Chapter 7:

Creating Database Reports

Guide to Oracle 10g

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

Guide to Oracle 10g

Lesson A Objectives (continued)

Create a custom template
Apply a custom template to a report

Guide to Oracle 10g

Introduction to Reports Builder

Database Reports
Reports Builder
Allows application developers to create reports that
display data from Oracle 10g database

Developer10g
Reports Builder allows developers to preview and
distribute reports in variety of different formats
including:
Web pages
Portable document format (.pdf) files
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Introduction to Reports Builder

Database Reports (continued)
Layout styles:

Tabular
Form
Mailing label
Form letter
Group left group above
Matrix
Matrix with group
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Using the Report Wizard to Create a

Report
Steps:
Specify data that report displays
Select report style
Configure report properties and layout

Report Wizard pages:

Welcome
Report type
Style
Data source
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Using the Report Wizard to Create a

Report (continued)
Report Wizard pages (continued):
Data
Fields
Shows data fields that SQL query returns

Totals
Labels
Template
Finish
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Configuring the Report Appearance

Use Reports Builder environment to:
Modify report appearance
Customize report features

Paper Design window

Default editing environment

Refine appearance of reports
Shows how report will appear on paper
Can preview as Web page
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Configuring the Report Appearance

(continued)
Data Model button
Modify report data

Web Source button

Displays underlying HTML code
Defines how report will appear in Web browser

Paper Layout button

Opens report in Paper Layout view

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Configuring the Report Appearance

(continued)
Paper Parameter Form button
View parameter form
Parameter form
User selects input parameter values to customize
form appearance and functionality at runtime

Save report design specification using variety of

formats
Reports Builder design files
Rdf extension

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Using the Report Wizard in Reentrant

Mode
Reentrant mode
Modify SQL query
To use ORDER BY clause

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The Reports Builder Object Navigator

Window
Reports Builder object navigator
View report components in hierarchical tree
structure
Access different components in Reports Builder
environment
Access components of individual report

Reports
Top-level node
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The Reports Builder Object Navigator

Window (continued)
Other objects:

Templates
PL/SQL libraries
Debug actions
Stack
Built-in packages
Database objects

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Reports Builder Object Navigator

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Modifying the Report Appearance in

the Paper Design Window
Report title appears in report margin
Area on page beyond where report data appears

Adjust columns width

Select column
Drag to make it wider or narrower

Specify format masks for fields that display

number and date data
Property Inspector
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Modifying the Report Appearance in

the Paper Design Window (continued)
Import graphic images into reports
Same as importing graphic images into forms

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Closing and Reopening Reports

To close report:
Click File on menu bar
Click Close

To open report:
On Welcome to Reports Builder dialog
Click Open an existing report option button
Click OK

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Viewing the Report as a Web Page

Preview report as Web page
Click Run Web Layout button

Web page source code

File with .htm extension
Contains HTML commands and text to represent
report content and formatting

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Viewing the Report as a Web Page

(continued)
View formatting changes in Web page output
Preview report using either:
Paginated HTML
Paginated HTMLCSS format

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Creating a Master-Detail Report

One record has many associated detail records
Through foreign key relationship

Use Report Wizard to specify report style and data

values
Reports SQL query must retrieve all master and
detail values
Report Wizard displays groups page

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Specifying the Style and Data

Create new report in object navigator
Select Reports node
Click Create button

Styles for creating master-detail reports

Group left
Group above

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Using the Groups Page to Specify

Master-Detail Relationships
Data in master-detail report has multiple levels
Each data level represents group
Top-level (master) group is level 1

Specify report groups

Move fields for each group from available fields
list to group fields list

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Report Templates
Many reports that have similar appearance
Useful to create custom template to specify report
appearance
Avoid performing same formatting tasks over and
over again

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Creating a Custom Template

Custom template defines:
Font sizes and styles for reports
Title
Column headings
Data values

Text and background colors

Boilerplate objects

Store template definition in template definition file

that has .tdf extension
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The Paper Layout Template Editor

Window
Environment within Paper Layout window
Used for editing templates

Similar to forms builder layout editor

Areas within painting region in report template
Margin
Body

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Paper Layout Template Editor

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Editing Template Margins

Open margins for editing
Click Margin button

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Editing the Template Body

Report body has two types of attributes:
Default
Override

Frame
Object that encloses similar objects within report

Parent frame
Frame that directly encloses object

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Applying Custom Templates to

Reports
Modify existing reports template by
Opening Report Wizard in reentrant mode
Changing template specification

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Applying Templates by Specifying the

Template Filename
Select Template file specification option button on
Report Wizard template page
Enter full folder path and filename of template file
Including drive letter

Quick and easy way to apply custom templates

Disadvantage
Template file must be available at specified file
location whenever report file opened
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Registering Custom Templates in

Reports Builder
Appears in predefined templates list on template
page
Advantage
Dont have to specify path to template file
File does not always have to be available

Two-step process:
Modify developer user preferences file
Copy template file to Reports Builder templates
folder
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Registering Custom Templates in

Reports Builder (continued)

User preferences file

Template description
Template filename
Template page displays thumbnail images of
predefined templates
Create thumbnail image of custom template
Save screenshot as Bmp file

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Lesson A Summary
Report
Summary view of database data that users can view on
screen or print on paper

Create report
Specify data to appear in report
Select report style
Configure report properties and layout

Paper design window

The Reports Builder Object Navigator
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Lesson A Summary (continued)

Create master-detail report using Report Wizard
Report template
Defines report appearance

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

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Report Components
Data Model
Specifies data that report displays

Paper Layout view

Displays report components as symbolic objects

Report frames
Group related report objects

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The Data Model Window

Shows reports SQL query and associated record
groups
Report record group
Set of records represents data fields that query retrieves

Simple tabular report has single record group

Master-detail report has multiple record groups
Components in report Data Model have properties
Inspect using Property Inspector

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Report Record Group Column Types

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The Data Model Window (continued)

Group filter
Uses some criteria to limit number of records that
report query retrieves
To create:
Assign value to filter type property

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Understanding Report Objects

Repeating rows
Each row shows same data fields with different
data values

Report sections:
Header
Main
Trailer

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Report Frames
Frames
Containers for grouping related report objects
Set specific properties for group of objects
Rather than having to set property for each item

Group frame
Encloses repeating frame and optional header
frame

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Report Frames (continued)

Repeating frame
Encloses repeating data rows
Has variable sizing

Header frame
Encloses all column headings for record group

Move object outside enclosing frame

Error message appears in Reports Builder

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Report Frames (continued)

Report Wizard derives frame names from names of
associated record groups
Select specific report frame in Paper Layout
window
Select item that in frame
Select items parent frame by clicking Select Parent
Frame button

Change frame properties on frame Property

Inspector
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Components of a Master-Detail
Report
Multiple record groups
Multiple group frames

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Master-Detail Data Model

More complex than Data Model for single-table
report
Contains multiple record groups

Data Model groups report record groups according

to master-detail relationships
Each data link between two record groups
represents master-detail relationship

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Master-Detail Data Model

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Master-Detail Report Frames

Each record group has associated group frame
Group frames for more detailed record groups
nested inside group frames for less detailed record
groups

Frame relationships can be hard to see

Many frames appear directly on top of each other
Open frame Property Inspector immediately after
selecting frame
To check frame name

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Modifying Master-Detail Report

Properties
Page break between sets of repeating records
Open Property Inspector for repeating frame
Change Maximum Records per Page property to 1

Confine mode
Determines objects can be moved outside enclosing
frames
Always safest to leave enabled

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Modifying Master-Detail Report

Properties (continued)
Flex mode
Enclosing frame automatically becomes larger
When enclosed object moved beyond enclosing
frames boundary
Overrides confine mode
When moving report layout field
Automatically resizes all surrounding frames

Works well when to make a frame longer

But not wider

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Modifying Master-Detail Report

Properties (continued)
Elasticity
Determines whether fields size fixed
Or whether field can expand or contract
automatically
Depending on height and width of retrieved data
value

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Report Field Elasticity Indicators

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Report Parameters
Specifies how report appears
Specifies reports behavior when it runs
Types:
System
User

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System Parameters

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User Parameters
User selects user parameter value from parameter
list
Parameter list
Shows possible values

Modify report to include user parameter

Create user parameter
Create parameter list
Modify report query to use parameter as search
condition
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User Parameters (continued)

Parameter object name
Parameter data type
Configure list of values property in user parameter
Property Inspector
Syntax:
:parameter_name

Parameter form
Displays title and hint line list of one or more
parameters with associated prompts.
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Customizing the Report Parameter

Form

Change text that appears in title and hint line

Reposition form items
Add additional text and graphics
Use parameter form builder utility
Also lists all of system parameters
User can modify at runtime

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Lesson B Summary
Data Model window shows:
Report query
Record groups it generates
Data links between query and record group

Create group filter

To limit number of records report query retrieves

Paper Layout window displays layout field for

each Data Model column
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Lesson B Summary (continued)

Frames
Containers for grouping report record group data
items and column headings

Report parameters
System
User

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Lesson C Objectives
After completing this lesson, you should be able to:
Display image data in a report
Manually create queries and data links
Create summary columns
Create formula columns
Create reports that display formatted data in a Web
browser window
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Displaying Image Data in Reports

Store image data with LOB data type
Create report based on table that has field with
BLOB data type
And contains image data

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Creating and Configuring the Report

Image Layout Fields
Use Report Wizard to create report
All data fields automatically appear as text
If column contains multimedia data
Data appears as text characters MM

Modify field by:

Opening Property Inspector
Changing File Format property to image

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Creating Report Queries and Data

Links Manually
Create query manually

Retrieve master records

Create query manually that retrieves detail records
Create data link between two queries,
Create layout fields to display query data

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Creating Queries and Data Links

Manually (continued)
Create query manually (continued)

Open Data Model window

Select SQL query tool
Click in painting region
Type SQL query

Manually create data links to represent master-detail

relationships between queries
Master = parent
Detail = child
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Creating Queries and Data Links

Manually (continued)
Types of data links
Query to Query
Group to Group
Column to Column

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Manually Linked Queries

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Creating the Label, Repeating Frame,

and Layout Fields

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Creating Reports that Display

Calculated Values
Formula columns
Display values that PL/SQL functions calculate
using report data field values as input parameters

Summary columns
Perform summary functions

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Creating Formula Columns

Function
Self-contained program block
Returns single value

User-defined functions
Use PL/SQL commands to calculate return value

Formula column
Displays value that user-defined function returns

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Creating Formula Columns

(continued)
Create and display formula column
Create formula column in report Data Model
Write user-defined function
Create layout field in report

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Creating a Formula Column in the

Report Data Model
Click Formula Column tool
Be careful to place formula column in same record
group as columns that formula function uses in
calculations

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Creating the Formula Column

Function

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Creating a Layout Field to Display the

Formula Column
Display formula column on report
Open Paper Layout window
Use Field tool to create new report layout field
Place layout field in same repeating frame as
source values for formula
Set new fields Source property to name of formula
column

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Creating Summary Columns

Summary column
Returns summary value of series of data fields in
repeating frame

Create
Using totals page in Report Wizard
Manually

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Creating a Summary Column Using

the Report Wizard
Select field to be summarized and summary
function on Report Wizard totals page
Wizard automatically:
Modifies report Data Model
Creates fields to display summary column on
report layout

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Creating a Summary Column

Manually
Using Report Wizard
Eliminates all custom formatting
Deletes custom objects

Create summary column manually

Control summary column placement and frequency
Retain other custom objects

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Creating a Summary Column

Manually (continued)
Tasks:
Create summary column in report Data Model
Using summary column tool

Modify summary column properties

Create layout field
Place layout field in repeating frame that
corresponds to record group that contains summary
column

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Displaying Formatted Reports as Web

Pages
View report in Paginated HTML or Paginated
HTMLCSS format
Reports Builder translates report into static Web
page
Content fixed at time developer generates page
Not updated with database changes

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Using the Oracle 10g Application

Server to Generate Reports
Dynamically
Oracle 10g Application Server (OAS)
Web server Oracle corporation uses to deliver Webbased Oracle 10g database applications to users

Report Server process

Queries database when user requests report
Generates dynamic Web page
Displays current database data

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Creating a Dynamic Web Page that

Displays Database Data

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Creating Reports that Appear as

Dynamic Web Pages
Create report using techniques learned in this
chapter
Save report in either:
Report definition file (RDF)
Java server page ( JSP) format

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Creating Reports that Appear as

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

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Overview of HTML Documents

Text file with .htm or .html extension
Contains formatting symbols called tags

Define how Web page appears in Web browser

Enclose in angle brackets
Opening tag
Closing tag

Elements
Represent content that appears on Web page such as
text and graphic images
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Basic HTML Document Structure

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Viewing the Report Web Source File

Web source file contains
HTML tags that define report appearance
Program commands that create dynamic report
elements

Web report embeds program commands using tags

Similar to html tags
Prefaced by rw:
Same for reports in either format
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Viewing the Report Web Source File

(continued)
Java commands appear enclosed in the <% and
%> command delimiters
Data area
Contains commands that dynamically retrieve and
display report data
Follow html comment with text <!--Data Area
Generated by Reports Developer -->

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Modifying the Default Appearance of

a Web Report
Techniques for modifying appearance of Web
reports:
Use Web Source window to modify default
formatting
Open existing HTML file in Reports Builder that
contains formatting for report
Use Reports Builder to add commands to retrieve
and display report data

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Modifying the Default Appearance of

a Web Report (continued)
Report Block Wizard pages:

Style page
Groups page
Fields page
Labels page
Template page

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Lesson C Summary
Create report displays LOB data field
Manually create queries and data links in Data
Model view
Create layout fields to display values that queries
retrieve

Create formula and summary columns

Oracle 10g Application Server (OAS)
Display dynamic reports
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Summary
Report
Summary view of database data that users can view
on screen or print on paper

Report template
Data Model window
Paper Layout window
Frames
Oracle 10g Application Server (OAS)
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