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Reports
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Questions and Answers:
Q: What is an Object
Navigator in the Report Builder tool?
A:
The Object Navigator window will be
used in the Report Builder tool, to view
report components and navigate through the
report objects. It gives us a hierarchical
listing of all the modules open in our
current session. We use this listing to
navigate to, and work on, those objects. It
gives us access to all database objects we
own or have grant to, as well as a list of
all the built-in functions and procedures we
can use in Oracle Form Builder.
Q: What does the Object
Navigator contain?
A:
The Object Navigator contains
the following items:
� Reports
� Templates
� External SQL
Queries
� PL/SQL Libraries
� Debug Actions
� Stack
� Built-in Packages
� Database Objects.
Q: List all important objects
that are handy in the Reports object.
A:
The following are a list of
important objects in the Reports object.
These objects are very handy to create,
delete, and modify a report.
� Live Pre-viewer
� Data Model
� Layout Model
� Parameter Form
� Report Triggers
� Program Units
� Attached Libraries
Q: What is a Pre-viewer in
the Report Builder?
A:
The Live Pre-viewer object is a tool that
provides developer to view what the report
will look like when it is executed.
Q: What is a Data Model in
the Report Builder?
A:
The �Data Model� in the Report Builder is a
tool that will provide developer to display
the data content and layout appearance of
the report.
Q: What is a Layout Model in
the Report Builder?
A:
The Layout Model object is a utility in the
Report Builder that shows users how their
reports will appear. When you run your
report, Report Builder fills in the objects
in the Layout Model with actual data. The
Layout Model will show you several types of
layout objects and the relationships that
exist between them. The Layout Model uses
symbols and graphical representations to
show these relationships. You can add,
modify or delete part of your layout from
here.
Q: What is a Parameter Form
in the Report Builder?
A:
The Parameter Form in the Report Builder is
a utility that provides developers how to
define, remove, and modify their report
parameters. They will use the �Parameter
Form Builder� tool to design their
runtime parameter form.
Q: What are the types of
parameters in the Report Builder? Describe
them.
A:
There are two types of parameters:
user parameters and system parameters. The �User
parameters� will be used to manage the
behavior and output of your reports. The �System
parameters� will be used to manage the
report runtime behavior of your reports such
as defining your output destination.
Remember that when you run your report, the
Runtime Parameter Form will be
appeared.
Q: What are the report
triggers?
A:
The Report Triggers are a
small unit of a program that developers
write. They will be used to define PL/SQL to
fire at various points during the execution
of your report. You will have:
� BEFORE REPORT,
� AFTER REPORT,
� BETWEEN PAGES,
� BEFORE PARAMETER
FORM, and
� AFTER PARAMETER
FORM.
Q:
Describe program units and
attached libraries in the report builder?
A:
The �Program units� section will be used by
developers to write their PL/SQL programs.
The developers use the �PL/SQL libraries� to
store their stored procedures and �Attached
libraries� to access to those created stored
procedures. You will use Program Units and
Attached Libraries as the same way we use
them in the Forms Builder tool.
Q: Describe property palette
in the report builder?
A:
The Property Palette in the Report Builder
contains object properties. The contents of
the Property Palette are referred to as the
�Property sheet� for the object. We use the
Property Palette to modify object
properties. To open the Property Palette of
an object, we can go to the object and right
click on the mouse then select Property
Palette.
Q: What is the property sheet
for an object?
A:
The contents of the Property
Palette are referred to as the �Property
sheet� for the object.
Q: What is the "Query" box in
the "Data Model" window?
A:
It refers to a SQL statement.
Q: What is the "Group" box in
the "Data Model" window?
A:
It refers to a control break or grouping
rows. A SQL statement can have one single
group referring to its entire table or more
than one by using the GROUP BY statement.
Q: What is a Tabular report?
A:
A Tabular report shows data in a
table format. It is similar in concept to
the idea of an Oracle table. Oracle, by
default, returns output from your select
statement in tabular format.
Q: What is a Group-Left
report?
A:
The Group-left report suppresses redundant
printings of the same value in the leftmost
column of the report. It is like making a
control break in your report. You can use
the �Group-left� report on a master-detail
relationship as well.
Q: Describe a Mailing Label
report.
A:
A
Mailing Label
report is a list of addresses designed to be
generated on mailing labels. The addresses
can be printed across the page, and then
down or vice versa.
Q: What are the handlers in
the layout model?
A:
The handlers are small square boxes that
have been attached to a selected object. You
can use those handlers to change the size of
an object by dragging the handlers.
Q: What is a Matrix Report?
A:
A matrix report is a chart with two
axes (rows and columns) that display for
sets of data. On the rows, the report
displays one set of data, while on the
columns the report displays another set.
Within the two axes, report displays a
cross-product of results.
Q: How do you set a table
relationship in the report builder?
A:
In the Report Editor, click on the �Data
Link� icon on the vertical toolbar. Notice
that the cursor is changed to a cross. Move
the cross cursor to the one item (the item
that needs a link) then click and drag it to
another item (the item that needs a link) of
the other group. Now, you establish and set
a table relationship between these two
tables.
Q: What does the Select
Parent Frame icon?
A:
The "Select Parent Frame" icon selects the
parent frame of the selected object. The
position of the selected object (handlers)
will change if the object has a parent.
Q: What is a conditional
formatting in the report builder?
A:
In the Live Pre-viewer, if you right click
on the cells, and open the "Conditional
Formatting" option, you can change the
display output of the object. In the
Conditional Formatting window, you can
define exceptions to highlight data for
specified conditions with different
formatting such as color.
Q: What is a Form Letter
report?
A:
The Form letter report will
complement the mailing label report. You can
pull several database columns plus your
mailing message to produce form mailings.
Q: What is the boilerplate in
the Layout Editor?
A:
The boilerplate utility in the Layout Editor
will be used by developers to change the
text fond or color and draw graphic on a
report.
Q: Describe a GROUP-ABOVE
report in the report builder.
A:
A Group-Above report is a style you
use to demonstrate a master/detail
relationship in your database. You should
define a master group, and for each master
record, the report obtains the related
values from the detail groups.
Q: How do you use a
Master-Detail report in the Data Model?
A:
You use a Master-Detail report in the Data
Model to generate a control break report.
Q: How do you create multiple
SQL queries in the Data Model?
A:
In the Data Model, you can create as many
SQL queries as you need. To create a SQL
query, just click on the SQL icon on the
vertical toolbar, drag the �+� sign in to
the Data Model and click any where that you
wish to have your object. Then in the �SQL
Query Statement� box, write your SQL
statement.
Q: How do you create a data
link in the Data Model?
A:
In the Report Editor, click on the �Data
Link� icon on the vertical toolbar. Notice
that the cursor is changed to a cross. Move
the cross cursor to the one item (the item
that needs a link) then click and drag it to
another item (the item that needs a link) of
the other group. Now, you establish and set
a table relationship between these two
tables.
Q: What is the formula column
and how do you create it?
A:
The Formula Column is an object that a
developer defines to establish his/her own
formula. To create it, click on the "Formula
Column" icon in the Data Model, drag the
cross to the Group object and click on it
again. Then right click on it, open its
property palette, and change its name. In
the Property Palette, double click on the
PL/SQL Formula box. In the PL/SQL window,
write a PL/SQL block to calculate your
formula.
Q: What is the summary column
and how do you create it?
A:
The summary column is an object that a
developer defines to establish the SUM, AVG,
MIN, etc functions on a table. To create it,
go to the Data Model window, select the
Summary Column icon, move the cross cursor
to the "group customer id" and click on the
box. Then right click on it, and open its
property palette. In the property palette
window, change its name, change its
"source," and change the "Reset At"
options."
Q: What are the templates in
the report module?
A:
The Templates are generic objects
that allow you to force a set of standard
features and attributes onto your reports.
They help you impose uniformity on your.
Q: How do you select an
object or objects in the layout editor?
A:
To select an object, click on the object and
you will see the handlers (small boxes)
attached to the object. To select multiple
objects, move the cursor outside of all the
objects that needs to be selected and click
and drag the cursor to put all the objects
in a box, and then release the cursor. Now,
all the objects should have handlers
attached to them.
Q: How do you move an object
or objects in the layout editor?
A:
Take the cursor on the selected object(s)--in
side of its handlers--and then drag the
object(s).
Q: How do you delete an
object or objects form the layout editor?
A:
Select an object and click on the delete
key.
Q: When do you use the Edit
Margin icon?
A:
In the �Report Editor - Layout Model�, click
on the "Edit Margin" icon on the horizontal
toolbar. The report heading margin will be
appeared. Now, we can change anything on
that margin.
Q: How do you create and use
a binding variable?
A:
A colon next to an item means
that the item is a binding variable. For
example to define a binding variable, see
the following SQL statement.
SELECT ALL first_name,
last_name FROM customers, portfolio
WHERE id = :id; (:id is a
binding variable)
Q: Describe a drill-down
report.
A:
A drill-down report lets you get more
detailed information at a different level of
data aggregation. The most common methods of
drilling-down use the mouse or a button to
call another report, graph, or form.
Q: Describe a List of Values
in the report module?
A:
A �List of Values�, can be used as a
validation mechanism for values defined in
user parameters. Your LOV or �List of
Values� can consist either of static values
or items queried from the database using
select statements.
Q: How do you create a user
parameter item?
A:
A colon next to an item means
that the item is a user parameter. For
example to define a user parameter, see the
following SQL statement.
SELECT ALL first_name,
last_name FROM customers, portfolio
WHERE id = :id; (:id is a
binding variable)
Q: How do you define a system parameter
item?
A: In the �Report Editor - Layout Model�
window, click on the "Parameter Form" icon
which is on the horizontal toolbar. The
Report Editor - Parameter Form window will
be opened. In the Parameter Form window
click on the "Parameter Form Builder" icon
which is on the horizontal toolbar. The
Parameter Form Builder window will be
displayed. In the �Parameter Form Builder�
window, change the Title item if you wish
and then click on the DESTYPE (Destination
Type) parameter, etc to select system
parameters. |
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