Report
Builder Features
·
A query builder with a visual
representation of the specification of SQL statements to obtain report data
·
Wizards that guide you through the report design
process
·
Default
report templates and layouts that can be customized to meet your reporting
needs
·
The ability to generate code to customize how
reports will run
·
A
Live Pre-viewer that allows you to edit report layouts in WYSIWYG mode
·
An
integrated chart builder that helps you to graphically represent report data
·
Web publishing tools that dynamically generate
web pages based on your data
·
Other standard report output formats like HTML,
PDF, PCL, Postscript, and ASCII
Starting
Report Builder in UNIX Environment
1. Make
sure PC Xware is running
2. Telnet
your UNIX server (e.g., Pegasus by typing telnet pegasus.rutgers.edu or
connect to pegasus from the SSH client (make sure X11 Tunneling is enabled in
SSH preferences)
3. start
oracle Report Builder by typing rwbld60
Using
Wizards
Report Builder has
a Report Wizard, Data Wizard, and Web Wizard to automate the creation of
reports. Most often, you can create a report by starting with one of the
wizards, and then refining the report that the wizard creates using the data
model view and the layout view.
To create a report
using report wizard
1. If the Welcome dialog box appears (the following screen),
click Use the Report Wizard and click OK.
If the Welcome dialog box does not appear, choose File->New->Report.
Click Use the Report Wizard and click OK.
2. You
will receive the following screen unless you selected not to display it in the
future previously. Click next
3. Select
Report type; this will affect report layout. you can see the different layouts
by clicking their corresponding buttons and looking at the sample layout on the
left. After you select the type you want click next
4. The
data presented in the report is the result of a query. If you are not
connected, you need to connect as shown in the following screen.You can create
that query by one of three methods: (1) writing a SELECT statement (2) Building
the query using the Query By Example (QBE) interface, (3) importing the query.
5. Select
the fields you would like to display in the report in the order you want as
shown in the next screen. Then click next
6. Apply
aggregate functions to the fields if you want by selecting the field then
the aggregate function. Then click next
7. Change
Field names and their width as shown in the next screen then click next
8. Select
a template then click next
9. On the last page of the Report Wizard, click Finish.
10. A report is created and appears in the Live Previewer.
11. From the Live Previewer, you can edit the report as
desired. Note that the Live Previewer is one of several report views that are
available in the Report Editor. Using the View menu or the toolbar, you can
switch to other report views to
Report
Editor
In the Report
Editor, you can view information about a report in four different ways. You can
switch between these views using the View menu or the toolbar icons. You will
work in each of the following Report Editor views as you create the sample
reports in this tutorial:
·
Live
Previewer
·
Data
Model view
·
Layout
Model view
·
Parameter
Form view
Live
Previewer
This view displays
your report as the end user will see it. If you are using existing data, the
Live Previewer will update the report as data changes. Any modifications that
you make to the report in the Live Previewer are reflected immediately. To
display your report in the Live Previewer, select View menu then Live
Previewer.
Data
Model view
This view displays
your report data as data model objects so that you can see the relationships
between queries, groups, columns, parameters, and links. To display your report
in the Data Model view, select View menu then select Data
Model.
Layout
Model view
This view displays
the attributes of your report as objects so that you can see the attribute
types and relationships. You can edit layout objects, such as frames, repeating
frames, fields, boilerplates, anchors, and graphics in this view in order to
change the appearance of the report. To display your report in the Layout Model
view, select View menu then select Layout Model.
Parameter
Form view
This view lets you
create a Runtime Parameter Form for your report. When a user runs your
report, the user enters values for parameters in this form to determine how the
report will execute. Otherwise, the user may accepts the defaults. If you do
not define a Runtime Parameter Form in the Parameter Form view, Report Builder
displays a default Parameter Form at runtime. You can select which system and
user parameters to use for your form using the Parameter Form Builder, or you
can create your own from scratch. To display the Parameter Form view, select View
menu then select parameter form.
Modifying
Report Format
To apply changes
to any column, click anywhere in that column. Report Builder will select all
the rows in that column to indicate that changes will apply to all the rows.
You can select multiple columns and items by holding shift and clicking on
those columns or report items.
After selecting
the items you want to modify, apply the required changes by selecting the
appropriate icons from the formatting toolbar. As seen in the toolbar you can
change font face, font size, toggle between bold/unbold, etc. You can also
change data alignment (left justified, centered, right justified, full
justified). For Monetary data items, yo can add dollar sign, percentage sign,
increase number zeros on the right to the decimal point, etc.
Conditional
Formatting
The Conditional
Formatting is a great way to apply formatting exceptions to your layout
objects. (For example, you can make a field’s value Red when it exceeds a
specified maximum value). If you are familiar with Excel, there is a similar
feature there. The Conditional Formatting dialog box alone may satisfy your
requirements for creating a formatting exception without the need to edit the
corresponding trigger. However, once you directly edit a Format Trigger for an
object, you should not go back and use the Conditional Formatting dialog box to
make more modifications.
To apply
conditional formatting to an item:
1. select
that item, then select property palate from Tools menu. Or
right click that data item and select property palate.
2. Under
the general layout section, select Conditional Formatting as show
in next screen. you will get the conditional formatting dialog box.
3. Click
New
4. Apply
a condition by selecting an operator such as Less than or Between
then put the values for the condition. You can have a complex condition
(multiple conditions connected by AND or OR) by clicking radio button in the
next line. The AND/OR will be enabled (on the right).
5. Then
Apply the format you want when that condition is met by changing the font face,
color, fill color, etc. You can also select to hide the data item.
6. when
you click ok you go back to the Conditional Formatting dialog box with the
Format expression written in. Click Ok to exit.
Creating Data Model
In this section
you will learn how create a multiple-query data model. First, you will
create two queries. Then you will create a break group for the first query.
Finally, you will link the two queries.
1. In
the Data Model view, click the SQL icon (on the left) then click
anywhere inside the data model screen. You will get SQL Query Statement
screen as show below. Write a query or build it by the query builder or import
an SQL query from an existing SQL file.
2. You
will get the a drawing representing the query as in the next screen
3. Now
repeat the same steps again to build another query. Make sure to have PK / FK
relation between the two tables in the two queries.
4. Select
the link tools (two overlapping circles). Click on one of the fields in the
relation and drag to the other field in of the relation in the other table. You
will get the following screen.
5. Create
a break group by dragging a field between the query name and the field list as
shown below.
6. generate
a default layout by running the report wizard from the Tools
menu. You will get the first tab of the wizard (Style)
Notice that this selection is
related to the way you will organize the different parts of the report. At this
point you have two tables and a breaking group. Notice that they have new names
(in the screen above). For example, employee is now G_FNAME. Select Group Above
7. In
the group page select G_1 and click across, select G_DNAME and click Across,
then select G_Fname and click Down. These buttons (Across, Down, etc) indicate
how the report will be filled up. For example, Across means fill horizontally,
down means vertically, Across/Down means horizontal then vertical
1. Select
the field you want to display. You may not need all field if some fields are
repeated such as DNO and SUPERSSN.
- Select a Label and
field width for every field.
9. Select
a Template. You may not get the exact list of templates and hence not the same
way the report locks. Then click Finish.
11. You should
get something similar to this. Notice that every department shows in a separate
page. You can see other pages by clicking the arrow in the toolbar or changing
the page number in the toolbar also.
12. Now you can
change formatting to lock the way you want it.
