XML Publisher and Reporting to Excel Duncan Davies, Jay Jorgensen and Adam Clark Allinity

Who are we? Duncan Davies - Technical Consultant (Allinity) Email: Duncan@Allinity.com Adam Clark - Technical Consultant (Allinity) Email: Adam@Allinity.com Jay Jorgensen - External Consultant Email: Jay@GlobalWalkabout.com

What are we covering today? XML Publisher - Duncan Reporting to Excel Overview - Adam Reporting to Excel Deep-Dive - Jay Questions

XML Publisher - Duncan

Reporting to Excel Overview - Adam

Reporting to Excel Deep-Dive - Jay

Questions

What is XML Publisher? “ Publisher is the only Reporting Platform for Fusion Apps”

“ Publisher is the only Reporting Platform for Fusion Apps”

How does it work? XML Data Source Technical Task Template Layout Business Task Report Output XML Publisher Engine

Step 1 Create an App Engine to supply: XML Sample Data File XSD Schema File

Create an App Engine to supply:

XML Sample Data File

XSD Schema File

Step 1 Code – Populate Rowset

Step 1 Code – Output Files

Step 2 Create an RTF template in Word using the XML Sample data file.

Step 3 Within PeopleSoft, create: Data Source Defn Report Defn Process Defn

Within PeopleSoft, create:

Data Source Defn

Report Defn

Process Defn

Step 3 – Data Source Definition

Step 3 – Report Definition

Step 4 Update your App Engine to output full data, then run it.

Step 4 Code – Code Changes

Advanced Use Bursting Content Library Translations

Bursting

Content Library

Translations

What’s good? Single Toolset Business users don’t need a techie to layout a report Highly Flexible Easier upgrade to Fusion Quick and easy

Single Toolset

Business users don’t need a techie to layout a report

Highly Flexible

Easier upgrade to Fusion

Quick and easy

What’s not good? XML/XSL knowledge needed for complex reports Excel output very basic No update until 2008 (Tools 8.50) Need to use Report Mgr

XML/XSL knowledge needed for complex reports

Excel output very basic

No update until 2008 (Tools 8.50)

Need to use Report Mgr

What other tips can we give? Make sure all rowset levels are filled in sample data. RTFs not shown in Process Monitor, so set up Report Manager. Limit the size of the rowset for sample data. Sort data in Code

Make sure all rowset levels are filled in sample data.

RTFs not shown in Process Monitor, so set up Report Manager.

Limit the size of the rowset for sample data.

Sort data in Code

AEXLS Overview

Why? Client required a reporting solution Output to Microsoft Excel Must be a PeopleTools solution

Client required a reporting solution

Output to Microsoft Excel

Must be a PeopleTools solution

Output onto Multiple Sheets Complete control of individual cells Formatting of individual rows/columns/cells Formulas Client specific Branding/Formatting

Output onto Multiple Sheets

Complete control of individual cells

Formatting of individual rows/columns/cells

Formulas

Client specific Branding/Formatting

Options XMLP SQRXLS nVision XSLT for XMLP

XMLP

SQRXLS

nVision

XSLT for XMLP

The Solution Application Package Kept within PeopleSoft Standard PeopleSoft APIs Classes and Methods

Application Package

Kept within PeopleSoft

Standard PeopleSoft APIs

Classes and Methods

Benefits Rapid development Standard PeopleCode Object oriented API Simply pass a RowSet to the constructor

Rapid development

Standard PeopleCode

Object oriented API

Simply pass a RowSet to the constructor

Example

Summary Client Requirements Flexibility Rapid Development

Client Requirements

Flexibility

Rapid Development

AEXLS The Internals

The Internals

What Have We Done Formatting – text, cell and sheet Print and Page Settings Formulas and Functions Multiple sheets Named Ranges

Formatting – text, cell and sheet

Print and Page Settings

Formulas and Functions

Multiple sheets

Named Ranges

What Can be Done Short answer – everything but Macro’s and Passwords For Example Pivot Tables Charts Hyperlinks (drill-down like nVision) Data Functions – filters, sorting etc Smart Tags and Comments

Short answer – everything but Macro’s and Passwords

For Example

Pivot Tables

Charts

Hyperlinks (drill-down like nVision)

Data Functions – filters, sorting etc

Smart Tags and Comments

Components Excel/XML XMLDOC Object Application Packages

Excel/XML

XMLDOC Object

Application Packages

Excel/XML Need to learn XML Simple Cascade - Worksheet/Column/ Row/Cell Styles used like CSS Namespaces and Schemas MS Schema’s of some use

Need to learn XML

Simple Cascade - Worksheet/Column/ Row/Cell

Styles used like CSS

Namespaces and Schemas

MS Schema’s of some use

XMLDoc PeopleSoft’s XML Parser Provides random access to the xml document – Like a Database Based on W3C standards – Uses XPath XPath is like a directory structure Examples Get a Sheet Findnode(WorkbookWorksheet [@Name=“Sheet1”] ) Get a Cell Findnode(WorkbookWorksheet [@Name=“Sheet1”]RowCell [@Index=“4”]DataText()

PeopleSoft’s XML Parser

Provides random access to the xml document – Like a Database

Based on W3C standards – Uses XPath

XPath is like a directory structure

Examples

Get a Sheet

Findnode(WorkbookWorksheet

[@Name=“Sheet1”] )

Get a Cell

Findnode(WorkbookWorksheet

[@Name=“Sheet1”]RowCell

[@Index=“4”]DataText()

App Packages Object Oriented Approach – Classes Makes things more complex but so much faster/easier to maintain. Model your classes on the excel objects – sheets, cells etc Quicker debugging

Object Oriented Approach – Classes

Makes things more complex but so much faster/easier to maintain.

Model your classes on the excel objects – sheets, cells etc

Quicker debugging

Problems Namespaces and XMLDoc Other XMLDoc Issues Performance

Namespaces and XMLDoc

Other XMLDoc Issues

Performance

Tips Plan your object model first Remove namespaces and add them in by string manipulation after XMLDoc is finished Consider generating large chunks of data by other methods (e.g. SQL) Leverage PeopleSoft Metadata (e.g. Field labels, translate and prompts) Apply a template (like the report class)

Plan your object model first

Remove namespaces and add them in by string manipulation after XMLDoc is finished

Consider generating large chunks of data by other methods (e.g. SQL)

Leverage PeopleSoft Metadata (e.g. Field labels, translate and prompts)

Apply a template (like the report class)

Finish Time estimates 2 man months for the Excel generator 1 man month for the template overlay Much of this is learning curve Time is easily recouped in developing reports etc that use it.

Time estimates

2 man months for the Excel generator

1 man month for the template overlay

Much of this is learning curve

Time is easily recouped in developing reports etc that use it.

Thanks for listening. Does anyone have a Question?

Does anyone have a Question?