Oracle Reports — A 4-Day Course

 Open Public Course Closed In-House Course

Synopsis

This course introduces the delegate to the main concepts of Oracle Reports Developer. It is designed to give delegates practical experience in designing and creating Web and paper reports using the Report Wizard, to add dynamic report data to static HTML pages and to publish reports on the Web.

Objectives

To provide the skills needed to design and create Web and paper reports using the Report Wizard.

The delegate will practice:

• Creating paper and web reports
• Defining report queries
• Building reports in various different formats
• Applying queries, groups, calculations and summaries to a report
• Editing and manipulating boilerplate and layout objects
• Editing and enhancing the Web source code
• Building master/detail and matrix reports
• Building and using report templates
• Using PL/SQL to base reports on ref cursor queries
• Using PL/SQL trigger code for validating and formatting reports
• Using XML and text pluggable data sources in reports
• Using Parameters in Reports
• Adding graphics to a report
• Distributing and bursting reports
• Tuning reports
• Maximizing report performance using Oracle AS Reports Services
• Publishing reports on the Web
• Adding dynamic data to an HTML page

Suitable For

This course is intended for:

• Database administrators
• Software developers
• Technical support personnel who need to create reports in a variety of styles and customise reports to meet their business requirements

Prerequisites

• A working knowledge of SQL*Plus and PL/SQL is required. This can be obtained by attendance on the Oracle SQL and PL/SQL courses
• Familiarity with basic XML and HTML would be an advantage

Publicly scheduled dates, locations, and prices

Course Contents

Introduction to Oracle Reports Developer

• Overview of Oracle Reports Developer
• Oracle Reports Developer Basic Concepts
• Paper and Web Reports
• Key Features and Benefits
• Oracle Application Server Reports Services
• Designing Reports
• Available Reports Styles

Creating a Basic Tabular Paper Report

• Invoke the Reports Builder
• Use the Object Navigator
• Designing a Report to Retrieve Data Efficiently
• Use the Report Wizard to Build a Report
• Use Query Builder to Create the Query
• Apply an Appropriate Template
• Reports Property Palette
• Modify the Layout Model
• Save the Report in an Appropriate Format
• Exercise: Create various tabular reports

Create a Web Report

• JavaServer Page Technology to Build a Web Report
• Testing a Report on the Web
• Web Technology in Oracle Reports
• Create a Web Report Using the Report Wizard
• Examine the Source Code Using the Web Source View
• Make Basic Enhancements to the Web Source Code
• Preview a Report on the Web
• Exercise: Create a web report
• Exercise: Modify the web source code of a report

Managing Report Templates

• Modify a Predefined Template
• Create a New Template
• Configure the Report Builder Preferences
• Exercise: Create templates

Break Report

• Concepts of the Break Report
• Data Model Objects: Report Groups
• Formula Columns
• Summary Columns
• XML Settings
• Repeating Frames
• Use the Wizard to Create a Break Report
• Modify the Data Model
• Modify Field Properties
• Customise the Web Source Field Tags
• Display System Variables
• Display Report Margins
• Add Boilerplate Text and Images
• Embed Report Variables in Boilerplate Text
• Include Report Variables in the Web Source Code
• Exercise: Create various break reports
• Exercise: Add formula columns to a report
• Exercise: Customise the report with text, images and system data

Form Report

• Design and Create a Form Report
• Embed Data in Boilerplate Text
• Flex and Confine Modes
• Use the Arrange Objects tools in the Layout
• Group Operations
• External Queries
• Exercise: Create a form-style report and customise the layout
• Exercise: Use an external query in the report

Master Detail Reports

• Multi-Query Reports
• Use Data Links in the Layout Model
• Create a Master/Detail Report
• Control the Pagination of Layout Objects
• Use the Report Block Tool for a Customised Layout
• Use the Report Block Tool in a Web Report
• Exercise: Create a Report Using Multiple Queries
• Exercise: Add an Additional Layout to a Report

Layout Model Objects

• Frames
• Fields
• Boilerplate
• Anchors
• Images
• Sections
• Displaying a file in a column
• Exercise: Display a file in a form-style report
• Exercise: Add a new section to a report

Letters and Mailing Labels

• The Mailing Label Report Style
• The Form-Letter Report Style
• Exercise: Create Report consisting of a letter with mailing
• Exercise: Labels to the recipients

Matrix Reports

• Introduction to Matrix Reports
• The Matrix Data Model
• To Create a Single Query Matrix Report
• Matrix Summaries
• Multi-Level and Break Matrices
• Child dimension in matrix reports
• Exercise: Create various matrix reports

Parameters

• System Parameters in Reports
• Using Bind Parameters in Reports
• The Use of Lexical Parameters
• Lists of Parameter Values
• The Parameter Form Screen
• Creating Parameter HTML Extensions
• Exercise: Create reports with bind and lexical parameters

PL/SQL and Triggers in Reports

• PL/SQL in Oracle Reports
• Report Level Triggers
• Group Filters
• Use Parameters and Placeholders in a Report
• External and Internal PL/SQL Procedures
• PL/SQL in Oracle Reports Builder
• Create, attach and use PL/SQL Libraries
• Oracle Reports PL/SQL Packages
• Report Level PL/SQL
• Ref Cursor Queries
• Enhance the Web source code with triggers
• Use JSP in the web source code instead of triggers
• The SRW Package
• Exercise: Add triggers to existing reports
• Exercise: Create a report with a ref cursor query

Report Distribution

• Report Distribution and distribution files
• Distribute a Paper Report
• Burst a Paper Report
• Exercises: Burst a report to multiple destinations

Web Reporting

• Build Reports for the Web
• Use JSP in Oracle Reports
• HTML and PDF in Reports Builder
• Web Links for HTML Output
• Style Sheets
• Add a Bookmark to a Report
• Add a Hyperlink to a Paper Report
• Add Dynamic Content to a Web Page
• Create a Web Report
• Add Report Data to a HTML File
• Use a Report Block
• Prepare a Paper Based Report for the Web
• Add Web Links to Paper Based Reports
• HTML Special Characters
• Exercise: Create report output in different formats
• Exercise: Add a dynamic hyperlink to a report

XML and Pluggable Data Sources

• Storing Reports as XML files
• Generating XML Output from a Report
• Reports based on an XML Pluggable Data Source
• Reports based on Text Pluggable Data Source
• Exercises: Create reports based on XML and text pluggable data sources

Using Graphics in a Report

• Oracle Graphics Objects
• Create and Embed a Graph using the Graph Wizard
• Add a Graph to a Web report
• Customise a Graph in a Report
• Exercise: Create and embed a graph in a report
• Exercise: Add the graph to the web report

Using Oracle Application Server Reports Services

• Report Request Methods
• Oracle Application Server Reports Services
• Architecture Report Request Methods
• JSP Runtime Architecture
• Servlet Runtime Architecture
• Viewing and Scheduling Reports
• Monitoring and Managing Reports Services
• Exercise: Create a web page to run reports

Performance Issues

• Designing Efficient Reports
• Monitor the Performance of Reports
• Investigate Performance Issues
• Exercise: Use Report Monitoring Tools
• Conclusion
• Appendices:
  • Supported File Types
  • Reports Executables
  • JSP Tags used in Web Reports
  • The SRW Packaged Procedures
  • Glossary