This document provides an overview of Oracle Reports and its components. It discusses that Oracle Reports is a reporting tool that generates reports by retrieving data from an Oracle database. It has several components including the Object Navigator, Data Model Editor, Layout Model Editor, and Parameter Form Editor. The Data Model Editor defines the data and queries, the Layout Model Editor designs the report layout, and the Parameter Form allows users to input values. Triggers can be used to format fields and handle errors/warnings.

1.  What is report?
 Way to Provide a certain set of data in a specified format to an individual or a group of audience.
 Reports are often used to display the result of an experiment, investigation, or inquiry.
 The audience may be public or private, an individual or a group.
What is oracle report?
Oracle Reports is a report generated by Oracle Report Builder tool using data stored in an Oracle database.
What is Report Builder?
Oracle Reports Builder is a powerful enterprise reporting tool used to build reports that dynamically
retrieve data from Oracle database, format, display and print quality reports.
When you first start Oracle Reports Developer, the Reports Wizard will open automatically. You can
also access it by selecting File | New | Report from the menu.
First, you need to select a report style from the following choices:
 Tabular – a simple spreadsheet-like report
 Form – displays one form-like record
 Group Left – Selected group fields are displayed on the left of the report
 Group Above - Selected group fields are displayed on top of the report
 Matrix – Special summary report that will calculate values corresponding to a horizontal and a
vertical grouping
 Matrix with Group – A grouping field added to the matrix report
 Mailing Labels & Form Letter – similar to the Mail Merge capability.
** The difference between Mailing Labels and Form Letters is, Mailing Label shows multiple records
on one page while Form Letter shows one record on each page.

2. COMPONNTS:
 Oracle Reports Builder comes with the following components.
 Object Navigator
 Data Model Editor
 Layout Model Editor
 Parameter Form Editor
 Object Navigator
The Object Navigator shows a hierarchical view of objects in the report. Each item listed
is called a node and represents an object or type of object the report can contain or
reference.

3.  Data Model Editor
The Data Model contains the logical grouping of data for the report. This is the place
where you define the source data, add additional queries, and link them.
A data model is composed of some or all of the following data definition objects.
 Queries
Queries are SQL Select statements that fetch data from the oracle database. These
statements are fired each time the report is run.
 Groups
Groups determine the hierarchy of data appearing in the report and are primarily
used to group columns selected in the query. Oracle report automatically creates a
group for each query.
 Data Columns
Data columns contain the data values for a report. Default data columns,
corresponding to the table columns included in each query’s SELECT list are
automatically created by oracle reports. Each column is placed in the group
associated with the query that selected the column.
Summary Columns
Summary columns are used for calculating summary information like sum, average etc.
This column uses a set of predefined oracle aggregate functions. Summary columns are
generally preceded by CS_ to distinguish them from other columns.

4. Data Links
Data Link: Join queries for complex data relationships.
Data links relate the results of multiple queries. A data link (or parent-child relationship)
causes the child query to be executed once for each instance of its parent group
Formula Columns
Formula Column Performs a user-defined computation.
Characteristics:
 Executes a PL/SQL function
 Must return a value
 Can be a Character, Number, Date
 Returned value must match datatype
Example:
function CF_3Formula return Number is
begin
return(:taxable_total+:tax_total);
end;
Placeholder:
 An empty container at design time
 Populated by another object at run time
 Before report trigger
 Formula column at report level
 Formula column in same group or below placeholder
Bind Variable and Lexical Parameter:
 Bind reference replaces a value
 :parameter_name
 parameter object is created by default
 Lexical reference replaces a clause
 &Lparameter_name
 parameter object is never created by default
Use to substitute any part of the query.
SELECT NAME, SALES_REP_ID

5. FROM S_CUSTOMER
&LP_WHERE_CLAUSE
&LP_ORD_CLAUSE
LAYOUT MODEL:
The Layout Model displays the physical layout
of the data.
A report layout editor contains the following layout objects
 Frames
Frames surround other layout objects, enabling control of multiple objects
simultaneously.
 Repeating Frames
Repeating frames acts as placeholders for groups (I.e repeating values) and
present rows of data retrieved from the database. Repeating frames repeat as often
as the number of rows retrieved.
 Fields
Fields acts as placeholders for columns values. They define the formatting
attributes for all columns displayed in the report.
 Boilerplate
Boilerplate consists of text (label of the column) and graphics that appear in a
report each time it is run.

6. Parameter form is a runtime form used to accept inputs from the user.
Parameters
Parameters are variables for a report that accept input from the user at runtime. These
parameter values can then be used in the SQL select statements to retrieve data
conditionally. Oracle reports creates a set of system parameters at runtime namely report
destination type, number of copies etc.
Commonly Used Field and Frame Properties
Property Usage
Field Source Select a column from the Data Model
Vertical
Elasticity
• If the field content will expand beyond its physical
width, the object can be truncated (Fixed),
expanded vertically (Expand, Variable).
• If the object is smaller than the allocated, its
height can be shrunk (Contract, Variable).
In the Layout Model, the vertically expandable fields (and
frames) are symbolized with an = sign on the vertical
lines.
Horizontal
Elasticity
The same as the Vertical Elasticity, but the object will
expand horizontally. This property is used less often than
the Vertical Elasticity. Italic fonts might be truncated if
you use the Variable or Contract setting
Conditional
Formatting
• You can format or even hide the field depending
upon various conditions
• Developer-friendly code writer.
Repeating
Frame
Source Select a group in the Data Model.
Maximum
Records per
Page
Allows you to display a fixed number of records per page,
usually “1” for Form-like reports
Page Protect If set to “Yes,” will not allow the separation of the field
contained in the frame, unless the frame extends beyond
one page
Elasticity,
Conditional
Formatting
• Similar to fields
• If the fields have variable lengths, it is reasonable
to make the frames variable too.
Frames Page Protect,
Elasticity,
Conditional
Formatting
Similar to Repeating Frames

7.  Format Triggers: Format triggers are PL/SQL functions executed before the
object is formatted. These triggers are used to dynamically change the formatting
attributes and used to conditionally print and not to print a report column value.
These triggers return Boolean values TRUE or FALSE. If the return value of the
format trigger is FALSE, the value is not displayed.
 You can find these triggers in property Palette of layout objects
Example:
 function F_TAX_CODE1FormatTrigger return boolean is
 begin
 if cond ... then
 return (TRUE);
 else
 return (false);
 end;
 Before Parameter Form
Fires before the Runtime Parameter Form are displayed. Can access the PL/SQL
global variables, report level columns and manipulate accordingly.
 After Parameter Form
Fires after the Runtime Parameter form are displayed. Used to validate the
parameter values.
Before Report
Fires before the report is executed but after the queries is parsed and date is
fetched.
Between Pages
Fires before each page of the report are formatted, except the very first page. This
page is used to customize page formatting.
After Report
Fires after the report previewer are exited, or after report output is sent to a
specified destination.

8. Generating Warning and Errors:
Warning
WHEN <exception> THEN
SRW.MESSAGE(999, ‘Warning: report continues’);
Error
WHEN <exception> THEN
SRW.MESSAGE(999, ‘Error: report terminated’);
RAISE SRW.PROGRAM_ABORT;
SRW.DO_SQL(‘CREATE TABLE SRW_LOG
(RPT_NAME VARCHAR2(40),
REC_NUM NUMBER,
MSG_TEXT VARCHAR2(80))’);
SRW.DO_SQL(‘INSERT INTO SRW_LOG
(RPT_NAME REC_NUM, MSG_TEXT)
VALUES
(“PAY_REPORT”, TO_CHAR(:ID),
:LAST_NAME||”PAY REPORT RUN”)’);