First group heading below displays below column headings using Template 23 Classic Report using Repeat Headings on Break

Question

Hello,
I am migrating an application from APEX 3 to APEX 4.2 on one thing I notice with the classic reports when I bring them into Template 23 is that the first break section has the break row display below the column headers for that section while the remaining rows correctly have it display above the headers on subsequent group sections.
When I look a the code in firebug I can seen that the all tables but the first, the break row is being included as the last row of the previous table so I can see how this would not work for the break since.
I have tow questions.
1. Is this really intentional because it doesn't seem  terribly elegant and my users zeroed in on it right away as a perceived bug.
2. Is there a reasonable work around that still uses Repeat Headings on Break? I have multiple reports on the same page in places so changing over to interactive reports is not a silver bullet for me in this case.
Example of issue can be seen at apex.oracle.com at  Home
Thanks,
Brad

Answer 1

Roadling wrote:
Hello,
I am migrating an application from APEX 3 to APEX 4.2 on one thing I notice with the classic reports when I bring them into Template 23 is that the first break section has the break row display below the column headers for that section while the remaining rows correctly have it display above the headers on subsequent group sections.
1. Is this really intentional because it doesn't seem  terribly elegant and my users zeroed in on it right away as a perceived bug.
The Standard report template definition in theme 23 contains thead and tbody elements:
Before Column Heading
<thead>
Column Heading Template
<th #ALIGNMENT# id="#COLUMN_HEADER_NAME#">#COLUMN_HEADER#</th>
After Column Heading
</thead>
<tbody>
After Rows
</tbody>
</table>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
<tbody class="uReportPagination">
#PAGINATION#
</tbody>
</table>
<div class="uReportDownloadLinks">#EXTERNAL_LINK##CSV_LINK#</div>
This is intentional, following best practice for marking up HTML tables. What is not intended is the problem that arises when this template is used with the Repeat Headings on Break break formatting option. The repeated headings result in the table consisting of tag soup containing multiple incorrectly constructed tbody and thead elements, which is invalid.
2. Is there a reasonable work around that still uses Repeat Headings on Break? I have multiple reports on the same page in places so changing over to interactive reports is not a silver bullet for me in this case.
Create a copy of the Standard report template as Standard (break formatting) for use with break reports, remove the thead and tbody tags from the template definitions, and change the break reports to use the new template. (Or, if you primarily have break reports using the Standard template, keep the tags in the copy and remove them from the original to minimize the number of reports you have to edit.)
Personally I'd create a custom row report template for complex break reports in order to be able to have complete control over the structure and presentation.