The document discusses various options for printing reports from Oracle Application Express (APEX), including using APEX's built-in reporting and printing capabilities, third-party plugins like Reports 2 PDF, and standalone reporting tools like Jasper Reports, PL/PDF, Doxxy, and BI Publisher. It provides an overview of each option's features, installation, usage, and suitability for different use cases. The document demonstrates ApexOfficePrint as a full-featured reporting solution that can generate PDFs, Office files, and offer printing as a service using templates created in Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

1. Lino Schildenfeld 2nd December 2015
APEX 5 – Printing
What are my report printing options?
www.apexRnD.co.nz
lschilde.blogspot.com
@LinoSchilde
lschilde@apexRnD.co.nz

2. Lino Schildenfeld
APEX R&D manager for NZ and AU
10 years+ Oracle experience
APEX Blogger and enthusiast
NZ APEX meetup organizer
About me

3. Oracle Application Express 5
What are my printing options?
apex.oracle.comapex.world

4. APEX Print capability and printing options
Printing Alternatives
Summary

5. Reporting
Most common requirement for modern applications
Can be classified by:
Complexity and formats
Templates and data handling
Data types
Modification requirements
Delivery methods and scheduling
Run in database or externally
Will drive your choices…….

6. APEX reporting
Good reporting support
Classic or Interactive reports
Images, links, pivoting, computation, highlighting…...
Export as PDF, CSV, HTML, Email, XLS, RTF
What about complex reports?

7. Enable data download
Enable data print
Generic columns on default templates
Need Printing server to work (APEX 5 set to ORDS by default)
Use of printing server
Let's have a look
Classic report

8. Custom report queries
User defined layouts
Need printing server (ORDS, BI Pub, FOP)
Ability to run reports using APEX APIs
XSL-FO (and RTF templates only with BI Publisher)
Shared components - Reports

9. ...
BEGIN
l_document := APEX_UTIL.GET_PRINT_DOCUMENT (
p_report_data => :P1_XML,
p_report_layout => :P1_XSL,
p_report_layout_type => 'xsl-fo',
p_document_format => 'pdf');
l_id := APEX_MAIL.SEND(
p_to => :P35_MAIL_TO,
p_from => 'noreplies@oracle.com',
p_subj => 'sending PDF by using print API',
p_body => 'Please review the attachment.',
p_body_html => 'Please review the attachment');
APEX_MAIL.ADD_ATTACHMENT (
p_mail_id => l_id,
p_attachment => l_document,
p_filename => 'mydocument.pdf',
p_mime_type => 'application/pdf');
END;
APEX API

10. Limited choice
XSL-FO editor requires a licence (Altova and Stylus Studio)
RTF templates with BI Publisher printing server = high costs
Layouts are kept in APEX and are application related
Editing XSL-FO templates not so intuitive
Where next?
Challenges

11. Option 1. APEX Plugins

12. Example “Reports 2 PDF” by Anton Scheffer
Completely PL/SQL based
Uses report region source to generate PDFs
Great replacement if no access to FOP server or ORDS
DEMO
APEX Plugins

13. Supports pagination
Easy to setup and run
Needed an update to work in APEX 5
Not ideal for more complex data types
Can be used for simplest requirements
Can be used as development tool on APEX 4.2
APEX Plugins – overview

14. APEX Print capability and printing options
Printing Alternatives
Summary

15. Option 2. PL/PDF

16. Installation and getting it run is easy
Completely PL/SQL based, one of oldest tools around
Offers different packages for PDF and Office files
Create reports line by line, update existing files or adding new
pages
Word templates support (NEW)
Supports complex data types, PDF encryption and digital
signature
DEMO
PL/PDF

17. ….
plpdf.Init;
/* Begin a new page: page orientation: default (portrait) */
plpdf.NewPage;
/* Sets the font and its properties */
plpdf.SetPrintFont(p_family => 'Arial', -- Font family: Arial
p_style => null, -- Font style: regular (default)
p_size => 12 );
/* Prints a text starting from the specified position. */
plpdf.PrintoutText(p_x => 50, -- X coordinate for the start of the text
p_y => 50, -- Y coordinate for the start of the text
p_txt => 'Print Text Example' );
/* Returns the generated PDF document. The document is closed and then returned in the OUT parameter. */
plpdf.SendDoc(p_blob => l_blob );
insert into STORE_BLOB (blob_file, created_date, filename)
VALUES (l_blob, sysdate, 'PrintText');
commit;
end;
PL/PDF example

18. Most favorite DBA option
Can work in all APEX versions
Document modification supported
Creating a document challenging with large number of lines
User guide documentation confusing – lots to learn
No external components
Maintenance would require a lot of efforts
Overall not my favorite
PL/PDF – overview

19. Option 3. JRXML2PDF

20. Based on JRXML report definition
Pure PL/SQL solution
No JasperServer installation
Installation was easy → APEX import (or PL/SQL script)
MIT and LGPL Licence
Supports only PDF
Images, some charts, google maps and document merge
DEMO
JRXML2PDF by Andreas Weidner

21. DECLARE
vcName VARCHAR2(200);
lParams PK_JRXML2PDF_REPGEN.TPARAMLIST;
bl BLOB;
BEGIN
vcName:='THE_NAME_OF_YOUR_REPORT_IN_JRXML_REPORT_DEFINITIONS';
bl :=PK_JRXML2PDF_REPGEN.FK_RUN(i_vcName=>vcName);
PK_JRXML2PDF_REPGEN.PR_SHOW_REPORT(bl);
APEX_APPLICATION.STOP_APEX_ENGINE;
END;
JRXML2PDF example

22. Younger brother of JasperReports
With no authentication problems
Worked with APEX 5 with no problems
Love the idea and would not mind using it within its limitations
Supports only PDFs
Documentation limiting
Learning based on demo examples
JRXML2PDF – overview

23. Option 4. JASPER REPORTS

24. Java based solution
Reports created in iReport and deployed to server
Many internet resources on How To's (Dietmar Aust,
Enciva.com, Damien Antipa)
Reports are requested using URLs
http://localhost:11139/MyReports/servlets/viewer?jr_report_uri=Simple_Blue.jrxml&jss_c
ontext=cfb89f9d-8a11-4e12-a18a-6ea70f5c2b9c&jr_async=true
All formats and complex data types
Public and commercial version
DEMO
Jasper Reports

25. begin
xlib_jasperreports.show_report (p_rep_name => :p5_rep_name,
p_rep_format => :p5_rep_format,
p_data_source => :p5_data_source,
p_out_filename => :p5_out_filename,
p_rep_locale => :p5_rep_locale,
p_rep_encoding => :p5_rep_encoding,
p_additional_params => :p5_additional_params);
-- stop rendering of the current APEX page
apex_application.g_unrecoverable_error := true;
end;
JasperReport example

26. Good documentation
Pixel perfect results
All needed formats
Matrix report support
Improved RTF editing
Best free option on the market
Biggest issue is authentication problems
Requires server configuration
JasperReports – overview

27. Option 5. DOXXY

28. Report design using Word templates
Supports PDF and Docx file formats within different packages
Support for conditional formatting and images (but requires
ORDSYS schema (multimedia) of Oracle)
Comes with APEX UI for managing reports
http://www.iadvise-hosting.be/pls/apexsaas6/f?p=125
Can be used as PL/SQL API only
DEMO
Doxxy by iAdvise

29. …
l_bind_variables('P_ORDER_ID').number_value := 1;
l_doc := BL$DG4O_INTERFACE.generate_document
(p_document => '/My Folder/Orders Document'
,p_document_template_name => 'Orders Template'
,p_bind_variables => l_bind_variables
,p_application_key => ''
,p_user_id => ''
,p_format => 'DOCX');
….
owa_util.http_header_close;
wpg_docload.download_file(l_doc);
apex_application.stop_apex_engine;
END;
Doxxy API example

30. Good documentation
Data and templates are kept separate
Limited output formats – PDF and Docx
Installation only using APEX application import
Complex data types could be a challenge
DEMO did not work in Firefox?! - team working on fix
Installation in my own schema did not work for me
Doxxy – overview

31. Option 6. BI Publisher

32. Professional reporting tool
Supports all output formats
Ability to schedule, save and email reports
Templates are built using MS Word and BI Publisher extension
Used as print server
Rendering reports using links, direct PL/SQL and SOAP
webservice
DEMO
All mighty BI Publisher

33. Click to add Text

34. Good documentation including many white-papers how to
integrate it with APEX
Easy to design templates
Best reporting package
Templates are highly sensitive to Word extension versions that
can be a huge problem
Most expensive option of all
BI Publisher – overview

35. Option 7. ApexOfficePrint

36. PL/SQL solution
Comes as APEX Plugin and PL/SQL API
Supports PDF, HTML and Office formats (.docx, rtf, .xlsx, .ppt)
Only solution that offers printing 'as service'
Multiple report data sources
Templates created using Word, Excel and PowerPoint
Multiple template source supported (on server, workspace
images or table)
ApexOfficePrint by APEX R&D

37. AOP as Plugin

38. Good documentation
Easy to use and pick up
Package options to choose from (as service or local server)
With automatic template check ability
Rendering of reports using APEX plugin or PL/SQL API
Support for most data types images, barcodes, charts and
formulas
Optimized for performance
AOP – overview

39. www.apexofficeprint.com

40. ❖ APEX Print capability and printing options
❖ Printing Alternatives
❖ Summary

41. Click to add Text

42. Q&A
www.apexRnD.co.nz
lschilde.blogspot.com
@LinoSchilde
lschilde@apexRnD.co.nz

43. Click to add Text