S5

Oracle Reports Course Overview

This Oracle Reports 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 Oracle Report Wizard, to add dynamic report data to static HTML pages and to publish reports on the Web.

Skills Gained

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
• Using Cascading Stylesheets in Web Reports
• 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
• Adding dynamic web links to 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

Who will the Course Benefit?

The Oracle Reports course is designed for database administrators, software development and technical support personnel who need to create reports in a variety of styles and customize reports to meet their business requirements.

Course Objectives

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

Requirements

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

Pre-Requisite Courses

• Oracle SQL
• Oracle PL/SQL

Follow-On Courses

• Oracle PL/SQL Stored Program Units
• Oracle Forms - Part I
• Oracle Database 10g DBA - Part I

NOTE: Course technical content is subject to change without notice.

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Oracle Reports Training Course

Course Contents - DAY 1

Course Introduction

• Administration and Course Materials
• Course Structure and Agenda
• Delegate and Trainer Introductions

Session 1: 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

Session 2: 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

Session 3: CREATE A WEB REPORT

• Use 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
• Create a Cascading Stylesheet for a Report
• Preview a Report on the Web
• Exercises:
  • Create a web report
  • Modify the web source code of a report

Session 4: MANAGING REPORT TEMPLATES

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

Session 5: 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
• Exercises:
  • Create various break reports
  • Add formula columns to a report
  • Customise the report with text, images & system data

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Oracle Reports Training Course

Course Contents - DAY 2

Session 6: 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
  • Use an external query in the report

Session 7: 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
  • Add an Additional Layout to a Report

Session 8: LAYOUT MODEL OBJECTS

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

Session 9: LETTERS AND MAILING LABELS

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

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Oracle Reports Training Course

Course Contents - DAY 3

Session 10: 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

Session 11: 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

Session 12: 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
• Creating Reports using Ref Cursor Queries
• Enhance the Web source code with triggers
• Use JSP in the web source code instead of triggers
• The SRW Package
• Create dynamic web links using PL/SQL functions
• Exercises:
  • Add triggers to existing reports
  • Create a report with a ref cursor query

Session 13: REPORT DISTRIBUTION

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

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Oracle Reports Training Course

Course Contents - DAY 4

Session 14: 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 Paper Report
• Add a Hyperlink to a Paper Report
• Add Dynamic Content to a Web Page
• Create an HTML file from a report
• Create a delimited file from a report
• Add Report Data to a HTML File
• Prepare a Paper Based Report for the Web
• Add Web Links to Paper Based Reports
• HTML Special Characters
• Exercises:
  • Create report output in different formats
  • Add a dynamic hyperlink to a report

Session 15: 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

Session 16: 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
• Exercises:
  • Create and embed a graph in a report
  • Exercise:   Add the graph to the web report

Session 17: 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

Session 18: 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