In
Oracle Reports, you have two options for building a paper report. The first one
is to use the wizards and editors in Reports Builder. The second one is to
define the data model and/or layout for your paper report in XML.
Here
we will discuss the steps to build a paper report using the Report Wizard.
Step 1: Invoking Reports Builder and the
Report Wizard
When
you invoke Reports Builder, the Welcome dialog box gives you the option of
using the Wizard to build a new report. The Report Wizard provides an easy
step-by-step interface to create a new report.
The
Report Wizard opens with a Welcome page. To suppress this page, clear the
“Display at startup” check box. You can reinstate this page in the same way as
the Welcome dialog box in Reports Builder; select the Wizard tab in the
Preferences dialog box and then select Report Wizard Welcome Page.
Each
page of the Report Wizard asks you for information to help you create your
initial report. Step through the wizard pages, selecting Next and Back, until
you are satisfied with the initial information that you have entered. On the
last page, select Finish.
Welcome to Reports
Builder
Report Wizard
Step 2: Choosing the Layout Type
Here
you have to specify the type of layout you want the Wizard to generate. The
available options are:
§
Web and Paper Layout
§
Web Layout only
§
Paper Layout only
Report Layout Type
Step 3: Choosing a Report
Style
This
page of the Report Wizard shows the various styles of reports. Select Tabular
and then click Next.
Report Style
Step 4: Selecting the Data
Source Type
Next,
you have to define the data source type for your report. Through the
implementation of the Pluggable Data Source (PDS) feature in Oracle Reports,
the data for your report can come from any source you choose. Reports Builder
provides interface definitions that act as a translator between Reports Builder
and a PDS by redefining Reports Builder’s requests in terms your data source
uses.
Oracle
Express Server, OLAP, JDBC, Text and XML pluggable data sources are shipped
with Oracle Reports. You can also define your own data source.
Data Source Type
Step 5: Building a Query
using Query Builder
Building
your query with the Query Builder GUI saves you time and increases the ease of
use for developers not familiar with building SQL statements or with the
application tables.
To
build a query using Query Builder:
1. Select Query Builder from
the Query page in the Report Wizard.
2. Enter your username,
password, and alias in the Connect dialog box that appears if you have not
already connected to the database.
3. Select the data tables to
build the query.
4. Click Include. The tables
appear in the selection area.
5. Click Close to close the
Select Data Tables window.
6. In each table, double-click
the column names that you want in the query, or use the check boxes. To select
all columns, double-click the Table title bar.
7. Click OK.
Query
Builder copies the query syntax into the Report Wizard. You can modify the
query by reentering Query Builder or by modifying the SQL query statement text.
Note: If you prefer to write your own SQL
statement, enter the syntax directly in the SQL query statement area of the
Query page. Alternatively, you can import the contents of a file by clicking
Import SQL Query.
Query Builder
Step 6: Selecting Displayed
Fields
In
the Field page, select each field from the Available Fields list and click
>. The selected fields move to the Displayed Fields list. To display all
fields, click >>.
You
can alter the sequence of displayed fields by dragging one field above or below
another in the list. The sequence of fields in this list determines how the
fields appear in the report output. In a tabular report, the fields appear in
sequence from left to right across the page.
Fields
that remain in the Available Fields list are available for you to reference in
your report definition as hidden fields or in PL/SQL trigger code.
In
the report output, the user sees only those fields that you transfer to the
Displayed Fields list.
Displayed Fields
Step 7: Totals and Labels
In
the next two pages of the Report Wizard, you can create totals based on any of
the displayed fields and modify the labels and width of the displayed fields.
Totals: Standard SQL aggregate functions are
provided for creating totals in your report.
Total Fields
Labels: The field label is displayed on one or more
lines in the report output. In a tabular report, the labels appear above the
field values.
§
If the initial label is wider than the field, Reports
Builder allows enough space for the label, or displays it on multiple lines.
§
If you increase the number of characters in the label
text in the reentrant Wizard, the label can appear truncated in the report
output.
Labels
Step 8: Selecting a Report
Template
Report
Templates enforce corporate standards as well as create professional-looking
paper reports easily.
Select
a template from the list of predefined template names. In a template, the
fonts, styles, and colors are already selected for designated objects. A
variety of templates are available with the standard Reports installation.
To
select a predefined template:
1. Select the Predefined
Template option button, if it is not already selected.
2. Select a template from the
Template list.
3. Click Finish.
Report Template
Step 9: Viewing the Paper
Report Output
When
you finish creating your report in the Report Wizard, the output appears in the
Paper Design view of the Report Editor.
Magnifying the Output
The
Paper Design view contains a Magnify tool in the vertical toolbar. This
provides a view of the area of layout you want to see. You can also use the
View menu to magnify or reduce the size of the output. Select View > Zoom to
see your options.
Viewing Different Pages
The
Paper Design toolbar contains four buttons, and the specific page option, with
which you can scroll through the pages of your report.
Report Output
Step 10: Saving the Report
Definition
Remember
to save the report frequently by selecting Save in the toolbar, or by using the
File > Save menu option. The recommended format for storing paper reports is
with an .rdf extension.
If
you want to make a copy of the report definition in a different filename, use
the menu option File > Save As. There is no toolbar button for the Save As
option.
Source: Oracle