How to print a value at the top of each page in the detail section of a rpt

Question

Thanks for helping, I will try to get right to the point.
I have RTF template. Very simplistic template. I have the Group at the top (there is only 1 per XML file) and several DETAIL lines with like 10 columns.
The first displayed field is "ACCOUNT_NUMBER". The user wished that if the ACCOUNT NUMBER for line 2 was the same as line 1, that it be suppressed, for example:
Acct No other other other other
1234 XX XX XX XX
YY YY YY YY
This was not a problem, I was able to accomplish it with the following code:
<?if:position()=1 or ACCOUNT_NUMBER!=preceding::ACCOUNT_NUMBER[1]?><?ACCOUNT_NUMBER?><?end if?>
But what happens is that IF THE FIRST line on a page has the same ACCOUNT_NUMBER as the last line on the previous page, the ACCOUNT NUMBER is not displayed.
What I would like is for the ACCOUNT NUMBER to be displayed anytime we are at the first record on a page, AND anytime it is different from the previous record's value.
I do not know how many lines per page are possible, because there are other line breaks which exist which put a space between lines when values change too. So I cannot just count how many total lines and divide it by lines per page.
My thought was that there must be a way I could store a variable called LAST_PAGE, and at the end of each record, copy the current page number to that variable. Then in my ACCOUNT_NUMBER code, I could check if current page is NOT equal to last page along with my other conditions.
1. Is this the best way to do this? If so, please help, I am new to BI and am having trouble figuring out where to put variables and stuff like that.
2. If not, how can I do this?
3. If your recommendation is going to be to group my items by Account Number, I may not have time to redo the report that way. I will happily supply the rtf and xml if that will help you help me.
Regards:
Michael Coughlin

Answer 1

Here ya go. Obviously you can duplicate the G_DETAILS blocks to get enough for 2 pages. I have the data pre-sorted before the output is generated because I had trouble getting the RTF to work if I didn't, just so you know.
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
<!-- Generated by Oracle Reports version 6.0.8.28.0 -->
<XXDIPICK_RPT>
<LIST_G_HEADERS>
<G_HEADERS>
<SHIP_FROM_ORG_CODE>202</SHIP_FROM_ORG_CODE>
<LINE_STATUS>Picked</LINE_STATUS>
<LIST_G_DETAILS>
<G_DETAILS>
<SHIP_FROM_ORG_CODE1>202</SHIP_FROM_ORG_CODE1>
<ACCOUNT_NUMBER>1000</ACCOUNT_NUMBER>
<DELIVERY_NUMBER>8062</DELIVERY_NUMBER>
<ORDER_NUMBER>103049</ORDER_NUMBER>
<CUST_NAME>DIAMOND INNOVATIONS INT SALES - NEWCO</CUST_NAME>
<DELIVERY_DETAIL_ID>12474</DELIVERY_DETAIL_ID>
<LINE_NO>1.1</LINE_NO>
<ITEM_NO>4087401</ITEM_NO>
<ITEM_DESCRIPTION>HPD M SD-CTO-0 Pot</ITEM_DESCRIPTION>
<OPEN_FLAG>Y</OPEN_FLAG>
<CANCELLED_FLAG>N</CANCELLED_FLAG>
<BOOKED_FLAG>Y</BOOKED_FLAG>
<ORDERED_QUANTITY>1</ORDERED_QUANTITY>
<ORDER_QUANTITY_UOM>EA</ORDER_QUANTITY_UOM>
<SHIPPED_QUANTITY></SHIPPED_QUANTITY>
<SCHEDULE_SHIP_DATE>2011-01-31T23:59:00+00:00</SCHEDULE_SHIP_DATE>
<NAME>INTERNAL ORDER - US</NAME>
<CUST_ACCOUNT_ID>16404</CUST_ACCOUNT_ID>
<HEADER_ID>6446</HEADER_ID>
<LINE_ID>7926</LINE_ID>
<ORG_ID>84</ORG_ID>
<SHIP_TO_ORG_ID>16050</SHIP_TO_ORG_ID>
<INVOICE_TO_ORG_ID>16052</INVOICE_TO_ORG_ID>
<SHIP_SET_ID></SHIP_SET_ID>
<INVENTORY_ITEM_ID>63927</INVENTORY_ITEM_ID>
</G_DETAILS>
<G_DETAILS>
<SHIP_FROM_ORG_CODE1>202</SHIP_FROM_ORG_CODE1>
<ACCOUNT_NUMBER>1000</ACCOUNT_NUMBER>
<DELIVERY_NUMBER>8062</DELIVERY_NUMBER>
<ORDER_NUMBER>103049</ORDER_NUMBER>
<CUST_NAME>DIAMOND INNOVATIONS INT SALES - NEWCO</CUST_NAME>
<DELIVERY_DETAIL_ID>12475</DELIVERY_DETAIL_ID>
<LINE_NO>2.1</LINE_NO>
<ITEM_NO>3732307</ITEM_NO>
<ITEM_DESCRIPTION>NV MBS 2325 Bushing Asm</ITEM_DESCRIPTION>
<OPEN_FLAG>Y</OPEN_FLAG>
<CANCELLED_FLAG>N</CANCELLED_FLAG>
<BOOKED_FLAG>Y</BOOKED_FLAG>
<ORDERED_QUANTITY>1</ORDERED_QUANTITY>
<ORDER_QUANTITY_UOM>EA</ORDER_QUANTITY_UOM>
<SHIPPED_QUANTITY></SHIPPED_QUANTITY>
<SCHEDULE_SHIP_DATE>2011-01-31T23:59:00+00:00</SCHEDULE_SHIP_DATE>
<NAME>INTERNAL ORDER - US</NAME>
<CUST_ACCOUNT_ID>16404</CUST_ACCOUNT_ID>
<HEADER_ID>6446</HEADER_ID>
<LINE_ID>7927</LINE_ID>
<ORG_ID>84</ORG_ID>
<SHIP_TO_ORG_ID>16050</SHIP_TO_ORG_ID>
<INVOICE_TO_ORG_ID>16052</INVOICE_TO_ORG_ID>
<SHIP_SET_ID></SHIP_SET_ID>
<INVENTORY_ITEM_ID>67865</INVENTORY_ITEM_ID>
</G_DETAILS>
<G_DETAILS>
<SHIP_FROM_ORG_CODE1>202</SHIP_FROM_ORG_CODE1>
<ACCOUNT_NUMBER>46711</ACCOUNT_NUMBER>
<DELIVERY_NUMBER></DELIVERY_NUMBER>
<ORDER_NUMBER>102980</ORDER_NUMBER>
<CUST_NAME>VAREL EUROPE</CUST_NAME>
<DELIVERY_DETAIL_ID>12356</DELIVERY_DETAIL_ID>
<LINE_NO>1.1</LINE_NO>
<ITEM_NO>11004002</ITEM_NO>
<ITEM_DESCRIPTION>TYPE I 100/120 MISC</ITEM_DESCRIPTION>
<OPEN_FLAG>Y</OPEN_FLAG>
<CANCELLED_FLAG>N</CANCELLED_FLAG>
<BOOKED_FLAG>Y</BOOKED_FLAG>
<ORDERED_QUANTITY>75</ORDERED_QUANTITY>
<ORDER_QUANTITY_UOM>CT</ORDER_QUANTITY_UOM>
<SHIPPED_QUANTITY></SHIPPED_QUANTITY>
<SCHEDULE_SHIP_DATE>2011-01-27T23:59:00+00:00</SCHEDULE_SHIP_DATE>
<NAME>STANDARD ORDER - IRE</NAME>
<CUST_ACCOUNT_ID>5004</CUST_ACCOUNT_ID>
<HEADER_ID>6234</HEADER_ID>
<LINE_ID>7312</LINE_ID>
<ORG_ID>85</ORG_ID>
<SHIP_TO_ORG_ID>18929</SHIP_TO_ORG_ID>
<INVOICE_TO_ORG_ID>4995</INVOICE_TO_ORG_ID>
<SHIP_SET_ID></SHIP_SET_ID>
<INVENTORY_ITEM_ID>42032</INVENTORY_ITEM_ID>
</G_DETAILS>
<G_DETAILS>
<SHIP_FROM_ORG_CODE1>202</SHIP_FROM_ORG_CODE1>
<ACCOUNT_NUMBER>76127</ACCOUNT_NUMBER>
<DELIVERY_NUMBER>7608</DELIVERY_NUMBER>
<ORDER_NUMBER>102981</ORDER_NUMBER>
<CUST_NAME>LION ENGINEERING SERVICES LTD</CUST_NAME>
<DELIVERY_DETAIL_ID>12357</DELIVERY_DETAIL_ID>
<LINE_NO>1.1</LINE_NO>
<ITEM_NO>11004002</ITEM_NO>
<ITEM_DESCRIPTION>TYPE I 100/120 MISC</ITEM_DESCRIPTION>
<OPEN_FLAG>Y</OPEN_FLAG>
<CANCELLED_FLAG>N</CANCELLED_FLAG>
<BOOKED_FLAG>Y</BOOKED_FLAG>
<ORDERED_QUANTITY>200</ORDERED_QUANTITY>
<ORDER_QUANTITY_UOM>CT</ORDER_QUANTITY_UOM>
<SHIPPED_QUANTITY></SHIPPED_QUANTITY>
<SCHEDULE_SHIP_DATE>2011-01-27T23:59:00+00:00</SCHEDULE_SHIP_DATE>
<NAME>STANDARD ORDER - IRE</NAME>
<CUST_ACCOUNT_ID>5614</CUST_ACCOUNT_ID>
<HEADER_ID>6235</HEADER_ID>
<LINE_ID>7318</LINE_ID>
<ORG_ID>85</ORG_ID>
<SHIP_TO_ORG_ID>18429</SHIP_TO_ORG_ID>
<INVOICE_TO_ORG_ID>5605</INVOICE_TO_ORG_ID>
<SHIP_SET_ID></SHIP_SET_ID>
<INVENTORY_ITEM_ID>42032</INVENTORY_ITEM_ID>
</G_DETAILS>
</LIST_G_DETAILS>
</G_HEADERS>
</LIST_G_HEADERS>
</XXDIPICK_RPT>