enter the text and click outside the text object. Give it a line color. This makes it easier to click on the edge. Click on a field and choose Select Parent Frame from the style bar twice to select the group frame. Drag the right edge a little to the right to make the frame larger. Select the Anchor tool from the vertical toolbar and click the left edge of the boilerplate text object. Then click the right edge of the group frame. You can press the [Shift] key while you create the anchor to anchor it at 50% of the edges or you can make the adjustments later in the property palette of the anchor. Move the boilerplate so that the anchor is a straight horizontal line. Resize the group frame to its original size. Run and check that the text is in fact halfway down the data output. Rerun the report, this time displaying only 10 rows. The boilerplate should still be halfway down the data output. Create a group filter in the Data Model editor to restrict the number of records. Save the report as p10q5.rdf and close it. A-56 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

211 Practice Session Overview: Lesson 11 Practice Session Overview: Lesson 11 This practice session contains: Modifying the printing of a mailing label report Controlling the number of records on a page Adding a link file to a report Ensuring that all details of a master print on the same page Introduction Modify a mailing label report to ensure that you fill the printed page with label records. You then restrict the number of labels that are printed on each page. You add a link file to display a company logo by dynamically referencing a file at run time. Oracle Developer: Build Reports A-57

212 Appendix A: Solutions Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 11 1 Open report p4q4.rdf. a Modify the layout so that the mailing labels are 2 inches wide and 1 inch high. Use the Arrange option on the menu. Ensure that the company names are printed in alphabetical order across the page. Open the Layout Model editor. Select the repeating frame: either select the boilerplate object in the Layout Model editor and then choose Select Parent Frame from the style bar, or select the repeating frame in the Object Navigator. While the Layout Model editor is the active window, choose Arrange >Size Objects from the menu. Select Custom for both width and height and enter the width and height in the fields below. You can also drag the repeating frame in the Layout Model editor to the desired width and height. Add an ORDER BY clause to the query. b Give each label a solid fill. Choose Fill Color from the vertical toolbar and select a color. c Make the boilerplate object 1.8 inches wide and center it horizontally and vertically in the repeating frame. Select the boilerplate object in the Layout Model editor and choose Arrange >Size Objects from the menu. Select Custom for the width and No Change for the height. Enter the width in the field below. Select both the boilerplate object and the repeating frame and choose Arrange >Align Objects from the menu. d Add spacing between the labels:.25 inch between each column of labels across the page;.5 inch between each row of labels down the page. Select the repeating frame and open the property palette. Set Horizontal Space Between Frames to.25 and Vertical Space Between Frames to.5. e Save the report as p11q1.rdf. A-58 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

213 Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 11 2 Continue with report p11q1.rdf. a b Modify the report so that only six labels are printed on each page. Select the repeating frame and open the property palette. Set Maximum Records per Page to 6. Save the report as p11q2.rdf and close it. 3 Open p9q1.rdf. a b On the operating system copy the file summitlo.tif to a file logo.tif. Ask your instructor for help, because this is operating-system specific. Delete the logo in the margin area and create a link file in its place to display the contents of logo.tif. Choose Margin from the horizontal toolbar, or choose Layout Section >Margin View from the menu. Select the logo boilerplate object and press [Delete]. Choose the Link File tool from the vertical toolbar and create an external boilerplate object in the margin region where the logo was. Set the following properties: Property Name Source File Format Source File Name Value B_logo Image logo.tif c d e f Run the report. On the operating system copy any other.tif file to logo.tif. Ask your instructor for help, because this is operating-system specific. Rerun your report. Save the report as p11q3.rdf. Oracle Developer: Build Reports A-59

214 Appendix A: Solutions 4 Continue with report p11q3.rdf. a b Ensure that all items of one order are printed on the same page. Choose Body from the horizontal toolbar, or choose Layout Section >Body View from the menu. Open the property palette for the repeating frame R_G_ID, and set the property Page Protect to Yes. Save the report as p11q4.rdf and close it. A-60 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

215 Practice Session Overview: Lesson 12 Practice Session Overview: Lesson 12 This practice session contains: Modifying an existing report to use a bind parameter Adding a dynamic list of values Adding a lexical parameter Adding a static list of values Creating a customized parameter form Introduction In this practice session, you create bind and lexical parameters to restrict records in the report. You add lists of values to select valid values at run time. You then create your own default parameter form and customize it to include extra text and graphics. Oracle Developer: Build Reports A-61

216 Appendix A: Solutions Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 12 1 Open report p11q3.rdf. a In the Report Wizard add the following columns from the S_CUSTOMER table. Create a new group for the customer information above the Order group. Column Label Width NAME 30 ADDRESS 30 CITY 30 Create a reference to a bind parameter P_CUSTOMER in the query to restrict orders to the parameter value you input at run time. Note how Reports creates the parameter automatically. Add the following to the WHERE clause of the query: AND s_customer.id =:p_customer b Run and test the report with valid customer IDs. Choose any number in the range 201 to 215. c Save the report as p12q1.rdf. Do not close it. 2 Continue with report p12q1.rdf. Add a list of values to select any valid customer ID in the S_CUSTOMER table. Do not allow users to enter any other value. The list should display customer names, not ID numbers. In the Object Navigator, expand the Data Model node and the User Parameter node. Open the property palette for the P_CUSTOMER parameter and make sure that the datatype is Number. In the parameter property palette, choose List of Values. In the dialog box, choose Select Statement. Make sure that the Restrict List to Predetermined Values check box is selected. A-62 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

217 Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 12 d e Select the Hide First Value check box. Enter the following statement in the Enter Query area: SELECT id, name FROM s_customer ORDER BY name Run and test the report with different values. Save the report as p12q2.rdf. Do not close it for the moment. 3 Open report p5q3.rdf. a b Create a lexical parameter to enable users to order the data by different columns (or not at all) at run time. Replace the ORDER BY clause in the query with a lexical reference to the parameter. Type in an initial value for the parameter to order by the employee s last name. In the Object Navigator, expand the Data Model node. Doubleclick the User Parameter node to create a parameter. Select the parameter name P_1 and change it to P_ORDER. Open the parameter property palette. Make sure that the datatype is Character and increase the width to 50. Enter an Initial Value: ORDER BY s_emp.last_name In the Data Model, open the query property palette and add the following lexical reference to the end of the query: &P_ORDER Add a static list of values. Code two or three alternative ORDER BY clauses. Allow any clause to be entered at run time. In the parameter property palette choose List of Values. In the dialog box choose Static Values and enter other ORDER BY clauses in the Value field; for example: ORDER BY s_emp.last_name ORDER BY s_emp.title For each value, remember to choose Add>> to add the value to the list. Clear the Restrict List to Predetermined Values check box. Oracle Developer: Build Reports A-63

218 Appendix A: Solutions c d Run the report to test. Select an ORDER BY clause from the list. Enter your own ORDER BY clause. Delete the default parameter value. Save the report as p12q3.rdf and close it. 4 Continue with report p12q2.rdf. a b c d Create a default parameter form. Include a Title message but not a Hint message. Display the parameters DESNAME and P_CUSTOMER. Select Tools >Parameter Form Builder from the menu. Enter your own Title message. Delete the Hint message. Select DESNAME. P_ORDER is already selected. Use your imagination to customize the form in the Parameter Form editor. Make sure that the parameter P_CUSTOMER is placed in a prominent position for user entry. Add some graphics; modify colors and fill patterns. No formal solution. Run the report to test. Save the report as p12q4.rdf and close it. A-64 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

219 Practice Session Overview: Lesson 13 Practice Session Overview: Lesson 13 This practice session contains: Using the Chart Wizard to create a chart in an existing report Altering the chart with the Chart Wizard Creating charts in an existing report that will be printed once for each record of a group Introduction In this practice session you open existing reports to add charts using the Chart Wizard. You also reenter the Chart Wizard to change the characteristics of a chart. Oracle Developer: Build Reports A-65

220 Appendix A: Solutions Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 13 1 Open report p12q1.rdf. a Remove all reference to the parameter P_CUSTOMER from the query. Open the Data Model editor. Use the right mouse button to open the Query dialog box. Delete the row: AND S_CUSTOMER.ID = :P_CUSTOMER b Rename SumLine_totalPerNAME to Total (a shorter name looks better in a chart). Open the property palette for SumLine_totalPerNAME to change the name, or make the change in the Object Navigator. c Use the Chart Wizard to create a line chart. Choose Tools >Chart Wizard from the menu and enter the following properties in the wizard pages: Chart Type Chart Subtype Category Value Position File Name Line Plain NAME TOTAL At the beginning of the report p13q1.ogd d e f Run report to test. Resize the chart if necessary. Close the Graphics Batch. Save report to p13q1.rdf. A-66 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

221 Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 13 2 Reenter the Chart Wizard to change the characteristics of the chart created in the previous exercise. Make sure that the chart is selected; otherwise you will create a new chart. Choose Chart Wizard from the horizontal toolbar or Tools > Chart Wizard from the menu. a Give the chart the following characteristics: Enter the following properties in the wizard pages: Title Chart Style Chart Subtype Ordertotal per Customer Column Depth b c d Run the report to test. Close the Graphics Batch. Save report to p13q2.rdf and close it. 3 Open report p8q5.rdf. a Use the Chart Wizard to create a pie chart for the data group G_PRODUCT. Choose Chart Wizard from the horizontal toolbar or Tools > Chart Wizard from the menu, and enter the following properties in the wizard pages: Chart Type Chart Subtype Data Group Category Value Chart Frequency File Name Pie Plain G_product PRODUCT_ID PROD_TOTAL Once per Name p13q3a.ogd Oracle Developer: Build Reports A-67

222 Appendix A: Solutions b c d e In the Layout editor move the chart beneath the product group and resize it to the same width as the product group. Select the chart and drag it below the product group frame. You must enable Flex Mode. Do not forget to turn it off again when you have finished. Select the group frame and the chart and choose Arrange > Size Objects from the menu to resize the chart. Run and test the report. Close the Graphics Batch. Create a second chart for the customer group. Choose Chart Wizard from the horizontal toolbar or Tools > Chart Wizard from the menu, and enter the following properties in the wizard pages: Chart Type Chart Subtype Data Group Category Value Chart Frequency File Name Pie Plain G_customer CUSTOMER_ID CUST_TOTAL Once per Name p13q3e.ogd f g h i In the Layout editor move the chart beneath the customer group. Select the chart and drag it below the product group frame. You must enable Flex Mode. Do not forget to turn it off again when you have finished. Run and test the report. Close the Graphics Batch. Save the report to p13q3.rdf and close it. A-68 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

223 Practice Session Overview: Lesson 14 Practice Session Overview: Lesson 14 This practice session contains: Opening and changing an existing matrix report Building a nested matrix report Adding summaries to the nested matrix report Displaying zeros for summary values and restricting the number of columns per page Displaying more meaningful column information and rotating the text Introduction In this practice session you use an existing matrix report to investigate the different methods of displaying the cell values and the implications. You use an existing external query to create a nested matrix report. You then add row- and column-level summaries to the report and display zeros for null values. If you have time, include the product names instead of the product IDs and rotate the names. Oracle Developer: Build Reports A-69

224 Appendix A: Solutions Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 14 1 Open report p4q6.rdf. a Use the Report Wizard to apply a template file to the report. The file corpmat.tdf should be located in your working directory. The new template gives you spaces between the layout objects to make it easier to see the different objects in the Layout editor. b How many repeating frames do you have? There are two repeating frames, R_G_NAME and R_G_PRODUCT_ID. c Change the properties of the cell object to display zero for a null value. Open the property palette for F_SumTOTAL_VALUE and set Value if Null to 0. d Run and test the report. All cells without a value now display 0. e Close the report without saving it. 2 Create a new report, importing the external query p4q6.sql from your working directory. Choose File >New Report from the menu, or open a new report in the Object Navigator. Use the Report Wizard. a Choose the following settings: Report Style Query Matrix Row Fields Matrix Column Fields Matrix Cell Fields Matrix Totals Matrix Import file p4q6.sql Level 1 - Month Level 2 - Name Product_id Sum of total_value Sum of the cell field A-70 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

225 Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 14 b Change the labels and widths for the following fields: Field Label Width NAME Customer 10 PRODUCT_ID Product 5 MONTH Month 4 SUMTOTALVALUE Total 5 All Summaries Total: 5 c d Run the report. Which summaries were created? SumTOTAL_VALUEPerName SumTOTAL_VALUEPerPRODUCT_ID SumTOTAL_VALUEPerReport These are the row, the column, and the report summaries. Oracle Developer: Build Reports A-71

226 Appendix A: Solutions e Use the Data Model editor to create summaries for each month and for the level month and product. Create both summaries in the cross product group. Use the following settings: Property Name Product Order Function Source Reset At Value SumMonth G_MONTH Sum SumTOTAL_VALUE G_MONTH Property Name Product Order Function Source Reset At Value SumMonthProduct G_MONTH G_PRODUCT_ID Sum SumTOTAL_VALUE G_PRODUCT_ID f Use the Layout editor to create the fields. You must expand the appropriate repeating frame. Select and expand R_G_MONTH. You must enable Flex Mode. Do not forget to disable it again when you have finished. Choose the Field tool from the vertical toolbar. Create a field below F_SumTOTAL_VALUE. Position the field in the R_G_MONTH and the R_G_PRODUCT_ID repeating frames. Set the following properties: Property Name Source Value F_SumMonthProduct SumMonthProduct A-72 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

227 Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 14 Choose the Field tool from the vertical toolbar. Create a field below F_SumSumTOTAL_VALUEPerNAME. Position the field in the R_G_MONTH repeating frame but outside any other repeating frames. Set the following properties: Property Name Source Value F_SumMonth SumMonth g Run and test the report. h Save the report as p14q2.rdf. Do not close it. 3 Continue with the report from the previous exercise. a Add zeros for null values in the cells. Open the property palette for F_SumTOTAL_VALUE and set Value if Null to 0. b Ensure that the report shows only three product columns on each page. Open the property palette for R_G_PRODUCT_ID and set Maximum Records per Page to 3. c Format all numeric data to be right aligned. Use the style bar. d Add commas and two decimal places where appropriate. Use the style bar. e Run and test the report. f Save the report as p14q3.rdf and close it. If You Have Time 4 Open the report as p14q3.rdf. a Make the necessary changes in the Data Model editor to include the product name. Oracle Developer: Build Reports A-73

228 Appendix A: Solutions Use the right mouse button to open the Query dialog box. The query should read: SELECT S_CUSTOMER.NAME, S_ITEM.PRODUCT_ID, SUM(S_ITEM.PRICE*S_ITEM.QUANTITY_SHIPPED) TOTAL_VALUE, TO_CHAR(S_ORD.DATE_ORDERED, MM/RR ) MONTH, S_PRODUCT.NAME PRODUCT FROM S_CUSTOMER, S_ITEM, S_ORD, S_PRODUCT WHERE S_ITEM.PRODUCT_ID LIKE 4% AND S_ITEM.ORD_ID=S_ORD.ID AND S_PRODUCT.ID=S_ITEM.PRODUCT_ID AND S_ORD.CUSTOMER_ID=S_CUSTOMER.ID GROUP BY S_CUSTOMER.NAME, S_ITEM.PRODUCT_ID, TO_CHAR(S_ORD.DATE_ORDERED, MM/RR ), S_PRODUCT.NAME b c d In the Layout Model editor delete the product_id field and insert a boilerplate object to display the product name. Rotate this object by 90 degrees. Select F_PRODUCT_ID and press [Delete]. Choose the Text tool from the vertical toolbar and create a text object in the place of the F_PRODUCT_ID field. Enter: &PRODUCT. Select the boilerplate object. Choose the Rotate tool from the vertical toolbar. Press [Shift] and click the boilerplate object to rotate it by 90 degrees. Open the property palette for the boilerplate object and set Vertical and Horizontal Elasticity to Variable. Run and test the report. Save the report as p14q4.rdf and close it. A-74 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

229 Practice Session Overview: Lesson 15 Practice Session Overview: Lesson 15 This practice session contains: Creating a format trigger to conditionally display different layouts Creating and use a report-level PL/SQL function Creating and use an external PL/SQL library Creating a PL/SQL group filter Introduction In this practice session, you create a format trigger to conditionally flag one of two layout versions for the same data. You also conditionally flag some records in a report by creating and referencing a report-level (local) PL/SQL function. You then move the code into a new PL/SQL library and alter the reference to use the library function instead. If you have time, restrict the number of records processed in a report by creating your own group filter. Oracle Developer: Build Reports A-75

230 Appendix A: Solutions Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 15 1 Create a new report, using p15q1.sql. a Display the records in two different layouts, showing different columns in each. b Create a Group Above layout using the following columns from the query: Create a new report, using the Report Wizard. Import the SQL Query from file p15q1.sql. Display the following fields. Choose Labels and other properties as you wish. Group G_CUSTOMER G_ID Column CUSTOMER_ID ID DATE_ORDERED DATE_SHIPPED PAYMENT_TYPE TOTAL c Create a Tabular layout using the following columns from the query: In the Layout Model editor choose the Additional Default Layout tool from the vertical toolbar. Display the following fields. Choose Labels and other properties as you wish. Column ID DATE_ORDERED DATE_SHIPPED TOTAL A-76 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

231 Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 15 d e Ensure that only the Group Above layout is displayed when you choose a destination of Screen, and that only the Tabular layout is displayed when you choose a destination of Preview. Create a format trigger on the M_G_CUSTOMER_ID_GRPFR group frame in the first layout or use conditional formatting. function M_G_CUSTOMER_ID_GRPFRFormatTrigger return BOOLEAN is begin if:destype = Screen then return(true); else return(false); end if; end; Create a format trigger on the M_G_ID_GRPFR1 group frame in the second layout with the reverse logic or use conditional formatting: function M_G_ID_GRPFR1FormatTrigger return BOOLEAN is begin if :destype = Preview then return(true); else return(false); end if; end; Create an anchor from the top edge of the second layout group frame up to the bottom edge of the first layout group frame. Open the anchor property palette, and set the Collapse Vertically property to Yes. Alternatively, ensure that there is almost no space between the two layouts, so that there is no extra white space at the top of the report when the second layout is output. To test the result, display the DESTYPE parameter in the report. Create a field to display the system parameter DESTYPE. Ensure that you can enter a parameter value at run time. Choose Tools >Parameter Form Builder from the menu to create a parameter form. Test the report by changing the Destination Type parameter on the Runtime Parameter Form. Save the report as p15q1.rdf. Oracle Developer: Build Reports A-77

232 Appendix A: Solutions 2 Continue with the previous report. a Modify the report so that the Tabular (Preview) layout displays an extra column that indicates, with an asterisk, those orders that were shipped more than 15 days after the order date. Create a new Program Unit, either from the Tools menu or in the Object Navigator. Create a function called ASTERISK: function asterisk(odate date, sdate date) return varchar2 is begin if odate + 15 < sdate then return( * ); else return( ); end if; end; In the Data Model editor, create a formula column in the detail group G_ORD. Open the property palette and alter the following properties for the column CF_ASTERISK: Name Datatype Width CF_ASTERISK Character 1 Click PL/SQL Formula to open the PL/SQL editor, and call the ASTERISK function from the formula. function CF_asteriskFormula return varchar2 is begin return(asterisk(:date_ordered,:date_shipped)); end; b In the Layout editor, increase the width of the R_G_ID1 repeating frame in the second layout to allow room for another field. Create a field inside the repeating frame, rename it F_CF_ASTERISK, and source it to CF_ASTERISK. Remember to change destination to Preview during testing. Save the report and test it. A-78 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

233 Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 15 c Move the function code into a new PL/SQL library named p15lib.pll. In the Object Navigator, create a new library. Open the Library node and click and drag the ASTERISK function into the Program Unit node below the library. Delete the report-level ASTERISK function. Attach the library to the report. d Call the external function from your report instead of calling the report-level function. e Save the report to p15q2.rdf. 3 Continue with the previous report. a Modify the same layout to display additional spacing between every two records. b Save the report as p15q3.rdf and close it. Oracle Developer: Build Reports A-79

234 Appendix A: Solutions If You Have Time 4 Open report p15q1.rdf. a Write your own group filter to restrict the number of customers displayed depending on the value of a parameter that you enter at runtime. Hint: You need to create two parameters, to keep track of how many records have been processed compared to the cutoff number of records required. In the Object Navigator, open the Data Model node, and double-click the User Parameters node to create the first parameter. Choose the Create tool to create a second parameter. Rename the parameters P_COUNT_CUST and P_CUTOFF. Give P_COUNT_CUST an initial value of 0. Open the G_CUSTOMER_ID group property palette. Set Filter Type to PL/SQL Choose PL/SQL Filter to open the PL/SQL editor. Enter the following code: function G_CUSTOMER_IDGroupFilter return boolean is begin :p_count_cust := :p_count_cust + 1; if :p_count_cust <= nvl(:p_cutoff, :p_count_cust) then return(true); else return(false); end if; end; b c Test the report several times by changing the cutoff parameter at runtime. Save the report as p15q4.rdf. A-80 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

235 Practice Session Overview: Lesson 16 Practice Session Overview: Lesson 16 This practice session contains: Building a report containing conditional highlighting Building a drill-down report Writing to a temporary table from a report Introduction In this practice session, you highlight values based on conditional PL/SQL code. You build a master report that enables you to call a separate report from a button in the previewer. If you have time, you add report-level triggers to an existing report to write messages to a temporary table at various stages of report execution. Write PL/SQL functions as local PL/SQL (report-level), and reference the code in a condition within the relevant object trigger in the report. Oracle Developer: Build Reports A-81

236 Appendix A: Solutions Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 16 1 Open report p8q5.rdf. a Display the column CUST_TOTAL in the customer group as red, bold italics if its value is 10,000 or more. Hint: Check the Help system for the SRW.SET <attributes> or use conditional formatting. Mask Attribute SRW.SET_TEXT_COLOR SRW.SET_FONT_WEIGHT SRW.SET_FONT_STYLE Suggested Value Red SRW.BOLD_WEIGHT SRW.ITALIC_STYLE You can import the file p16q1a.txt. Open the PL/SQL editor and create a function to apply the format attributes. function FIELD_MASK return boolean is begin srw.set_text_color( red ); srw.set_font_weight(srw.bold_weight); srw.set_font_style(srw.italic_style); return(true); end; A-82 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

237 Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 16 b Attribute Alter the pattern and color of those records where the customer total is 5000 or less. Hint: Check the help system for the SRW.SET <attributes> or use conditional formatting. Suggested Values Fill pattern Foreground fill color Background fill color Crisscross, sandpaper Yellow Green You can import the file p16q1b.txt. Open the PL/SQL editor and create a function to apply the format attributes. function RECORD_MASK return boolean is begin srw.set_foreground_fill_color( yellow ); srw.set_background_fill_color( green ); srw.set_fill_pattern( crisscross ); return(true); end; Oracle Developer: Build Reports A-83

238 Appendix A: Solutions c Write the necessary format triggers. Create a format trigger on the F_CUST_TOTAL field to call the function. function F_CUST_TOTALFormatTrigger return boolean is begin if :cust_total >= then return(field_mask); else return(true); end if; end; Create a format trigger on the R_G_CUSTOMER repeating frame to call the function. function R_G_CUSTOMERFormatTrigger return boolean is begin if :cust_total <= 5000 then return(record_mask); else return(true); end if; end; d Save the report as p16q1.rdf. A-84 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

239 Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 16 2 Call a drill-down report using a button. a Continue with the previous report. b Alter query Q_2 to include the customer ID, but do not display it in the report. Use the right mouse button to open the Query dialog box. The query should read: SELECT S_ORD.SALES_REP_ID, S_CUSTOMER.NAME CUSTOMER, SUM(S_ORD.TOTAL) CUST_TOTAL, S_ORD.CUSTOMER_ID FROM S_ORD, S_CUSTOMER WHERE S_ORD.CUSTOMER_ID=S_CUSTOMER.ID GROUP BY S_ORD.SALES_REP_ID, S_CUSTOMER.NAME, S_ORD.CUSTOMER_ID c Add a button to this report to display a drill-down report when the button is chosen at run time. The button should be displayed once for every customer record. In the Layout editor, increase the width of the R_G_CUSTOMER repeating frame to allow room for the button. Create a button inside the repeating frame. When the button is chosen, the detail report (p12q1.rdf) is called with the customer ID as a parameter. Hint: Have a look at report p12q1.rdf to check the name of the parameter. You can import the file p16q2d.txt. Open the property palette for the button and set the Type property to PL/SQL. Import the file p16q2d.txt into the PL/SQL code, or enter the following code: procedure U_1ButtonAction is begin srw.run_report( report=s12q1.rdf p_customer= to_char(:customer_id) paramform=no ); end; Oracle Developer: Build Reports A-85

240 Appendix A: Solutions d e Save the report as p16q2.rdf. Test the report using the run time executable and then close the run time. If You Have Time 3 Open report p9q1.rdf. In this report, you use report triggers to create a temporary table at the start of report execution, and you insert rows into the table at various stages of the execution. a Write a trigger that creates a temporary table to hold the date and userid each time the report is run. The table should contain three columns: one date column, one character column of width 10, and one character column of width 80. CREATE TABLE RUNREPORT (DATE_RUN DATE, USER_RUN VARCHAR2(10), COMMENTS VARCHAR2(80) In the Object Navigator, expand the Report Triggers node, and double-click the Before Report PL/SQL icon to open the PL/SQL editor. Create the following function: function BeforeReport return boolean is begin srw.do_sql( CREATE TABLE RUNREPORT (DATE_RUN DATE, USER_RUN VARCHAR2(10), COMMENTS VARCHAR2(80)) ); exception when srw.do_sql_failure then null; end; A-86 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

241 Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 16 b The same trigger should also insert the current date, userid, and Starting Report into this table. INSERT INTO RUNREPORT ( DATE_RUN, USER_RUN, COMMENTS) VALUES (SYSDATE, USER, Starting Report ) Hint: Think about how you code the single quotes. Add the following code: function BeforeReport return boolean is begin srw.do_sql( CREATE TABLE RUNREPORT (DATE_RUN DATE, USER_RUN VARCHAR2(10), COMMENTS VARCHAR2(80)) ); srw.do_sql( INSERT INTO RUNREPORT (DATE_RUN, USER_RUN, COMMENTS) VALUES (SYSDATE, USER, Starting Report ) ); return(true); end; c d e f g h Save the report as p16q3.rdf. Compile the PL/SQL and run the report. Be sure to view more than one page. Run and test the report. Using SQL*Plus, verify that your table exists and was populated successfully. Log on to SQL*Plus (in Microsoft Windows, select the SQL*Plus icon in the Oracle group) using the same userid as you used for Reports. Display all records in the RUNREPORT table. SQL> col comments format a40 SQL> SELECT * FROM RUNREPORT; Oracle Developer: Build Reports A-87

242 Appendix A: Solutions i Try running the report more than once. When you run the report a second time, the table already exists and Report Builder raises an exception. Make the necessary change to your code so that the report runs even when the table exists. You need two PL/SQL blocks so that, if the table already exists, the record is inserted after the exception has been handled. Add the following code: function BeforeReport return boolean is begin begin srw.do_sql( CREATE TABLE RUNREPORT (DATE_RUN DATE, USER_RUN VARCHAR2(10), COMMENTS VARCHAR2(80)) ); exception when srw.do_sql_failure then null; end; begin srw.do_sql( INSERT INTO RUNREPORT (DATE_RUN, USER_RUN, COMMENTS) VALUES (SYSDATE, USER, Starting Report ) ); return(true); end; end; A-88 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

243 Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 16 j Write a trigger that inserts a record with the comment Printing another page whenever it begins a new page. In the Object Navigator, expand the Report Triggers node, and double-click the Between Pages PL/SQL icon to open the PL/SQL editor. Or, if the editor is already open, change the Name to Between Pages. Create the following function. function BetweenPage return boolean is begin srw.do_sql( INSERT INTO RUNREPORT (DATE_RUN, USER_RUN, COMMENTS) VALUES (SYSDATE, USER, Printing another page ) ); return(true); end; k Write a trigger that inserts a record with the comment Report completed when the report finishes. Save and run the report. In the Object Navigator, expand the Report Triggers node and double-click the After Report PL/SQL icon to open the PL/SQL editor. Or, if the editor is already open, change the Name to After Pages. Report the following function: function AfterReport return boolean is begin srw.do_sql( INSERT INTO RUNREPORT (DATE_RUN, USER_RUN, COMMENTS) VALUES (SYSDATE, USER, Report Completed ) ); return(true); end; l Verify the results in SQL*Plus. Oracle Developer: Build Reports A-89

244 Appendix A: Solutions Practice Session Overview: Lesson 17 This practice session contains: Running a report on your local machine Running reports on a remote server using the report Queue Manager Copying output from remote server to your local machine Running a report on a remote server using the command line Introduction In this practice session you run a report locally and then on a remote server, using the Queue Manager. You also use the Queue Manager to view the submitted jobs. If you have time, you can submit a report to a remote server using the command line options. A-90 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

245 Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 17 Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 17 1 Run longrun1.rdf on your local client machine. a Open longrun1.rdf and run the report. Notice the time it takes for the report to run to completion. If it has not completed within five minutes, note how many pages have been formatted, then cancel the report. Note: Make sure that DESTYPE=FILE is set in the Parameter Form when running this report. 2 Run longrun1.rdf and longrun2.rdf by calling the Reports Server from the Queue Manager. Note: Your instructor will give you specific instructions to complete this exercise. The location of the remote server, directory paths, and so on might differ for your class. a Invoke the Queue Manager. Enter repserver1 as your server name. Note if there are any jobs in the queue. b Schedule a new job to run longrun1.rdf report on the Reports Server. Choose applicable settings from the tab pages of the Queue Manager. For Destination Type choose ToLocalFile, ToFile, or Cache; the report default is Screen, which is not valid when running a remote report. Choose Job >New from the menu, then choose Set Options. In the dialog box enter the following information: Tab Parameter Value General Report Name longrun1.rdf Type 7 - ToServerCache Data Connection User Name Your User Name Password Database Output Options Output Driver PDF Your Password Your Database Oracle Developer: Build Reports A-91

246 Appendix A: Solutions c Do the same for longrun2.rdf. Choose Job >New from the menu, then choose Set Options. In the dialog box enter the following information: Tab Parameter Value General Report Name longrun2.rdf Type 7 - ToServerCache Data Connection User Name Your User Name Password Database Your Password Your Database Output Options Output Driver PDF d Display all jobs to see where your jobs are queued in relation to the reports of other students. Choose Show All Jobs from the toolbar if it is not selected. e Display all your own jobs only. Choose Show All My Jobs from the toolbar. f Refresh the screen several times to see how quickly the report pages are formatted. Choose Refresh from the toolbar g Cancel your own longrun2.rdf from the server queue. Select the job and choose Job >Remove from the menu. 3 When the report longrun1.rdf has finished, copy the output to a filename, longrun1.pdf, in your home directory. When the job has finished, it is no longer displayed in the Current Jobs window. Choose Show Past Jobs from the toolbar. Select the job and choose Job >Copy Output To from the menu. Choose your home directory. Enter the filename longrun1.pdf and choose Save. A-92 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

247 Practice Session Solutions: Lesson 17 If You Have Time 4 Run longrun1.rdf by scheduling a new job from the command line. a Using RWCLI60 from the command line, submit your longrun1.rdf report to the Reports Server. Your instructor will give you specific instructions to complete this exercise because this is operating-system specific. b Make sure that the output is in PDF format and that it is cached. On Windows platforms enter the following command: RWCLI60 LONGRUN1.RDF SERVER=repserver1 DESTYPE=CACHE DESFORMAT=PDF Oracle Developer: Build Reports A-93

248 Appendix A: Solutions A-94 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

249 B... Table Descriptions and Data

250 Appendix B: Table Descriptions and Data... Summit Sporting Goods Database Diagram S_ITEM ORD_ID ID S_ORD PRODUCT_ID SALES_REP_ID S_PRODUCT * S_INVENTORY PRODUCT_ID ID ID CUSTOMER_ID ID S_CUSTOMER SALES_REP_ID IMAGE_ID ID ID ID S_IMAGE S_EMP DEPT_ID S_DEPT *Unique occurrences are identified by PRODUCT_ID and WAREHOUSE_ID. ID B-2 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

251 S_CUSTOMER Description... S_CUSTOMER Description Column Name Null? Datatype ID NOT NULL NUMBER(7) NAME NOT NULL VARCHAR2(50) PHONE VARCHAR2(25) ADDRESS VARCHAR2(400) CITY VARCHAR2(30) STATE VARCHAR2(20) COUNTRY VARCHAR2(30) ZIP_CODE VARCHAR2(75) CREDIT_RATING VARCHAR2(9) SALES_REP_ID NUMBER(7) REGION_ID NUMBER(7) COMMENTS VARCHAR2(255) Oracle Developer: Build Reports B-3

252 Appendix B: Table Descriptions and Data... S_CUSTOMER Data SQL> SELECT * FROM s_customer; Id Name Phone Address City State Country Zip_code Credit_ra Sales_rep_id Region_id Comments Unisports Via Bahia Sao Paolo Brazil Excellent 12 2 Customer Usually Orders Large Amounts And Has A High Order Total. This Is Okay As Long As The Credit Rating Remains Excellent. 202 Oj Atheletics Takashi Blvd. Osaka Japan Poor 14 4 Customer Should Always Pay By Cash Until His Credit Rating Improves. 203 Delhi Sports Chanakya New Delhi India Good 14 4 Customer Specializes In Baseball Equipment And Is The Largest Retailer In India. B-4 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

253 S_CUSTOMER Data... S_CUSTOMER Data (continued) Id Name Phone Address City State Country Zip_code Credit_ra Sales_rep_id Region_id Comments Womansport King Street Seattle Washington USA EXCELLENT Kam s Sporting Goods Henessey Road Hong Kong EXCELLENT Sportique Rue de Rivoli Cannes France EXCELLENT 15 5 Customer specializes in Soccer. Likes to order accessories in bright colors. 207 Sweet Rock Sports Saint Antoine Lagos Nigeria Oracle Developer: Build Reports B-5

254 Appendix B: Table Descriptions and Data... S_CUSTOMER Data (continued) Id Name Phone Address City State Country Zip_code Credit_ra Sales_rep_id Region_id Comments Muench Sports Gruenestrasse Stuttgart Germany GOOD 15 5 Customer usually pays small orders by cash and large orders on credit. 209 Beisbol Si! Playa Del Mar San Pedro de Macon s Dominican Republic EXCELLENT Futbol Sonora Via Saguaro Nogales EXCELLENT 12 2 Customer is difficult to reach by phone. Try mail. 211 Kuhn s Sports Modrany Prague Czechoslovakia EXCELLENT 15 5 B-6 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

255 S_CUSTOMER Data... S_CUSTOMER Data (continued) Id Name Phone Address City State Country Zip_code Credit_ra Sales_rep_id Region_id Comments Hamada Sport A Corniche Alexandria Egypt EXCELLENT 13 3 Customer orders sea and water equipment. 213 Big John s Sports th Street Emporium San Francisco CA USA EXCELLENT 11 1 Customer has a dependable credit record. 214 Ojibway Retail Main Street Buffalo NY USA POOR Sporta Russia Yekatamina St. Petersburg Russia POOR 15 5 This customer is very friendly, but has difficulty paying bills. Insist upon cash. Note: This display has been formatted. Oracle Developer: Build Reports B-7

256 Appendix B: Table Descriptions and Data... S_DEPT Description and Data Column Name Null? Datatype ID NOT NULL NUMBER(7) NAME NOT NULL VARCHAR2(25) REGION_ID NUMBER(7) SQL> SELECT * FROM s_dept; ID NAME REGION_ID Finance 1 31 Sales 1 32 Sales 2 33 Sales 3 34 Sales 4 35 Sales 5 41 Operations 1 42 Operations 2 43 Operations 3 44 Operations 4 45 Operations 5 50 Administration 1 12 rows selected. B-8 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

257 S_EMP Description... S_EMP Description Column Name Null? Datatype ID NOT NULL NUMBER(7) LAST_NAME NOT NULL VARCHAR2(25) FIRST_NAME VARCHAR2(25) USERID VARCHAR2(8) START_DATE DATE COMMENT VARCHAR2(255) MANAGER_ID NUMBER(7) TITLE VARCHAR2(25) DEPT_ID NUMBER(7) SALARY NUMBER(11,2) COMMISSION_PCT NUMBER(4,2) Oracle Developer: Build Reports B-9

258 Appendix B: Table Descriptions and Data... S_EMP Data SQL> SELECT * FROM s_emp; ID LAST_NAME FIRST_NAME USERID START_DAT COMMENTS MANAGER_ID TITLE DEPT_ID SALARY COMMISSION_PCT Velasquez Carmen cvelasqu 03-MAR-90 President Ngao LaDoris lngao 08-MAR-90 1 VP, Operations Nagayama Midori mnagayam 17-JUN-91 1 VP, Sales Quick-To-See Mark mquickto 07-APR-90 1 VP, Finance Ropeburn Audry aropebur 04-MAR-90 1 VP, Administration Urguhart Molly murguhar 18-JAN-91 2 Warehouse Manager Menchu Roberta rmenchu 14-MAY-90 2 Warehouse Manager Biri Ben bbiri 07-APR-90 2 Warehouse Manager Catchpole Antoinette acatchpo 09-FEB-92 2 Warehouse Manager B-10 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

259 S_EMP Data... S_EMP Data (continued) ID LAST_NAME FIRST_NAME USERID START_DAT COMMENTS MANAGER_ID TITLE DEPT_ID SALARY COMMISSION_PCT Havel Marta mhavel 27-FEB-91 2 Warehouse Manager Magee Colin cmagee 14-MAY-90 3 Sales Representative Giljum Henry hgiljum 18-JAN-92 3 Sales Representative Sedeghi Yasmin ysedeghi 18-FEB-91 3 Sales Representative Nguyen Mai mnguyen 22-JAN-92 3 Sales Representative Dumas Andre adumas 09-OCT-91 3 Sales Representative Maduro Elena emaduro 07-FEB-92 6 Stock Clerk Oracle Developer: Build Reports B-11

260 Appendix B: Table Descriptions and Data... S_EMP Data (continued) ID LAST_NAME FIRST_NAME USERID START_DAT COMMENTS MANAGER_ID TITLE DEPT_ID SALARY COMMISSION_PCT Smith George gsmith 08-MAR-90 6 Stock Clerk Nozaki Akira anozaki 09-FEB-91 7 Stock Clerk Patel Vikram vpatel 06-AUG-91 7 Stock Clerk Newman Chad cnewman 21-JUL-91 8 Stock Clerk Markarian Alexander amarkari 26-MAY-91 8 Stock Clerk Chang Eddie echang 30-NOV-90 9 Stock Clerk Patel Radha rpatel 17-OCT-90 9 Stock Clerk Dancs Bela bdancs 17-MAR Stock Clerk Schwartz Sylvie sschwart 09-MAY Stock Clerk Note: This display has been formatted. B-12 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

261 S_ITEM Description... S_ITEM Description Column Name Null? Datatype ORD_ID NOT NULL NUMBER(7) ITEM_ID NOT NULL NUMBER(7) PRODUCT_ID NOT NULL NUMBER(7) PRICE NUMBER(11,2) QUANTITY NUMBER(9) QUANTITY_SHIPPED NUMBER(9) Oracle Developer: Build Reports B-13

262 Appendix B: Table Descriptions and Data... S_ITEM Data SQL> SELECT * FROM s_item; ORD_ID ITEM_ID PRODUCT_ID PRICE QUANTITY QUANTITY_SHIPPED B-14 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

263 S_ITEM Data... S_ITEM Data (continued) ORD_ID ITEM_ID PRODUCT_ID PRICE QUANTITY QUANTITY_SHIPPED rows selected. Note: This display has been formatted. Oracle Developer: Build Reports B-15

264 Appendix B: Table Descriptions and Data... S_ORD Description and Data Column Name Null? Datatype ID NOT NULL NUMBER(7) CUSTOMER_ID NOT NULL NUMBER(7) DATE_ORDERED DATE DATE_SHIPPED DATE SALES_REP_ID NUMBER(7) TOTAL NUMBER(11,2) PAYMENT_TYPE VARCHAR2(6) ORDER_FILLED VARCHAR2(1) SQL> SELECT * FROM s_ord; ID CUSTOMER_ID DATE_ORDE DATE_SHIPSALES_REP_IDTOTAL PAYMEN ORDER_F AUG92 10-SEP CREDIT Y AUG SEP CREDIT Y SEP SEP CREDIT Y SEP SEP CASH Y SEP SEP CREDIT Y SEP SEP CREDIT Y SEP SEP CREDIT Y SEP SEP CREDIT Y SEP SEP CREDIT Y SEP SEP CREDIT Y SEP SEP CASH Y SEP SEP CASH Y AUG SEP CREDIT Y AUG SEP CASH Y AUG SEP CREDIT Y AUG SEP CREDIT Y 16 rows selected. B-16 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

265 S_PRODUCT Description... S_PRODUCT Description Column Name Null? Datatype ID NOT NULL NUMBER(7) NAMENOT NULL VARCHAR2(50) SHORT_DESC VARCHAR2(255) LONGTEXT_ID NUMBER(7) IMAGE_ID NUMBER(7) SUGGESTED_WHLSL_PRICE NUMBER(11,2) WHLSL_UNITS VARCHAR2(25) Oracle Developer: Build Reports B-17

266 Appendix B: Table Descriptions and Data... S_PRODUCT Data SQL> SELECT * FROM s_product; ID NAME SHORT_DESC LONGTEXT_ID IMAGE_ID SUGGESTED_WHLSL_PRICEWHLSL_UNITS Boot Beginner s ski boot Ace Ski BootIntermediate ski boot Pro Ski BootAdvanced ski boot Bunny Ski PoleBeginner s ski pole Ace Ski PoleIntermediate ski pole Pro Ski PoleAdvanced ski pole Junior Soccer BallJunior soccer ball World Cup Soccer BallWorld cup soccer ball World Cup NetWorld cup net B-18 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

267 S_PRODUCT Data... S_PRODUCT Data (continued) ID NAME SHORT_DESC LONGTEXT_ID IMAGE_IDSUGGESTED_WHLSL_PRICEWHLSL_UNITS Black Hawk Knee pads, pair 1017 Knee Pads Black Hawk Elbow pads, pair 1019 Elbow Pads Grand Prix Bicycle Road bicycle Himalaya BicycleMountain bicycle Grand Prix Road bicycle tires927 Bicycle Tires Himalaya TiresMountain bicycle tires New Air PumpTire pump Slaker Water Water bottle 1286 Bottle Safe-T HelmetBicycle helmet Alexeyer ProStraight bar 928 Lifting Bar Pro Curling BarCurling bar Oracle Developer: Build Reports B-19

268 Appendix B: Table Descriptions and Data... S_PRODUCT Data (continued) ID NAME SHORT_DESC LONGTEXT_ID IMAGE_ID SUGGESTED_WHLSL_PRICEWHLSL_UNITS Alexeyer ProStraight bar 928 Lifting Bar Pro Curling BarCurling bar Prostar 10 Ten pound weight 517 Pound Weight Prostar 20 Twenty pound weight527 Pound Weight Prostar 50 Fifty pound weight557 Pound Weight Prostar 80 Eighty pound weight587 Pound Weight Prostar 100 One hundred pound 607 Pound Weightweight Major League Baseball 676 Baseball B-20 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

269 S_PRODUCT Data... S_PRODUCT Data (continued) ID NAME SHORT_DESC LONGTEXT_ID IMAGE_IDSUGGESTED_WHLSL_PRICEWHLSL_UNITS Chapman HelmetBatting helmet Griffey GloveOutfielder s glove Alomar GloveInfielder s glove Steinbach GloveCatcher s glove Cabrera Bat Thirty inch bat Puckett Bat Thirty-two inch bat Winfield BatThirty-six inch bat Note: This display has been formatted. Oracle Developer: Build Reports B-21

270 Appendix B: Table Descriptions and Data... S_REGION Description and Data Column Name Null? Datatype ID NOT NULL NUMBER(7) NAME NOT NULL VARCHAR2(50) SQL> SELECT * FROM s_region; ID NAME North America 2 South America 3 Africa / Middle East 4 Asia 5 Europe B-22 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

271 S_TITLE Description and Data... S_TITLE Description and Data Column Name Null? Datatype TITLE NOT NULL VARCHAR2(25) SQL> SELECT * FROM s_title; TITLE President Sales Representative Stock Clerk VP, Administration VP, Finance VP, Operations VP, Sales Warehouse Manager 8 rows selected. Oracle Developer: Build Reports B-23

272 Appendix B: Table Descriptions and Data... Oracle8 Objects: Types, Tables emp_type_objcol Name Null? Type ID NUMBER(7) LAST_NAME VARCHAR2(25) FIRST_NAME VARCHAR2(25) USERID VARCHAR2(8) START_DATE DATE MANAGER_ID NUMBER(7) TITLE VARCHAR2(25) DEPT_ID DEPT_TYPE SALARY NUMBER(11,2) COMMISSION_PCT NUMBER(4,2) emp_type_refcol Name Null? Type ID NUMBER(7) LAST_NAME VARCHAR2(25) FIRST_NAME VARCHAR2(25) USERID VARCHAR2(8) START_DATE DATE MANAGER_ID NUMBER(7) TITLE VARCHAR2(25) DEPT_ID REF OF DEPT_TYPE SALARY NUMBER(11,2) COMMISSION_PCT NUMBER(4,2) dept_type ID NUMBER NAME VARCHAR2(25) REGION_ID NUMBER(7) B-24 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

273 Oracle8 Objects: Types, Tables... Tables oo_emp_table_objcol Name Null? Type ID NUMBER(7) LAST_NAME VARCHAR2(25) FIRST_NAME VARCHAR2(25) USERID VARCHAR2(8) START_DATE DATE MANAGER_ID NUMBER(7) TITLE VARCHAR2(25) DEPT_ID DEPT_TYPE SALARY NUMBER(11,2) COMMISSION_PCT NUMBER(4,2) ID LAST_NAME FIRST_NAME USERID START_DAT MANAGER_ID TITLE DEPT_ID(ID, NAME, REGION_ID) SALARY COMMISSION_PCT Velasquez Carmencvelasqu 03-MAR-90 President DEPT_TYPE(50, Administration, 1) Ngao 08-MAR-90 DEPT_TYPE(41, Operations, 1) 1450 LaDorislngao 1 VP Operations 3Nagayama 17-JUN-91 DEPT_TYPE(31, Sales, 1) 1400 Midorimnagayam 1 VP Sales Oracle Developer: Build Reports B-25

274 Appendix B: Table Descriptions and Data... ID LAST_NAME FIRST_NAME USERID START_DAT MANAGER_ID TITLE DEPT_ID(ID, NAME, REGION_ID) SALARY COMMISSION_PCT Quick-To-See Mark mquickto 07-APR-90 1 VP Finance DEPT_TYPE(10, Finance, 1) Ropeburn Audry aropebur 04-MAR-90 1 VP Administration DEPT_TYPE(50, Administration, 1) Urguhart Molly murguhar 18-JAN-91 2 Warehouse Manager DEPT_TYPE(41, Operations, 1) Menchu Roberta rmenchu 14-MAY-90 2 Warehouse Manager DEPT_TYPE(42, Operations, 2) Biri Ben bbiri 07-APR-90 2 Warehouse Manager DEPT_TYPE(43, Operations, 3) Catchpole Antoinette acatchpo 09-FEB-92 2 Warehouse Manager DEPT_TYPE(44, Operations, 4) 1300 B-26 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

275 Oracle8 Objects: Types, Tables... ID LAST_NAME FIRST_NAME USERID START_DAT MANAGER_ID TITLE DEPT_ID(ID, NAME, REGION_ID) SALARY COMMISSION_PCT Havel Marta mhavel 27-FEB-91 2 Warehouse Manager DEPT_TYPE(45, Operations, 5) Magee Colin cmagee 14-MAY-90 3 Sales Representative DEPT_TYPE(31, Sales, 1) Giljum Henry hgiljum 18-JAN-92 3 Sales Representative DEPT_TYPE(32, Sales, 2) Sedeghi Yasmin ysedeghi 18-FEB-91 3 Sales Representative DEPT_TYPE(33, Sales, 3) Nguyen Mai mnguyen 22-JAN-92 3 Sales Representative DEPT_TYPE(34, Sales, 4) Dumas Andre adumas 09-OCT-91 3 Sales Representative DEPT_TYPE(35, Sales, 5) Oracle Developer: Build Reports B-27

276 Appendix B: Table Descriptions and Data... ID LAST_NAME FIRST_NAME USERID START_DAT MANAGER_ID TITLE DEPT_ID(ID, NAME, REGION_ID) SALARY COMMISSION_PCT Maduro Elena emaduro 07-FEB-92 6 Stock Clerk DEPT_TYPE(41, Operations, 1) Smith George gsmith 08-MAR-90 6 Stock Clerk DEPT_TYPE(41, Operations, 1) Nozaki Akira anozaki 09-FEB-91 7 Stock Clerk DEPT_TYPE(42, Operations, 2) Patel Vikram vpatel 06-AUG-91 7 Stock Clerk DEPT_TYPE(42, Operations, 2) Newman Chad cnewman 21-JUL-91 8 Stock Clerk DEPT_TYPE(43, Operations, 3) Markarian Alexander amarkari 26-MAY-91 8 Stock Clerk DEPT_TYPE(43, Operations, 3) 850 B-28 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

277 Oracle8 Objects: Types, Tables... ID LAST_NAME FIRST_NAME USERID START_DAT MANAGER_ID TITLE DEPT_ID(ID, NAME, REGION_ID) SALARY COMMISSION_PCT Chang Eddie echang 30-NOV-90 9 Stock Clerk DEPT_TYPE(44, Operations, 4) Patel Radha rpatel 17-OCT-90 9 Stock Clerk DEPT_TYPE(34, Sales, 4) Dancs Bela bdancs 17-MAR Stock Clerk DEPT_TYPE(45, Operations, 5) Schwartz Sylvie sschwart 09-MAY Stock Clerk DEPT_TYPE(45, Operations, 5) 1100 oo_emp_table_refcol Name Null? Type ID NUMBER(7) LAST_NAME VARCHAR2(25) FIRST_NAME VARCHAR2(25) USERID VARCHAR2(8) START_DATE DATE MANAGER_ID NUMBER(7) TITLE VARCHAR2(25) DEPT_ID REF OF DEPT_TYPE SALARY NUMBER(11,2) COMMISSION_PCTNUMBER(4,2) Oracle Developer: Build Reports B-29

278 Appendix B: Table Descriptions and Data... ID LAST_NAME FIRST_NAME USERID START_DAT MANAGER_ID TITLE DEPT_ID(ID, NAME, REGION_ID) SALARY COMMISSION_PCT Velasquez Carmen cvelasqu 03-MAR-90 President F54A9ED64676AE C15B447F54A9ED55676AE C15B Ngao LaDoris lngao 08-MAR-90 1 VP Operations F54A9ED5F676AE C15B447F54A9ED55676AE C15B Nagayama Midori mnagayam 17-JUN-91 1 VP Sales F54A9ED5A676AE C15B447F54A9ED55676AE C15B Quick-To-See Mark mquickto 07-APR-90 1 VP Finance F54A9ED59676AE C15B447F54A9ED55676AE C15B Ropeburn Audry aropebur 04-MAR-90 1 VP Administration F54A9ED64676AE C15B447F54A9ED55676AE C15B 1550 B-30 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

279 Oracle8 Objects: Types, Tables... ID LAST_NAME FIRST_NAME USERID START_DAT MANAGER_ID TITLE DEPT_ID(ID, NAME, REGION_ID) SALARY COMMISSION_PCT Urguhart Molly murguhar 18-JAN-91 2 Warehouse Manager F54A9ED5F676AE C15B447F54A9ED55676AE C15B Catchpole Antoinette acatchpo 09-FEB-92 2 Warehouse Manager F54A9ED62676AE C15B447F54A9ED55676AE C15B Havel Marta mhavel 27-FEB-91 2 Warehouse Manager F54A9ED63676AE C15B447F54A9ED55676AE C15B Magee Colin cmagee 14-MAY-90 3 Sales Representative F54A9ED5A676AE C15B447F54A9ED55676AE C15B Sedeghi Yasmin ysedeghi 18-FEB-91 3 Sales Representative F54A9ED5C676AE C15B447F54A9ED55676AE C15B Oracle Developer: Build Reports B-31

280 Appendix B: Table Descriptions and Data... ID LAST_NAME FIRST_NAME USERID START_DAT MANAGER_ID TITLE DEPT_ID(ID, NAME, REGION_ID) SALARY COMMISSION_PCT Nguyen Mai mnguyen 22-JAN-92 3 Sales Representative F54A9ED5D676AE C15B447F54A9ED55676AE C15B Dumas Andre adumas 09-OCT-91 3 Sales Representative F54A9ED5E676AE C15B447F54A9ED55676AE C15B Maduro Elena emaduro 07-FEB-92 6 Stock Clerk F54A9ED5F676AE C15B447F54A9ED55676AE C15B Smith George gsmith 08-MAR-90 6 Stock Clerk F54A9ED5F676AE C15B447F54A9ED55676AE C15B Nozaki Akira anozaki 09-FEB-91 7 Stock Clerk F54A9ED60676AE C15B447F54A9ED55676AE C15B 1200 B-32 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

281 Oracle8 Objects: Types, Tables... ID LAST_NAME FIRST_NAME USERID START_DAT MANAGER_ID TITLE DEPT_ID(ID, NAME, REGION_ID) SALARY COMMISSION_PCT Patel Vikram vpatel 06-AUG-91 7 Stock Clerk F54A9ED60676AE C15B447F54A9ED55676AE C15B Newman Chad cnewman 21-JUL-91 8 Stock Clerk F54A9ED61676AE C15B447F54A9ED55676AE C15B Markarian Alexander amarkari 26-MAY-91 8 Stock Clerk F54A9ED61676AE C15B447F54A9ED55676AE C15B Chang Eddie echang 30-NOV-90 9 Stock Clerk F54A9ED62676AE C15B447F54A9ED55676AE C15B Patel Radha rpatel 17-OCT-90 9 Stock Clerk F54A9ED5D676AE C15B447F54A9ED55676AE C15B 795 Oracle Developer: Build Reports B-33

282 Appendix B: Table Descriptions and Data... ID LAST_NAME FIRST_NAME USERID START_DAT MANAGER_ID TITLE DEPT_ID(ID, NAME, REGION_ID) SALARY COMMISSION_PCT Dancs Bela bdancs 17-MAR Stock Clerk F54A9ED63676AE C15B447F54A9ED55676AE C15B Schwartz Sylvie sschwart 09-MAY Stock Clerk F54A9ED63676AE C15B447F54A9ED55676AE C15B 1100 oo_dept_table Name Null? Type ID NUMBER NAME VARCHAR2(25) REGION_ID NUMBER(7) ID NAME REGION_ID Finance 1 31 Sales 1 32 Sales 2 33 Sales 3 34 Sales 4 35 Sales 5 41 Operations 1 42 Operations 2 43 Operations 3 44 Operations 4 45 Operations 5 50 Administration 1 B-34 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

283 Oracle8 Objects: Types, Tables... rel_emp_table_objcol Name Null? Type ID NUMBER(7) LAST_NAME VARCHAR2(25) FIRST_NAME VARCHAR2(25) USERID VARCHAR2(8) START_DATE DATE MANAGER_ID NUMBER(7) TITLE VARCHAR2(25) DEPT_ID DEPT_TYPE SALARY NUMBER(11,2) COMMISSION_PCT NUMBER(4,2) ID LAST_NAME FIRST_NAME USERID START_DAT MANAGER_ID TITLE DEPT_ID(ID, NAME, REGION_ID) SALARY COMMISSION_PCT Velasquez Carmen cvelasqu 03-MAR-90 President DEPT_TYPE(50, Administration, 1) Ngao LaDoris lngao 08-MAR-90 1 VP Operations DEPT_TYPE(41, Operations, 1) Nagayama Midori mnagayam 17-JUN-91 1 VP Sales DEPT_TYPE(31, Sales, 1) 1400 Oracle Developer: Build Reports B-35

284 Appendix B: Table Descriptions and Data... ID LAST_NAME FIRST_NAME USERID START_DAT MANAGER_ID TITLE DEPT_ID(ID, NAME, REGION_ID) SALARY COMMISSION_PCT Quick-To-See Mark mquickto 07-APR-90 1 VP Finance DEPT_TYPE(10, Finance, 1) Ropeburn Audry aropebur 04-MAR-90 1 VP Administration DEPT_TYPE(50, Administration, 1) Urguhart Molly murguhar 18-JAN-91 2 Warehouse Manager DEPT_TYPE(41, Operations, 1) Menchu Roberta rmenchu 14-MAY-90 2 Warehouse Manager DEPT_TYPE(42, Operations, 2) Biri Ben bbiri 07-APR-90 2 Warehouse Manager DEPT_TYPE(43, Operations, 3) Catchpole Antoinette acatchpo 09-FEB-92 2 Warehouse Manager DEPT_TYPE(44, Operations, 4) 1300 B-36 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

285 Oracle8 Objects: Types, Tables... ID LAST_NAME FIRST_NAME USERID START_DAT MANAGER_ID TITLE DEPT_ID(ID, NAME, REGION_ID) SALARY COMMISSION_PCT Havel Marta mhavel 27-FEB-91 2 Warehouse Manager DEPT_TYPE(45, Operations, 5) Magee Colin cmagee 14-MAY-90 3 Sales Representative DEPT_TYPE(31, Sales, 1) Giljum Henry hgiljum 18-JAN-92 3 Sales Representative DEPT_TYPE(32, Sales, 2) Sedeghi Yasmin ysedeghi 18-FEB-91 3 Sales Representative DEPT_TYPE(33, Sales, 3) Nguyen Mai mnguyen 22-JAN-92 3 Sales Representative DEPT_TYPE(34, Sales, 4) Dumas Andre adumas 09-OCT-91 3 Sales Representative DEPT_TYPE(35, Sales, 5) Oracle Developer: Build Reports B-37

286 Appendix B: Table Descriptions and Data... ID LAST_NAME FIRST_NAME USERID START_DAT MANAGER_ID TITLE DEPT_ID(ID, NAME, REGION_ID) SALARY COMMISSION_PCT Maduro Elena emaduro 07-FEB-92 6 Stock Clerk DEPT_TYPE(41, Operations, 1) Smith George gsmith 08-MAR-90 6 Stock Clerk DEPT_TYPE(41, Operations, 1) Nozaki Akira anozaki 09-FEB-91 7 Stock Clerk DEPT_TYPE(42, Operations, 2) Patel Vikram vpatel 06-AUG-91 7 Stock Clerk DEPT_TYPE(42, Operations, 2) Newman Chad cnewman 21-JUL-91 8 Stock Clerk DEPT_TYPE(43, Operations, 3) Markarian Alexander amarkari 26-MAY-91 8 Stock Clerk DEPT_TYPE(43, Operations, 3) 850 B-38 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

287 Oracle8 Objects: Types, Tables... ID LAST_NAME FIRST_NAME USERID START_DAT MANAGER_ID TITLE DEPT_ID(ID, NAME, REGION_ID) SALARY COMMISSION_PCT Chang Eddie echang 30-NOV-90 9 Stock Clerk DEPT_TYPE(44, Operations, 4) Patel Radha rpatel 17-OCT-90 9 Stock Clerk DEPT_TYPE(34, Sales, 4) Dancs Bela bdancs 17-MAR Stock Clerk DEPT_TYPE(45, Operations, 5) Schwartz Sylvie sschwart 09-MAY Stock Clerk DEPT_TYPE(45, Operations, 5) 1100 rel_emp_table_refcol Name Null? Type ID NUMBER(7) LAST_NAME VARCHAR2(25) FIRST_NAME VARCHAR2(25) USERID VARCHAR2(8) START_DATE DATE MANAGER_ID NUMBER(7) TITLE VARCHAR2(25) DEPT_ID REF OF DEPT_TYPE SALARY NUMBER(11,2) COMMISSION_PCT NUMBER(4,2) Oracle Developer: Build Reports B-39

288 Appendix B: Table Descriptions and Data... ID LAST_NAME FIRST_NAME USERID START_DAT MANAGER_ID TITLE DEPT_ID(ID, NAME, REGION_ID) SALARY COMMISSION_PCT Velasquez Carmen cvelasqu 03-MAR-90 President F54A9ED64676AE C15B447F54A9ED55676AE C15B Ngao LaDoris lngao 08-MAR-90 1 VP Operations F54A9ED5F676AE C15B447F54A9ED55676AE C15B Nagayama Midori mnagayam 17-JUN-91 1 VP Sales F54A9ED5A676AE C15B447F54A9ED55676AE C15B Quick-To-See Mark mquickto 07-APR-90 1 VP Finance F54A9ED59676AE C15B447F54A9ED55676AE C15B Ropeburn Audry aropebur 04-MAR-90 1 VP Administration F54A9ED64676AE C15B447F54A9ED55676AE C15B 1550 B-40 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

289 Oracle8 Objects: Types, Tables... ID LAST_NAME FIRST_NAME USERID START_DAT MANAGER_ID TITLE DEPT_ID(ID, NAME, REGION_ID) SALARY COMMISSION_PCT Urguhart Molly murguhar 18-JAN-91 2 Warehouse Manager F54A9ED5F676AE C15B447F54A9ED55676AE C15B Catchpole Antoinette acatchpo 09-FEB-92 2 Warehouse Manager F54A9ED62676AE C15B447F54A9ED55676AE C15B Havel Marta mhavel 27-FEB-91 2 Warehouse Manager F54A9ED63676AE C15B447F54A9ED55676AE C15B Magee Colin cmagee 14-MAY-90 3 Sales Representative F54A9ED5A676AE C15B447F54A9ED55676AE C15B Sedeghi Yasmin ysedeghi 18-FEB-91 3 Sales Representative F54A9ED5C676AE C15B447F54A9ED55676AE C15B Oracle Developer: Build Reports B-41

290 Appendix B: Table Descriptions and Data... ID LAST_NAME FIRST_NAME USERID START_DAT MANAGER_ID TITLE DEPT_ID(ID, NAME, REGION_ID) SALARY COMMISSION_PCT Nguyen Mai mnguyen 22-JAN-92 3 Sales Representative F54A9ED5D676AE C15B447F54A9ED55676AE C15B Dumas Andre adumas 09-OCT-91 3 Sales Representative F54A9ED5E676AE C15B447F54A9ED55676AE C15B Maduro Elena emaduro 07-FEB-92 6 Stock Clerk F54A9ED5F676AE C15B447F54A9ED55676AE C15B Smith George gsmith 08-MAR-90 6 Stock Clerk F54A9ED5F676AE C15B447F54A9ED55676AE C15B Nozaki Akira anozaki 09-FEB-91 7 Stock Clerk F54A9ED60676AE C15B447F54A9ED55676AE C15B 1200 B-42 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

291 Oracle8 Objects: Types, Tables... ID LAST_NAME FIRST_NAME USERID START_DAT MANAGER_ID TITLE DEPT_ID(ID, NAME, REGION_ID) SALARY COMMISSION_PCT Patel Vikram vpatel 06-AUG-91 7 Stock Clerk F54A9ED60676AE C15B447F54A9ED55676AE C15B Newman Chad cnewman 21-JUL-91 8 Stock Clerk F54A9ED61676AE C15B447F54A9ED55676AE C15B Markarian Alexander amarkari 26-MAY-91 8 Stock Clerk F54A9ED61676AE C15B447F54A9ED55676AE C15B Chang Eddie echang 30-NOV-90 9 Stock Clerk F54A9ED62676AE C15B447F54A9ED55676AE C15B Patel Radha rpatel 17-OCT-90 9 Stock Clerk F54A9ED5D676AE C15B447F54A9ED55676AE C15B 795 Oracle Developer: Build Reports B-43

292 Appendix B: Table Descriptions and Data... ID LAST_NAME FIRST_NAME USERID START_DAT MANAGER_ID TITLE DEPT_ID(ID, NAME, REGION_ID) SALARY COMMISSION_PCT Dancs Bela bdancs 17-MAR Stock Clerk F54A9ED63676AE C15B447F54A9ED55676AE C15B Schwartz Sylvie sschwart 09-MAY Stock Clerk F54A9ED63676AE C15B447F54A9ED55676AE C15B 1100 B-44 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

293 C... Frequently Asked Questions

294 Appendix C: Frequently Asked Questions Frequently Asked Questions Contents 1 How do I set up and run my reports on a remote server? 2 How can the Report Builder Background Engine be shut down programmatically from another Oracle Developer application? 3 How do I pass parameters with spaces from the command line or from the Form Builder built-in RUN_REPORT_OBJECT or RUN_PRODUCT? 4 How do I print a report to an ASCII file with no page breaks or control characters? 5 How do I create a report containing barcodes in Report Builder? 6 How do I print a character mode report in landscape orientation? 7 How do I send report output to a fax? 8 How do I suppress rows or columns in a Matrix report? 9 How can I print to the second printer tray using Report Builder? 10 What Registry parameter is used in Windows to redirect where temporary files are created? 11 How do I automatically delete temporary files created when running Report Builder? 12 Is there any way to programmatically disable the Print button in the run-time Previewer? C-2 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

295 Frequently Asked Questions and Answers Frequently Asked Questions and Answers Accessing Reference Material The reference numbers given in these answers are the index numbers that enable you to search for a document in Metalink if you are a member of the Oracle Metals Program; that is, support levels Bronze, Silver, and Gold. If you do not currently have one of these metal support services, you can call your sales representative to upgrade your support service level. You can use these numbers for an exact match, or you can search on full words pertaining to the problem you are having, such as BOILERPLATE. From choose the TOOLS option and then choose Oracle Developer reports. From there choose Top Product Articles and enter the text for your search. Click the Advanced button and choose ConText Syntax before starting the search. Oracle allows access to published bulletins only from Metalink. If you do not find the topic you need, call the support center for help. Material is constantly being added to this site in an effort to give customers fast access to the information they need. Note: These documents can also be obtained by calling the customer support hotline. 1 How do I set up and run my reports on a remote server? Answer The Multitiered Reports Server, which is part of Oracle Developer Release 6.0, enables you to run reports on a remote application server. When used in conjunction with the Reports Web CGI or Web Cartridge, it also enables you to run reports from a Web browser using standard URL syntax. The server can be installed on Windows NT, Windows95, or UNIX. It handles client requests to run reports by entering all requests into a job queue. For Further Information Oracle Developer R6.0 Documentation: Online Manuals Oracle Developer: Guidelines for Building Applications 2: Deploying Applications on the Web 2.2.3: Configuring Reports for the Web : Setting up the Reports Server Oracle Developer: Build Reports C-3

296 Appendix C: Frequently Asked Questions 2 How can the Report Builder Background Engine be shut down programmatically from another Oracle Developer application? Answer In your Form application, use ORACLE_SHUTDOWN = Yes as a parameter in a parameter list that you pass to the Form Builder built-in, RUN_PRODUCT. The parameter value, Yes, must have initial capitals. References <PrSol: > 3 How do I pass parameters with spaces from command line or from the Form Builder built-ins RUN_REPORT_OBJECT or RUN_PRODUCT? Answer Use a CMDFILE for passing parameters with spaces from the command line. Use extra quotes to delimit values to pass parameter values with spaces when using RUN_REPORT_OBJECT or RUN_PRODUCT. References <PrSol: > 4 How do I print a report to an ASCII file with no page breaks or control characters? Answer Remove "CONTROL(L)" from the "AFTER PAGE{S} CONTROL(L)" line in dflt.prt or use DESFORMAT=no_ff (A no_ff.prt printer definition file is supplied as part of the Report Builder installation in the <oracle_home>\report60\printers directory.) References <PrSol: > C-4 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

297 Frequently Asked Questions and Answers 5 How do I create a report containing barcodes in Report Builder? Answer In Windows, use the barcode font supplied as part of the Report Builder installation, in the <oracle_home>\tools\devdem60\bin directory, or any thirdparty barcode font. Alternatively, you can use Oracle Developer Graphics Builder. References <PrSol: > 6 How do I print a character mode report in landscape orientation? Answer Manually edit escape sequences into a.prt file. References <Note: > Landscape Printing in Reports on Windows 7 How do I send report output to a fax? Answer Install a third-party software for example Winfax and make that a printer. In order to programmatically fax a report without any user interaction through Microsoft Exchange Fax driver, look up bulletin BUL (CR ). References <PrSol: > Oracle Developer: Build Reports C-5

298 Appendix C: Frequently Asked Questions 8 How do I suppress blank rows or columns in a Matrix report? Answer In Release 2.0 or earlier, create a summary column in the cross product group to count the number of cells that hold a NOT NULL value. Use a format trigger to suppress the row or column if this value is zero. In Release 6, a nested matrix style creates a non-sparse matrix by default, which means that it suppresses all blank rows or columns. References <PrSol: > 9 How can I print to the second printer tray using Report Builder? Answer Use a Before Report, Between Pages, or other format trigger to switch to different printer trays as your report formats. You can determine the names of the printer trays defined for your printer in the Page Setup dialog box. In Release 2.0, use SRW.SET_ATTR (PRINTER_INTRAY attribute) to set the printer tray as desired. In Release 6, use SRW.SET_PRINTER_TRAY, which provides an easier syntax similar to Form Builder. References <PrSol: > <Note: > C-6 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

299 Frequently Asked Questions and Answers 10 What Registry parameter is used in Windows to redirect where temporary files are created? Answer Report Builder uses the REPORTS60_TMP parameter in the Registry. If this is not set, then it uses the working directory instead. 11 How do I automatically delete temporary files created when running reports using Reports Runtime? Answer Running a report to a file from the run-time module does not delete the idx files. The idx files must be deleted manually. This is a documented bug. References <BUG:332572> 12 Is there any way to programmatically disable the Print button in the runtime Previewer? Answer Include the DISABLEPRINT=YES argument in your command line. Release 2.1 also provides a DISABL argument. Oracle Developer: Build Reports C-7

300 Appendix C: Frequently Asked Questions C-8 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

301 D... Oracle Rdb Overview

302 Appendix D: Oracle Rdb Overview What Is Oracle Rdb? Oracle Rdb is a multiuser relational database management system designed and developed by Oracle Corporation for high availability, high performance, and ease of use in large-scale, mission-critical applications. It includes a full set of utilities for database maintenance and an industry-standard version of SQL that allows you to easily create applications and maintain your Oracle Rdb databases. Oracle Rdb is currently running on over 45 thousand servers at more than 15 thousand sites worldwide. It is used in many large online transaction processing (OLTP) systems and its customer list comprises some of the worlds leading corporations. Oracle continues to enhance the functionality of Rdb by adding new features and strengthening integration with other Oracle technology and tools. Supported Platforms Oracle Rdb is available on the following computing platforms: OpenVMS VAX OpenVMS Alpha Windows NT Intel and Alpha Oracle Rdb Features These are some of the features that Oracle Rdb offers: Disaster tolerance The Hot Standby option is ideal where very high performance and continuous (7 by 365) availability is essential. It provides disaster tolerance across geographically dispersed systems using the existing network with no change in applications or material increment in system overhead. The Hot Standby system can be accessed simultaneously for read-only transactions. High performance Rdb is optimized to meet enterprise OLTP requirements for the highest levels of performance on OpenVMS Alpha and VAX. Features include full support for 64-bit Very Large Memory on OpenVMS Alpha, mixed-clusters, patented Record Caching; pinning tables in memory for rapid access, a patented Dynamic Query Optimizer, and Query Outlines for repeatable query performance. Ease of management Rdb provides comprehensive, simple management of Rdb databases. Default database settings provide great performance for Rdb out of the box. The Enterprise Manager DBAPack for Rdb provides a complete set of management tools for Rdb that can be run from the Oracle Enterprise Manager console. The TRACE/Expert option provides performance monitoring and expert database design for Rdb. Rdb8 integration with Oracle Enterprise Manager provides common graphical interfaces to manage Rdb and Oracle RDBMS from the same Windows console. D-2 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

303 What Is Oracle Rdb? Oracle Rdb Features (continued) Support for Windows NT Intel and Alpha Compaq customers can extend their OpenVMS environment to include NT and run Rdb applications on commodity Intel platforms. Rdb8 on NT is a native, multithreaded, complete implementation of Rdb. Integration with other Oracle technologies Rdb customers can leverage their investment in Rdb by enhancing existing applications and developing new ones with the latest Oracle tools for Web and client-server application development, and powerful business intelligence analysis. Customers can make a single investment in products and training that is completely portable across Rdb and Oracle RDBMS. Rdb supports Oracle Application Server, Oracle Developer, Oracle Designer, Oracle Discoverer, and Oracle Express Server. Support for SQL*Net for Rdb This enables integration with the Oracle technologies listed above. Customers and application partners can use standard Oracle APIs to build applications that run on Rdb and Oracle RDBMS. Data sharing between Rdb and Oracle RDBMS is enabled without the use of gateways. Rdb includes support for the Oracle Call Level Interface (OCI), Oracle network protocols, and DB Links. Other Information Oracle Rdb Education Oracle Education offers a comprehensive series of Oracle Rdb courses. The course titles include: Introduction to Rdb: Technical Overview and SQL Language Rdb for the Database Administrator Rdb for the Database Designer Rdb 3GL Programming Rdb Performance and Tuning Rdb Internals To receive the Oracle Education U.S. schedule and catalog, which contains complete course descriptions, pricing, and enrollment information, call within the continental U.S. or from outside the U.S. For international course information, contact the Oracle site nearest to you. You can also get Oracle Education information and order catalogs from the following website: Oracle Developer: Build Reports D-3

304 Appendix D: Oracle Rdb Overview Other Information (continued) Oracle Rdb Product Information The Rdb website is a resource for finding out the latest news on the product and its features. Look here for information such as: New product releases Product interoperability information How customers are using Oracle Rdb Calendar of product-related events To access the website, go to the following URL: Oracle Rdb Demonstration CD-ROM To receive a free Oracle Rdb product demonstration CD-ROM, send an including your name, address, and company to: infordb@us.oracle.com. Specify that you d like to receive the free Oracle Rdb CD-ROM. D-4 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

305 E... Introduction to Query Builder

306 Appendix E: Introduction to Query Builder Query Builder Features Easy-to-use data access tool Point-and-click graphical user interface Distributed data access Powerful query building Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved. E-2 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

307 What Is Query Builder? What Is Query Builder? Easy-to-Use Data Access Tool Query Builder is an easy-to-use data access tool. It provides a logical and intuitive means to access information stored in networked, distributed databases for analysis and reporting. Point-and-Click Graphical User Interface Query Builder enables you to become productive quickly because its graphical user interface works like your other applications. A toolbar enables you to perform common operations quickly. Distributed Data Access Query Builder represents all database objects (tables, views, and so on) as graphical datasources, which look and work exactly the same way regardless of which database or account the data came from. Performing distributed queries on complex, enterprise-wide databases is no more difficult than querying a single database. Locating database objects is easy because Query Builder uses a single hierarchical directory that lists all accessible data in your account, in other accounts, and in other databases. Oracle Developer: Build Reports E-3

308 Appendix E: Introduction to Query Builder Query Builder Features Easy-to-use data access tool Point-and-click graphical user interface Distributed data access Powerful query building Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved. E-4 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

309 What Is Query Builder? Powerful Query Building Query Builder is designed for professionals who do not have a computer programming or database background. However, because of its powerful query features and its support of Structured Query Language (SQL) statements, experienced database users and programmers will find that Query Builder serves many of their needs as well. Graphical representation of tables and their relationships enables you to see the structure of your data. You can build queries by clicking on the columns that you want to retrieve from the database. The browser generates the necessary SQL statements behind the scenes. You can specify exactly which rows to retrieve from the database by using conditions, which consist of any valid SQL expression that evaluates to true or false. You can combine and nest conditions graphically using logical operators. You can disable conditions temporarily for what-if analysis. Note: Query Builder as a tool in itself also includes WYSIWYG formatting and reporting capabilities. This lesson describes Query Builder as part of tools like Report Builder. Oracle Developer: Build Reports E-5

310 Appendix E: Introduction to Query Builder Query Builder Window Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved. 1 Toolbar 2 Conditions panel 3 Datasource panel E-6 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

311 The Query Builder Window The Query Builder Window The Query Builder graphical user interface consists of one window, the Query window, where you build your queries. Query Window Panels The Query window is divided into two panels: The Conditions panel where you specify conditions to refine your queries The Datasource panel where you display and select tables and columns for a query Toolbar The toolbar enables you to issue commands with a click of the mouse. You can create conditions, add new data sources, or define new columns. Oracle Developer: Build Reports E-7

312 Appendix E: Introduction to Query Builder Building a New Query Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved. E-8 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

313 Building a New Query Building a New Query To build a query you must select the tables you want to include and the columns you want to retrieve. How to Include a Table 1 Choose Select Data Tables from the toolbar. The Select Data Tables dialog box appears. Note: When you open Query Builder to create a new query, the Data Table dialog box is open by default. 2 Select the table name and then choose Include, or simply double-click the desired table name. The selected table appears in the Query window. 3 Choose Close to close the dialog box. You can at any time include additional tables in the query by following these steps. How to Delete a Table 1 Select the datasource in the Query window. 2 Choose Clear from the toolbar or press Delete. Oracle Developer: Build Reports E-9

314 Appendix E: Introduction to Query Builder Data Source Components Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved. 1 Datasource name 5 Object type 2 Primary key 6 Column datatype 3 Column name 7 Recursive relationship icon 4 Foreign key 8 Comments icon E-10 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

315 Datasource Components Datasource Components Tables A table that has been included in a query is referred to as a datasource. It is displayed as a rectangular graphic in the Datasource panel of the Query window. The top part of the rectangle contains the table name and an icon representing its type. Type Table View Synonym Alias Description Stores data in the database. Acts like a table when you execute a query, but is really a pointer to either a subset of a table, a combination of tables, or a join of two or more tables. Another name for an object. Sometimes table names can be rather cryptic, such as emp_em_con_tbl. You can create a synonym that simply calls this table Contracts. Query Builder uses an alias name for a table when the table is used more than once, mostly with self-joins (you can also rename a table). Columns The body of the rectangle contains column names listed vertically. To the right of the column name is an icon representing the datatype. Columns also provide additional information. Primary keys are displayed in bold. Foreign keys are displayed in italics. Recursive relationships are indicated by a self-relationship icon. Oracle Developer: Build Reports E-11

316 Appendix E: Introduction to Query Builder Refining a Query Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved. E-12 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

317 Refining a Query Refining a Query Adding Columns to a Query There are several methods of adding columns to a query: Use the check box to the right of the column name Double-click the column name To include all columns from any single table, double-click the table heading. Removing Columns to a Query There are several methods of removing columns to a query: Clear the check box to the right of the column name Double-click the column name To remove all columns from any single table, double-click the table heading. Changing Column Position in a Query By default, Query Builder places columns in the order in which you select them. You can resequence them by selecting the Column Sequence tool. The Column Sequence dialog box appears. Column names are shown in the Displayed Columns list in order of their appearance in the query. Drag any column to a new postion. Note: You can also use the Column Sequence dialog box to add columns to or remove them from a query. Oracle Developer: Build Reports E-13

318 Appendix E: Introduction to Query Builder Sorting Data Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved. E-14 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

319 Refining a Query Sorting Data By default a query returns the data in no specific order. To sort the data, you must add an ORDER BY clause to the query. How to Add an ORDER BY Clause to a Query 1 Select the Sort tool. The Sort dialog box appears. 2 Select the column you want to sort from the Available Columns list. 3 Choose Copy. Query Builder adds the column to the Sorted Columns list and places an up arrow in the list box to indicate the default sort ascending order. Note: You can sort by more than one column. Query Builder sorts according to the order in which columns appear in the Sorted Columns list. 4 You can change the sorting order by selecting the column name in the Sorted Columns list and selecting the desired option button. 5 Choose OK to close the dialog box. Oracle Developer: Build Reports E-15

320 Appendix E: Introduction to Query Builder Viewing and Saving Queries Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved. E-16 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

321 Viewing and Saving Queries Viewing and Saving Queries Viewing a Query Choose the Show SQL tool to view the query text that Query Builder will create. How to Save a Query You can save your query as a SQL statement to the file system. 1 Select the Save tool from the toolbar. The Save As dialog box appears. 2 Enter a file name. Note: If you do not enter a file extension, Query Builder automatically appends the.sql file extension. 3 Select a destination. 4 Choose OK. Oracle Developer: Build Reports E-17

322 Appendix E: Introduction to Query Builder Including Additional Tables Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved. E-18 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

323 Including Additional Tables Including Additional Tables Often, all of the data needed to create a desired report cannot be found in a single table. With Query Builder you can include multiple tables in a single query. Remember that you can see the names of all the tables in your account by choosing the Select Data Tables tool. This brings up the Select Data Tables dialog box. You can also use this dialog box to show only certain types of data sources as well as data sources in other accounts and databases. How to Find Tables in Other Accounts If you do not find the table you are looking for in the Select Data Tables list box in your own account, you can search other accounts. 1 Open the pop-up menu to display the name of the current database and the option databases. 2 Select the current database name. The list box displays a list of accounts that contain tables you can access. 3 Select the name of the account in the list and then choose Open, or simply double-click the account name. This opens the account and displays a list of tables in the account. 4 Follow the normal procedure for including tables in the Query window. How to Find Tables in Other Databases If you do not find the table you are looking for in the Select Data Tables list box in your own account, you can search other databases. 1 Open the pop-up menu to display the name of the current database and the option databases. 2 Select databases. The list box displays a list of databases you can access. 3 Select the name of the database in the list and then choose Open, or simply double-click the account name. 4 Follow the normal procedure for including tables in the Query window. Oracle Developer: Build Reports E-19

324 Appendix E: Introduction to Query Builder Viewing Comments Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved. E-20 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

325 Including Additional Tables How to View Comments Sometimes, details about the kind of data stored in the database are not reflected by the table or column names. This can often make it difficult to decide which objects to include in your query. Query Builder features the Get Info dialog box to provide this kind of information for tables and columns. To open the dialog box, follow these steps: 1 In the Datasource panel, select the table or column name. 2 Select the Get Info tool. Alternatively, you can double-click the Comment icon in each table or column in the Datasources panel. Oracle Developer: Build Reports E-21

326 Appendix E: Introduction to Query Builder Including Related Tables Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved. E-22 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

327 Relationships Relationships To combine data from multiple tables into one query, Query Builder enables you to search for relationships between tables and to create user-defined relationships if they do not exist. Additionally, you can activate or deactivate relationships to suit your needs. How to Find and Include Related Tables 1 Select the table in the Datasource panel. 2 Select the Select Related Tables tool. A list of tables that have relationships defined with the selected table appears. 3 Select the table name and choose Include, or simply double-click the table name. The selected table appears in the Datasource panel. Relationships between the tables are identified by relationship lines, drawn from the primary keys in one table to the foreign keys in another. 4 Choose Close to close the dialog box. Once you have included the table, you can retrieve its columns. Note: When you select a foreign key column before selecting related tables, only the table to which the foreign key refers appears in the Select Related Tables dialog box. Oracle Developer: Build Reports E-23

328 Appendix E: Introduction to Query Builder Creating A User-Defined Relationship Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved. E-24 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

329 Relationships Creating A User-Defined Relationship When you create a user-defined relationship, Query Builder draws a relationship line connecting the related columns. How to Create a Relationship 1 Select the Set Table Relationship tool. The Set Relationship dialog box appears. 2 Enter the foreign key (A->) and primary key (B->) column names. 3 Type the complete table and column names (separate the table name from its column name with a period). 4 Choose OK to close the dialog box. How to Create a Relationship (Optional Method) 1 Select the column that you want to relate (foreign key). 2 While holding down the mouse button, drag the cursor to the related column in the second table (the primary key). You are drawing a relationship line as you do so. 3 Once the target column is selected, release the mouse button to anchor the relationship line. Oracle Developer: Build Reports E-25

330 Appendix E: Introduction to Query Builder Unmatched Rows Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved. E-26 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

331 Relationships Retrieving Unmatched Rows Query Builder lets you choose whether to retrieve any unmatched rows when you are using a relationship in a query. An unmatched row occurs when the relationship connects tables where there are values on one side that have no corresponding values on the other side. There are three types of relationships that you can choose from: Display records from table A not found in table B Display records from table B not found in table A Suppress any mismatched records (default) How to Create an Unmatched Relationship 1 Click on the relationship line that connects the tables. Both the column names and the relationship line should be selected. 2 Select the Set Table Relationship tool from the toolbar. The Set Relationship dialog box appears. 3 Choose one of the three relationship option buttons. 4 Choose OK. An unmatched relationship icon is placed on the relationship line next to the column that returns unmatched rows. Oracle Developer: Build Reports E-27

332 Appendix E: Introduction to Query Builder Conditions Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved. E-28 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

333 Selecting Rows with Conditions Selecting Rows with Conditions The Conditions Panel The Query window contains two independently scrollable panels, the Conditions panel and the Datasource panel. The Datasource panel is where you include tables and columns. The Conditions panel is where you apply conditions. You enter conditions into the Condition field of the panel. How to Add Conditions to a Query 1 Activate the Conditions field. 2 Enter the text that describes the condition. Type the conditions directly into the Condition field. Or Click in the columns in the Datasource panel and enter the rest of the condition. Or Select columns and functions, using the appropriate tools. Note: Character and date values must be enclosed in single quotes. 3 Close and validate the condition. Note: If a column is used in a condition but it is not displayed in the results window, a gray check mark appears to the left of the column name in the datasource in the Query Window. Closing and Validating the Condition Query Builder automatically validates the condition when you close the Condition field. You can close the Condition field in the following ways: Press [Return]. Click in the Conditions panel outside the Condition field. Choose Accept from the toolbar. The Toolbar The logical operators and the Accept and Cancel tools in the toolbar are active whenever the Condition field is active. You can insert an operator from the Toolbar into the condition by clicking on it. Oracle Developer: Build Reports E-29

334 Appendix E: Introduction to Query Builder Operators Arithmetic Perform calculations on numeric and date columns Examples: +, -, x, / Logical Combine conditions Examples: AND, OR, NOT Comparison Compare one expression with another Examples: =, <>, <, IN, IS NULL, BETWEEN... AND Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved. E-30 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

335 Operators Operators An operator is a character or reserved word that is used to perform some operation in Query Builder, such as the + operator, which performs addition. Query Builder uses several types of operators. Arithmetic Operators Arithmetic (+, -, x, /) operators are used to perform calculations on numeric and date columns. In handling calculations, Query Builder first evaluates any multiplication or division, then evaluates any addition or subtraction. Logical Operators Logical operators are used to combine conditions. They include: AND Causes the Browser to retrieve only data that meets all conditions OR Causes the Browser to retrieve all data that meets at least one of the conditions NOT Used to make a negative condition, such as NOT NULL Comparison Operators Comparison operators are used to compare one expression with another, such that the result will either be true or false. The Browser returns all data for which the result evaluates true. Operator Usage = Equal <> Not equal < Less than <= Less than or equal > Greater than >= Greater than or equal BETWEEN... AND... IN (LIST) IS NULL Between two values Equal to any member of the following list Is a NULL value. A row without a value in one column is said to contain a NULL value. Oracle Developer: Build Reports E-31

336 Appendix E: Introduction to Query Builder Multiple Conditions Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved. E-32 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

337 Entering Multiple Conditions Entering Multiple Conditions There is no limit to the number of conditions you can include in a Browser query. Multiple conditions are always combined using logical operators. You can add conditions to any query either before or after execution. How to Add Conditions The Conditions panel always displays a blank Condition field at the bottom of the list of conditions. Use this field to enter multiple conditions. 1 Click in the empty Condition field to activate it. 2 Enter the new condition. Each time you add a condition, a new blank Condition field is created. Note: Pressing [Shift-Return] following the entry of each condition is the fastest way to create multiple conditions, because it moves the cursor and prompt down one line so that you can enter another condition. 3 Press [Return] to close and validate the condition. How to Change Logical Operators By default, Query Builder combines multiple conditions with the AND operator. To change the logical operator: 1 Select the logical operator in the Conditions panel. 2 Click on a new operator on the toolbar or select one from the Data menu. How to Create Nested Conditions Query Builder enables you to combine logical operators to produce complex queries made up of multiple levels of conditions. These are referred to as nested conditions. To nest two or more conditions: 1 Build each condition to be included in the nest. 2 While holding down the [Shift] key, click in the box to the left of each condition to be nested. 3 Select the logical operator to combine the conditions either AND or OR. Query Builder draws a box around the highlighted conditions in the Conditions panel and combines them with the operator that you specified. Oracle Developer: Build Reports E-33

338 Appendix E: Introduction to Query Builder Deactivating a Condition Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved. E-34 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

339 Changing Conditions Changing Conditions If you change your mind about including one or more conditions in your query, you can delete, deactivate, or edit any of them in the Conditions panel. How to Delete a Condition 1 Click inside the Condition field to activate it. 2 Select Clear from the toolbar or choose Delete. The condition is removed from the query. How to Deactivate a Condition Query Builder enables you to temporarily deactivate a condition so that you can test different scenarios without having to recreate the conditions each time. Double-clicking on the box to the left of the condition or its operator acts as a toggle switch, alternately turning the condition on and off. Deactivated conditions remain in the Condition field but appear dimmed. Additionally, you can turn conditions on and off by using the Data menu: 1 Select the box to the left of the condition or its operator. Note: Hold down the [Shift] key to select multiple conditions. 2 Double-click in the box to deactivate the condition. Oracle Developer: Build Reports E-35

340 Appendix E: Introduction to Query Builder Defining Columns Using an Expression Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved. E-36 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

341 Defining Columns Using an Expression Defining Columns Using an Expression Besides retrieving columns of data stored in a table, Query Builder enables you to define new columns that are derived or calculated from the values in another column. How to Define a Column When you define a column, it exists only in your query, not in the database. 1 Select the table where you want to define a new column. 2 Select the Define Column tool. The Defined Column dialog box appears, which displays a list of all columns currently defined in the query (if any). 3 Click in the Defined Column field to activate it, then enter the name for your new column. 4 Move your cursor to the Defined As field and enter the formula or expression that defines your column. 5 Choose Define. The new column is added to the list of defined columns in the dialog box and appears in the Datasource panel. 6 Choose OK to close the dialog box. How to Enter Expressions You can enter information in the Defined As field in the following ways: Type the expression in directly. Choose Paste Column. The Paste Column dialog box appears. - Select the column from the displayed list. - Choose OK to paste the column into your expression and return to the Define Column dialog box. How to Display and Hide Defined Columns You display or hide defined columns from a query in exactly the same manner as you do ordinary columns. Oracle Developer: Build Reports E-37

342 Appendix E: Introduction to Query Builder Defining Columns Using a Function Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved. E-38 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

343 Defining Columns Using a Function Defining Columns Using a Function The Browser also enables you to define columns using a variety of built-in functions provided by the Oracle Server. You can type a function directly in the Defined As field of the Define Columns dialog box, or choose Paste Function to select from a list. What Is a Function? A function is similar to an operator in that it performs a calculation and returns a result. Functions consist of a function name followed by parentheses, in which you indicate the arguments. An argument is an expression that supplies information for the function to use. Functions usually include at least one argument, most commonly the name of the column on which the operation will be performed. Single-Row Functions Return one value for every data row operated on. Examples: INITCAP(),SUBSTR(), TRUNC(). Aggregate Functions Return a single row based on the input of multiple rows of data. Examples: AVG(), COUNT(), SUM(). How to Select a Function 1 Click in the Defined As field to activate it. 2 Choose Paste Function. The Paste Function dialog box appears. 3 Select or deselect the Show Categories check boxes to view the desired list of functions. 4 Select the function from the displayed list. 5 Select the Paste Arguments check box (optional). Note: If this check box is selected, a description or datatype name of the arguments appropriate for the function is pasted into your expression. You then replace the description with the actual arguments. 6 Choose OK to paste the function into your expression and return to the Define Columns dialog box. Oracle Developer: Build Reports E-39

344 Appendix E: Introduction to Query Builder E-40 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

345 F... Object Features in Oracle Developer

346 Appendix F: Object Features in Oracle Developer Objectives At the end of this lesson, you should be able to do the following: Describe the new Oracle8 scalar datatypes Describe object types and objects Describe object tables, object columns, and object views Describe the INSTEAD-OF triggers Describe object REFs Identify the display of objects in Object Navigator Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved. F-2 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

347 Overview Overview Introduction In this lesson you will review certain object features of Oracle8. This lesson also explains how these objects are displayed in the Object Navigator. Objectives At the end of this lesson, you should be able to do the following: Describe the new Oracle8 scalar datatypes Describe object types and objects Describe object tables, object columns, and object views Describe the INSTEAD-OF triggers Describe object REFs Identify the display of objects in Object Navigator Oracle Developer: Build Reports F-3

348 Appendix F: Object Features in Oracle Developer New Oracle8 Scalar Datatypes NCHAR NVARCHAR2 FLOAT NLS types Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved. F-4 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

349 New Oracle8 Datatypes New Oracle8 Datatypes Scalar Datatypes NCHAR stores fixed-length (blank-padded if necessary) NLS character data. How the data is represented internally depends on the national character set, which might use a fixed-width encoding such as US7ASCII or a variable-width encoding such as JA16SJIS. NVARCHAR2 stores variable-length NLS character data. How the data is represented internally depends on the national character set, which might use a fixed-width encoding such as WE8EBCDIC37C or a variable-width encoding such as JA16DBCS. FLOAT is a subtype of NUMBER. However, you cannot specify a scale for FLOAT variables. You can only specify a binary precision, which is the total number of binary digits. There is no change to the way scalar datatypes are displayed in Oracle Developer. The new datatypes are automatically converted to existing Oracle Developer item datatypes. NLS Types Oracle8 offers extended NLS (National Language Support) including national character sets and the datatypes NCHAR and NVARCHAR2, which store NLS data. With NLS, number and date formats adapt automatically to the language conventions specified for a user session, so that users around the world can interact with Oracle in their native languages. NLS is discussed in Oracle8 Server Reference Manual. Oracle Developer: Build Reports F-5

350 Appendix F: Object Features in Oracle Developer Object Types Attributes Check status ORDER po_no custinfo line_items amount Ship Cancel Hold Methods Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved. F-6 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

351 New Oracle8 Datatypes Object Types An object type is a user-defined composite datatype. Orcale8 requires enough knowledge of a user-defined datatype to interact with it. Therefore, in some sense an object type is similar to a record type, and in some sense it is similar to a package. An object type must have one or more attributes and can contain methods. Attributes An object type is similar to a record type in that it is declared to be composed of one or more subparts that are of predefined datatypes. Record types call these subparts fields, but object types call these subparts attributes. Attributes define the object structure. CREATE TYPE address_type AS OBJECT (address VARCHAR2(30), city VARCHAR2(15), state CHAR(2), zip CHAR(5)); CREATE TYPE phone_type AS OBJECT (country NUMBER(2), area NUMBER(4), phone NUMBER(9)); Just as the fields of a record type can be of other record types, the attributes of an object type can be of other object types. Such an object type is called nested. CREATE TYPE address_and_phone_type AS OBJECT (address address_type, phone phone_type); Object types are like record types in another sense: Both of them must be declared as types before the actual object or record can be declared. Oracle Developer: Build Reports F-7

352 Appendix F: Object Features in Oracle Developer Object Types Attributes Check status ORDER po_no custinfo line_items amount Ship Cancel Hold Methods Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved. F-8 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

353 New Oracle8 Datatypes Methods An object type is also similar to a package. Once an object is declared, its attributes are similar to package variables. And like packages, objects types can contain procedures and functions. In object types, these subprograms are known as methods. A method describes the behavior of an object type. Like packages, object types can be declared in two parts: a specification and a body. As with package variables, attributes declared in the object type specification are public and those declared in the body are private. Also as with package subprograms, all methods are defined in the package body, but only those whose specification appears in the object type specification are public methods. Here is an example of an object type: CREATE TYPE dept_type AS OBJECT (dept_idnumber(2), dname VARCHAR2(14), loc VARCHAR2(3), MEMBER PROCEDURE set_dept_id (d_id NUMBER), PRAGMA RESTRICT_REFERENCES (set_dept_id, RNDS,WNDS,RNPS,WNPS), MEMBER FUNCTION get_dept_id RETURN NUMBER, PRAGMA RESTRICT_REFERENCES (get_dept_id, RNDS,WNDS,RNPS,WNPS)); CREATE TYPE BODY dept_type AS MEMBER PROCEDURE set_dept_id (d_id NUMBER) IS BEGIN dept_id := d_id; END; MEMBER FUNCTION get_dept_id RETURN NUMBER IS BEGIN RETURN (dept_id); END; END; Oracle Developer: Build Reports F-9

354 Appendix F: Object Features in Oracle Developer Object Tables Object Table Based on Object Type Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved. F-10 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

355 Creating Oracle8 Objects Creating Oracle8 Objects Introduction Once you have declared an object type, you can create objects based on the type. Object Tables One way to create an object is to create a table whose rows are objects of that object type. Here is an example of an object table declaration: CREATE TABLE o_dept OF dept_type; SQL and PL/SQL treat object tables very similarly to relational tables, with the attribute of the object corresponding to the columns of the table. But there are significant differences. The most important difference is that rows in an object table are assigned object IDs (OIDs) and can be referenced using a REF type. Note: REF types are reviewed later. Oracle Developer: Build Reports F-11

356 Appendix F: Object Features in Oracle Developer Object Columns Object Column Based on Object Type Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved. F-12 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

357 Creating Oracle8 Objects Object Columns Another construct that can be based on an object type is an object column in a relational table. Here is an example of a relational table creation statement with an object column: CREATE TABLE o_customer ( custid NUMBER (6) NOT NULL, name VARCHAR2 (45), repid NUMBER (4) NOT NULL, creditlimit NUMBER (9,2), address address_type, phone phone_type); In the object table, the rows of a table are objects. In a relational table with an object column, the column is an object. The table will usually have standard columns, as well as one or more object column. Object columns are not assigned object IDs, and therefore cannot be referenced using object REF values. Note: Object REFs are reviewed later in this section. Oracle Developer: Build Reports F-13

358 Appendix F: Object Features in Oracle Developer Object Views Object-Oriented Application Object View relational Table Object Views Based on Object Types Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved. F-14 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

359 Creating Oracle8 Objects Object Views Often, the most difficult part of adopting a new technology is the conversion process itself. For example, a large enterprise might have several applications accessing the same data stored in relational tables. If such an enterprise decided to start using objectrelational technology, they would not convert all of the applications at once. They would convert the applications one at a time. That presents a problem. The applications that have been converted need the data stored as objects, while the applications that have not been converted need the data stored in relational tables. This dilemma is addressed by object views. Like all views, an object view transforms the way a table appears to a user, without changing the actual structure of the table. Object views make relational tables look like object tables. This allows the developers to postpone converting the data from relational structures to object-relational structures until after all of the applications have been converted. During the conversion process, the object-relational applications can operate against the object view, while the relational applications can continue to operate against the relational tables. Objects accessed through object views are assigned object IDs, and can be referenced using Object REFs. Note: Object REFs are reviewed later in this section. Here is an example of an object view creation statement: CREATE VIEW emp_view OF emp_type WITH OBJECT OID (eno) AS SELECT e.empno, e.ename, e.sal, e.job FROM emp e; Oracle Developer: Build Reports F-15

360 Appendix F: Object Features in Oracle Developer INSTEAD-OF Triggers DECLARE BEGIN EXCEPTION Non-updatable View END; INSTEAD-OF Trigger Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved. F-16 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

361 Creating Oracle8 Objects INSTEAD-OF Triggers INSTEAD-OF triggers provide a transparent way of modifying views that cannot be modified directly through SQL DML statements (INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE). These triggers are called INSTEAD-OF triggers because, unlike other types of triggers, Oracle fires the trigger instead of executing the triggering statement. The trigger performs update, insert, or delete operations directly on the underlying tables. Users write normal INSERT, DELETE, and UPDATE statements against the view and the INSTEAD-OF trigger works invisibly in the background to make the right actions take place. INSTEAD-OF triggers are activated for each row. Note: Although INSTEAD-OF triggers can be used with any view, they are typically needed with Object Views. Oracle Developer: Build Reports F-17

362 Appendix F: Object Features in Oracle Developer References to Objects OID Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved. F-18 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

363 Referencing Objects Referencing Objects Introduction In relational databases, primary key values are used to uniquely identify records. In object-relational databases, OIDs provide an alternate method. When a row in an object table or object view is created, it is automatically assigned a unique identifier called an object ID. Object REFs With relational tables, you can associate two records by storing the primary key of one record in one of the columns (the foreign key column) of another. In a similar way, you can associate a row in a relational table to an object by storing the OID of an object in a column of a relational table. You can also associate two objects by storing the OID of one object in an attribute of another. The stored copy of the OID then becomes a pointer, or reference (REF), to the original object. The attribute or column that holds the OID is of datatype REF. Note: Object columns are not assigned OIDs and cannot be pointed to by a REF. Here is an example of a table declaration that includes a column with a REF datatype: CREATE TABLE o_emp ( empno NUMBER(4) NOT NULL, ename VARCHAR2(10), job VARCHAR2(10), mgr NUMBER(4), hiredate DATE, sal NUMBER(7,2), comm NUMBER(7,2), dept REF dept_type SCOPE IS o_dept) ; Note: The REF is scoped here to restrict the reference to a single table, o_dept. The object itself is not stored in the table, only the OID value for the object. Oracle Developer: Build Reports F-19

364 Appendix F: Object Features in Oracle Developer Object Types in Object Navigator Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved. Object Type Wizard Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved. F-20 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

365 Displaying Oracle8 Objects in the Object Navigator Displaying Oracle8 Objects in the Object Navigator The Object Navigator lists declared types in the Database Objects section, along with tables, views, and other Oracle objects. Object Types Both the attributes and the methods are listed under each type. Also, the nested types within address_and_phone_type are displayed in an indented sublevel. This convention is used for nested object and object type displays throughout Oracle Developer. Oracle8 Type Wizard Object types can be created using the Oracle8 Type wizard. The wizard allows you to define the attributes and methods. Oracle Developer: Build Reports F-21

366 Appendix F: Object Features in Oracle Developer Object Tables in Object Navigator Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved. Object Columns in Object Navigator Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved. F-22 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

367 Displaying Oracle8 Objects in the Object Navigator Object Tables Object tables are displayed like relational tables, with the attributes of the object displayed like columns in a relational table. Also, the object table type name is displayed in parentheses after the name of the object table. Object Columns Object columns are displayed with the object type in parentheses after the column name, and with the attributes of the type indented underneath the column name. Oracle Developer: Build Reports F-23

368 Appendix F: Object Features in Oracle Developer Object Views in Object Navigator Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved. INSTEAD-OF Trigger Dialog Box Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved. F-24 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

369 Displaying Oracle8 Objects in the Object Navigator Object Views Object views are displayed like any other view, except that the object type they are based on is written in parentheses after the view name. INSTEAD-OF Triggers INSTEAD-OF database triggers can now be created through the trigger creation dialog box, just like any other database trigger. INSTEAD-OF INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE triggers allow you to directly insert, update, and delete against object views. They can also be used with any other type of view that does not allow direct DML. When a view has an INSTEAD-OF trigger, the code in the trigger is executed in place of the triggering DML code. Reference For more information about INSTEAD-OF triggers, see: Oracle8 Server SQL Reference Manual Oracle8 Concepts Manual Oracle Developer: Build Reports F-25

370 Appendix F: Object Features in Oracle Developer Object REFs in Object Navigator Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved. F-26 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

371 Displaying Oracle8 Objects in the Object Navigator Object REFs Object types that contain attributes of type REF, and relational tables that have columns of type REF, display the keyword REF before the name of the object type that is being referenced. The attributes of the referenced object type are displayed indented underneath the column or attribute. Oracle Developer: Build Reports F-27

372 Appendix F: Object Features in Oracle Developer Summary Oracle8 introduced three new scalar datatypes. Objects and object types allow representation of complex data. Three kinds of objects are object tables, object columns, and object views. Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved. Summary INSTEAD-OF triggers allow DML on object views. Object REFs store the Object Identifier of certain types of objects. The Object Navigator can display certain types of objects. Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved. F-28 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

373 Summary Summary New Oracle8 Datatypes Oracle8 introduced three new scalar datatypes and new composite dataypes such as object types. Objects Three kinds of objects are object tables, object columns, and object views. INSTEAD-OF triggers allow DML on object views. Object REFs store the object identifier of certain types of objects. Oracle8 Objects in the Object Navigator The Object Navigator can display certain types of objects. Oracle Developer: Build Reports F-29

374 Appendix F: Object Features in Oracle Developer F-30 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

375 G... Using the Layout Editor in Oracle Developer

376 Appendix G: Using the Layout Editor in Oracle Developer Lesson Objectives Control the position and size of objects in a layout Add lines and geometric shapes Define the colors and fonts used for text Color the body and boundaries of objects Import images onto the layout Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved. G-2 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

377 Overview Overview Introduction In this lesson, you learn the graphical features of the Layout editor that are common to all the Oracle Developer tools. This will help you control the visual arrangement and appearance of objects in your applications. Objectives At the end of this lesson, you should be able to do the following: Control the position and size of objects in a layout Add lines and geometric shapes Define the colors and fonts used for text Color the body and boundaries of objects Import images onto the layout Oracle Developer: Build Reports G-3

378 Appendix G: Using the Layout Editor in Oracle Developer Using the Layout Editor Common Features Moving and resizing objects and text Defining colors and fonts Importing and manipulating images and drawings Creating geometric lines and shapes Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved. Using the Layout Editor Layout Types Canvas-views in Forms Display layers for Graphics Report layouts Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved. G-4 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

379 Why Use the Layout Editor? Why Use the Layout Editor? The Layout editor is a graphical tool for defining the arrangement and appearance of visual objects. The Layout editor opens windows in the Oracle Developer Tool Builders to present the surfaces on which you can arrange objects. Some objects only occur in a subset of the Oracle Developer tools, and so the associated Layout editor facility appears only there. The following are common to each tool: Moving objects to new positions in the layout and aligning them with each other Resizing objects and text Defining the colors of text and visual objects Creating lines, boxes, and other geometric shapes Importing and manipulating images on the layout Changing the font style and weight of text Accessing the properties of objects that you see in the layout Layout Types You can use the Layout editor to control the visual layout in each of the main Oracle Developer Tools. The surfaces include: Canvas Views in Forms: A Canvas is the surface on which you arrange a form s objects. Its View is the portion of that Canvas that is initially visible in a window at run time. You can also see Stacked or Tabbed Canvas Views in the Layout editor; their views might overlay others in the same window. You can also display stacked views in the Layout editor. Display Layers in Graphics: The layers of a Display can contain charts, text, and graphical objects. These layers can be overlaid or hidden when required. Geometric shapes that you create in Graphics can be given their own functionality. Layouts in Reports: Here, the Layout editor lets you plan the format of a report. This includes the frame structure of the report, as well as buttons, graphics, and background text (boilerplate). Oracle Developer: Build Reports G-5

380 Appendix G: Using the Layout Editor in Oracle Developer Invoking the Layout Editor Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved. G-6 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

381 How to Access the Layout Editor How to Access the Layout Editor You can invoke the Layout editor from either the builder menus or from the Object Navigator. This applies whether you are doing so for the first time in a session or at a later stage. If you have minimized an existing Layout Editor window, you can also reacquire it in the way you would for any window. Note: In Graphics, the Layout editor is open while you have a Display open. Reports has three editors, the Layout editor, the Data Model editor, and the Parameter Form editor, which are all displayed in the same window, one at a time. How to Open from the Object Navigator Double-click the Layout icon within a report hierarchy, in Reports. Or Double-click a Canvas View icon in a form hierarchy in Forms. How to Open from the Builder Menus 1 Make sure that you have a context for either a report in Reports or a form in Forms. You can do this by selecting the appropriate objects in the Navigator. 2 In Forms, select Tools >Layout Editor from the Builder menu. In Reports, select View >Layout Model from the Builder menu to set the context for the Editor window. In Forms, you can open several Layout Editor windows one for each canvas-view. Make sure that you have the canvas you want. How to Close the Layout Editor You can close or minimize the Layout Editor window or windows as you would any window. Closing a layout in Graphics implies that you want to close its entire display (the Graphics module). Oracle Developer: Build Reports G-7

382 Appendix G: Using the Layout Editor in Oracle Developer Layout Editor: Components Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved. G-8 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

383 The Layout Editor Components The Layout Editor Components Common components in the Layout editor are: Menu facilities: While the Layout Editor window is active, the Main builder menu changes to include three new items: View, Arrange, and Format. These are submenus for controlling the Layout editor. Horizontal toolbar: This appears across the top of the window, and is a subset of the tools from the Object Navigator. Style bar: This appears under the horizontal toolbar, and is a subset of the Format menu. It may also contain some other tools. Vertical toolbar: This contains the tools for creating and modifying objects on the layout. Some tools in the palette may be hidden if you have reduced the size of the Layout Editor window. If so, scroll buttons appear on the vertical toolbar. There are three types of tools: - Graphics tools for creating and modifying lines and shapes - Product-specific tools - Manipulation tools for controlling color and patterns Rulers and ruler guides: Rulers are horizontal and vertical markers to aid alignment; they appear at the top and side of the layout region. You can switch these off or have their units altered, as required. Drag ruler guides from the rulers across the layout region to mark positions in the layout. Layout/Painting region: This is the main central/right area where you can place and manipulate objects. A grid pattern is displayed in this area to aid alignment of objects. You can switch off or rescale this grid if required. (In Forms, the grid is hidden if the View >Show Canvas option is switched on.) Status line: This appears at the bottom of the window. It shows you the mouse position and drag distance (when moving objects) and the current magnification level. Oracle Developer: Build Reports G-9

384 Appendix G: Using the Layout Editor in Oracle Developer Tool Palette Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved. 1 Select 8 Rotate 2 Magnify 9 Reshape 3 Rectangle 10 Line 4 Ellipse 11 Arc 5 Polygon 12 Polyline 6 Rounded Rectangle 13 Freehand 7 Text G-10 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

385 Creating and Modifying Objects in the Layout Creating and Modifying Objects in the Layout You can perform actions in the Layout editor by selecting from the vertical toolbar and the builder menus, and by controlling objects directly in the layout region. Creating Lines and Shapes Create geometric lines and shapes by selecting from the graphics tools in the vertical toolbar. These include: Rectangles/squares Ellipses/circles Polygons and polylines Lines and arcs Freehand tool The default tool in the vertical toolbar is Select, which lets you select and move objects. How to Create a New Line or Shape 1 Select the required graphic tool from the vertical toolbar with a mouse click. This selects the tool for a single operation on the layout (a doubleclick causes the tool to remain active for subsequent operations). 2 Position the cursor at the start point for the new object in the layout and then click-and-drag to the required size and shape. 3 Release the mouse button. Notice that the object remains selected after this procedure (selection handles appear on its boundaries) until you deselect it by clicking elsewhere. Note: You can produce constrained shapes (for example, a circle instead of an ellipse) by depressing the [Shift] key during step 2. Creating Text (T) The Text tool (T) lets you open a Boilerplate Text object on the layout. You can type one or more lines of text into this object while it is selected with the Text tool. Uses of Text objects vary according to the Oracle Developer tool in which you create them. Oracle Developer: Build Reports G-11

386 Appendix G: Using the Layout Editor in Oracle Developer Selecting Objects Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved. Manipulating Objects Expand/Contract in One Direction Expand/Contract Diagonally Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved. G-12 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

387 Creating and Modifying Objects in the Layout Selecting Objects for Modification With the Select tool active, you can select one or more objects on the layout to move or modify. How to Select One Object Click the object Or Draw a bounding box around it the object using click-and-drag If the object is small or narrow, it is sometimes easier to use the second method. Also, an object may be transparent (No Fill), which can present a similar problem where it has no center to select. It is convenient to select several objects, so that an operation can be performed on them simultaneously. How to Select Several Objects Together Hold down the [Shift] key and then click each object to be selected Or Draw a bounding box around the objects using click-and-drag (providing the objects are adjacent to each other) Changing the Size or Ratio When an object is selected, there are two types of selection handles visible: Corner handles: Position the cursor on one of these to change the size/ ratio of the object diagonally. Midpoint handles: Position the cursor on one of these to change the size/ ratio in a horizontal or vertical direction. Note: Holding down the [Shift] key lets you resize an object without changing its ratios. This means that squares remain as squares, and bitmapped images do not become distorted when resized. Oracle Developer: Build Reports G-13

388 Appendix G: Using the Layout Editor in Oracle Developer Moving, Aligning, and Overlapping Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved. G-14 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

389 Creating and Modifying Objects in the Layout Moving and Aligning Objects When one or more objects are selected in the layout, you can: Move them to a new location Do this by dragging to the required position and releasing the mouse button. You can use the grid and ruler lines to help you position them properly. Align the objects with each other Objects can be aligned with the left-most, right-most, highest, or lowest object selected. They can also be centered, and aligned with the grid. You can do this using the Alignment feature on the Arrange menu: Select Arrange >Align Objects and then set the options required in the Alignment Settings dialog box. A Note on Grid-Snap Alignment You can ensure that all objects that you move align with snap points that are defined on the grid. To activate these, select View >Snap to Grid from the menu. You can also use the View options to change the grid-snap spacing and units. Note: If you position an object using one grid-snap spacing, and then try to position other objects under different settings, it may prove difficult to align them with each other. Try to stick to the same snap units, if you use Grid Snap at all. Overlapping Objects You can position objects on top of each other. If they are transparent, then one object can be seen through another (this is explained in detail later in this lesson). Change the stacking order of overlapping objects by selecting the object to move and then choosing the following, as required, from the Arrange menu: Bring to Front Send to Back Move Forward Move Backward Oracle Developer: Build Reports G-15

390 Appendix G: Using the Layout Editor in Oracle Developer Groups in the Layout Groups allow several objects to be repeatedly treated as one. Groups can be colored, moved or resized. Tool-specific operations exist for groups. Groups have a single set of selection handles. Members can be added or removed. Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved. G-16 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

391 Creating and Modifying Objects in the Layout How to Manipulate Objects as a Group Sometimes you want to group objects together in the layout so that they behave as a single object. 1 Select the objects on the layout that are to be grouped together. 2 Select Arrange >Group from the menu. Notice that there is now just a single set of selection handles for the group, which you can treat as a single object whenever you select a member within it. The Arrange menu also gives you options to add and remove members. Resizing, moving, coloring, and other operations now apply to the whole group. Groups have different implications depending on the Oracle Developer tool that is using them. Graphics, for example, can reference a group in the layout programmatically. Manipulating Individual Group Members To manipulate group members individually, select the group, then click on the individual member. You can use options in the Group Operations menu to remove objects from the group or to reselect the parent group. Other Tools for Manipulating Objects Rotate: The Rotate tool lets you rotate a line or shape through an angle, using its selection handles. Reshape: Reshape lets you change the size/ratio of a shape that has been rotated, or change the sweep angle of an arc. You can also reshape a polygon or polyline. Magnify: The Magnify tool lets you increase magnification when you click at a desired zoom position on the layout region. [Shift] + click reduces magnification. Note: You can undo your previous action in the current Layout editor session by selecting Edit >Undo from the menu. Oracle Developer: Build Reports G-17

392 Appendix G: Using the Layout Editor in Oracle Developer Format Menu Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved. G-18 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

393 Formatting Objects in the Layout Formatting Objects in the Layout The Format menu provides a variety of facilities for changing the style and appearance of objects in the layout. These include: Font sizes and styles Spacing in lines of text Alignment of text within a text object Line thickness and dashing of lines Bevel (3D) effects on objects General drawing options (style of curves, corners, and so on) Whichever formatting option you intend to use, first select the objects that you intend to change on the layout, then choose the necessary option from the Format menu. Some of the format options are available from the style bar. How to Change Fonts on Textual Objects There are a number of ways to change the font characteristics of textual objects; they depend on which Oracle Developer tool you are using. The common methods provided by the Layout editor are: 1 Select the objects in the layout whose content text you want to change (these may be Boilerplate Text objects and other textual object types supported by the Oracle Developer tool you are using). 2 Choose the font style and size that you require from the style bar; or select Format from the Main Builder menu and choose the font style and size that you require. Note: In Microsoft Windows, choosing Font from the menu opens the standard Windows Font dialog box. In other GUI environments, the font choices may appear in the Format menu itself. Font settings are ignored if the application is run in character mode. Oracle Developer: Build Reports G-19

394 Appendix G: Using the Layout Editor in Oracle Developer Color and Pattern Tools Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved. 1 Sample window 2 Fill color/pattern 3 Line color 4 Text color G-20 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

395 Coloring Objects and Text Coloring Objects and Text There are three tools in the vertical toolbar for coloring objects: Fill Color: Use this tool to define the colors and pattern for an object s body. Line Color: Use this tool to define the color of a line or the boundary line around an object. Text Color: Use this tool to choose the color for text. Coloring Objects You can separately color the Fill area (body) of an object and its boundary line (a Line object has no body). Oracle Developer: Build Reports G-21

396 Appendix G: Using the Layout Editor in Oracle Developer How to Choose the Fill Area Color 1 Select the objects whose color you want to change. 2 Select the Fill Color tool. The color palette appears. If you want the objects to become transparent, choose No Fill at the bottom of the color palette window. 3 Select a color. If you want the Fill Area to be patterned instead of plain, then select Patterns from the bottom of the color palette. 4 If you select Patterns, another window appears from which you can select a pattern. You can define separate colors for the two shades of the pattern by choosing the pattern color buttons at the bottom of the Fill Pattern palette. Each of these buttons opens another color palette How to Choose the Line Color 1 With the desired layout objects selected, click the Line Color tool. The line color palette opens. 2 Choose the color for lines and bounding lines from this color palette. Select No Line at the bottom of this window to remove the objects boundary lines. Note: If you set both No Fill and No Line, the affected objects become invisible. G-22 Oracle Developer: Build Reports

397 Coloring Objects and Text How to Color Text 1 Select the textual objects whose color you want to change in the layout. 2 Select the Text Color tool. The color palette appears, showing the available colors. 3 Click a square to select a color. 4 Notice that the selected objects on the layout have adopted the chosen text color. Also, the sample area in the vertical toolbar shows a T with the selected color, and this color appears next to the Text Color tool. This indicates the current text color setting. How to Alter the Color Palette Choose Format >Layout Options >Color Palette to alter the color palette. You can edit the color palette that is presented when choosing colors. This option is available only when the builder option Color Palette Mode is set to Editable. Changes to the color palette are saved with the current module. Note: Modifications to the Color palette are not apparent until you close the document and reopen it. Oracle Developer: Build Reports G-23

398 Appendix G: Using the Layout Editor in Oracle Developer Importing Images Copyright Oracle Corporation, All rights reserved. G-24 Oracle Developer: Build Reports