Reports 6i Books/tutorials

Question

Hi,
Can you recommend any good books/tutorials for Oracle Reports 6i for beginners ?
Thanks in advance.
Ed

Answer 1

Hi Sandy,
I don't know of any book that will teach you how to build a report manually. I used to teach this 'manual build' as an additional section to the course. However, it is going to be very lengthly when written in words. It is far easier to demonstrate this visually, but here goes.....
When I said 'to build reports manually' - I am referring to the report layout specifically. Once you understand how it is put together, you will be able to build it manually. So, the best way to learn to build a report manually is to reverse engineer and pull one report apart.
Use the wizard to build a tabular report on the emp table from the Scott/tiger schema: e.g. Select ename, job, sal from emp. As a Tabular report has the simplest layout, it is also the easiest to learn. You can progress to a group or matrix report at a later time.
Once you have a completed Tabular report, go the layout model. This is where you need to pull the report apart. What I mean is:
(1) Enlarge and move the most outer Frame.
(2) Enlarge and move the 'Repeating' frame which hold the data objects.
(3) Enlarge and move the frame which hold the headings.
The concept to remember is that all the data objects (ename, job, sal) are residing within a repeating frame (Please note that there is a down arrow at the left hand corner of the frame) - this means that every row returned by the query will use this repeating frame once. So if 14 rows are returned, you will see 14 instances of the obects in the repeating frame.
The headings (Ename, Job and Sal are just Boiler plate text) also reside in a frame (note that it is not a repeating frame).
Both of these 2 frames reside on another outer frame - you may call it the mother of all frames and this is the most outer frame. Now, back to doing some work....
To do point 1....
Select one of the objects - eg sal. Then click on the 'Select Parent Frame' icon tool several times so that the focus is on the most outer parent frame. Drag to enlarge the frame so that there is plenty of space to move object around. If you cannot drag to enlarge, you have not got to the most outer parent frame. If you are successful, you can begin to do other things.
To do point 2...
Select one of the data objects - eg sal data object. Then click on the 'Select Parent Frame' icon tool ONCE only so that the focus is on the repeating frame. Drag to enlarge the frame so that there is plenty of space to move object around. If you cannot drag to enlarge, you have not got to the repeating frame. If you are successful, you should be able to move the data objects (ename, job, Sal) around.
This is the most important frame as it contains the data objects and it directly relates to your SQL columns.
Also note that they are several symbols on the data objects and the frames - a diamond symbol, 2 dashes - these relate to the vertical or horizontal elasticity of the objects.
e.g.
For the repeating frame, the vertical elasticity (2 dashes synbol) is 'Expand'.
For the most outer frame, the vertical elasticity (diamond symbol) is 'Variable' - ie it can expand and contract. If there is no symbol, the elasticity is 'Fixed'.
To do point 3...
This is the same as point 2 except that the objects are just boiler plate text and they have lesser implications should you make a mistake. Select the heading objects and remove the FILL colour - ie. background colour.
Once you have expanded all these objects and frames, examine the property values. In particular, look at the source of the repeating frame - eg. G-ename.
Look at the source of the data objects - they relate directly to the SQL columns selected.
The above should give you a good background information on how a tabular report is being constructed. Run the report - it should still work.
To prove that you can build it manually, create a additonal mother frame and its associated objects below the original mother frame, use the following as a guide:
(A) Create the Mother frame (the most outer frame) - fix up the properties. Use the Frame Icon on the Tools palette.
(B) Create the headings frame within the Mother frame.
(C) Create the headings - Use the Text (large T) Icon on the palette.
(D) Create the repeating frame within the mother frame - Use the repeating frame (frame icon with a down arrow) icon on the palette. Note - the source property needs to be filled in.. The Vertical Elasticity property needs to be taken care of.
(E) Create the data objects - Use the Field (abc) Icon. Note - the source property needs to be filled in.
Check and match the properties with the original objects if need to.
If you are successful, progress to a group above report (this will have an additonal repeating frame - for the group field). A matrix report (especially a Group Matrix) will be the hardest - do not attempt at this stage.
Hope the above is of some help rather than a hindrance.
Best of luck and Regards,
John