3 Creating and Managing Reports

This chapter introduces reports and how to work with them.

This chapter contains the following topics:

Introduction to Report Creation and Delivery

You create reports in Oracle BAM Active Studio for viewing, sharing with other users, and for delivery by alerts based on information or conditions changing within the report or data objects on which it is based. Reports can contain one or more views of point-in-time or real-time information (active data). Active data means the display continues to update as the data changes are received in the Oracle BAM Active Data Cache.

When designing reports, you can choose from a variety of template layouts. You might want to include two or more views in a single report. Each view is formatted to show information from a data object in a view type such as a list, chart, or key process indicator (KPI). Creating reports also includes selecting data sources, choosing data fields, sorting, filtering, and formatting the information.

The information displayed in a report is from data currently in the data object used in the report. Data objects are created in Oracle BAM Architect and stored in the Oracle BAM Active Data Cache. The data designer manages data objects using Oracle BAM Architect. More information about data objects is available in "Creating Oracle BAM Data Objects" in Oracle Fusion Middleware Developer's Guide for Oracle SOA Suite.

You can share reports with other Oracle BAM Active Studio users by creating folders containing reports in the Shared Reports page. Assign permissions to allow users to view, create, or delete reports in a particular folder. More information about folders and permissions is available in Chapter 10, "Organizing and Sharing Reports."

After creating reports, you can create alert rules that monitor data related to specific reports and send alerts to users. Alert rules can include conditions to launch the alert when data in a report changes, when its a certain time, or when other events occur. You can deliver reports through alerts to users by e-mail containing report URLs or graphic renderings of the report. See "Creating Oracle BAM Alerts" in Oracle Fusion Middleware Developer's Guide for Oracle SOA Suite for information about creating alerts.

Creating Tiled Reports

You create reports containing one or several views on data objects from either the Home, My Reports, or Shared Reports tabs. The following is a summary of how to create reports:

  1. Click Create a New Report. This button appears on the Home, My Reports, or Shared Reports tabs. The Create a new report toolbar icon also creates a report.

  2. Choose a report template. Tiled report templates include layouts for a single view or multiple views. A columnar report template is a continuous report view over several pages and has specific formatting options.

  3. Choose a view type for each space in the template. View types include streaming lists, updating lists, bar charts, line charts, area charts, combination charts, columnar reports, KPIs, crosstabs, and spreadsheets.

  4. Choose a data object. The View Editor walks you through selecting a data object, fields, and other options in a wizard format.

  5. Define formatting properties for the view. Depending on the view type you select, formatting options vary. For example, for lists, you can format text and background colors. Only Market Arrow does not contain any formatted text.

To create a report:

  1. Click Create a New Report.

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    The layout templates are displayed. Tiled templates provide a layout for multiple views on one page.

  2. Select a template. Select a tiled layout, or select the Columnar Report template to create a multiple-paged, continuous format columnar report. If you want to create a columnar report see Creating Columnar Reports.

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    A group of view types is displayed in each of the template areas. View types include charts, lists, KPIs, crosstabs, and spreadsheets.

  3. Select a view type.

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    A preview image of the view is displayed, and the View Editor opens at the bottom of the screen.

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  4. Select a data object in the Choose Data Object step in the View Editor, and click Next.

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    The data object is the source of data for the report. Data objects are created using Oracle BAM Architect and are organized into folders by the Oracle BAM Architect user.

  5. Depending on the view you selected, select fields by choosing from the following options:

  6. Click Next.

    The list of additional options is displayed. You can click a link to create a filter, create a calculated field, add another data object to the view, or change the view properties.

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    Each of these options is described in detail in Chapter 5, "Manipulating Data in Views," and Chapter 6, "Formatting Views."

  7. Click Finish to display a preview of the view you configured.

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See Chapter 4, "Creating and Using Views" for more information on creating and formatting each of the view types.

Creating Columnar Reports

Columnar report configuration has different characteristics than a tiled report. A tiled report contains views of data on a single page. A columnar report creates a multiple-paged, continuous formatted report over several pages, and it has specific formatting options.

When you select the Columnar Report template, the columnar report view is also automatically selected. You can also select a tiled report template and a columnar report view, however multiple pages are not provided for printing in this configuration.

Note:

Columnar reports and views support active data updates only, and only under the following conditions: the updates do not change the grouping of a record, and the report does not span multiple pages or frames.

The following is a summary of how to create columnar reports:

  1. Choose the Columnar Report template.

  2. Choose a data object. The View Editor walks you through selecting a data object, fields, and other options in a wizard format.

  3. Add Groups.

  4. Add Summary Functions.

  5. Define formatting properties for the view. Columnar report views include text formatting with additional options related to columnar reports.

To create a columnar report:

  1. Click Create a New Report.

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  2. Select the Columnar Report template on the far right side of the Oracle BAM Active Studio.

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    The columnar report view type is automatically selected when you click the Columnar Report template.

    A preview image of the columnar report and the View Editor is displayed.

  3. Select a data object, and click Next.

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    The data object defines the source of data for the report. Data objects are created using Oracle BAM Architect.

  4. Select the data fields to include, and click Next.

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    You can rearrange the order of the fields by selecting them and clicking the up and down arrows.

    If the data object contains 10 or fewer fields, the fields are automatically selected in the Data Fields list. If more than 10, you must manually select fields. Click select none if you do not want to select any fields. The link switches to select all so you can select all fields again.

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  5. Select fields for grouping data in the report, and click Next.

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    To select a grouping field, select the field in the Report Fields list, and click the right-facing arrow (>) to move it to the Report Groups list.

    The View Editor offers some additional properties to configure on group-by fields:

    • Display Group Header/Footer options enable you to display aggregates in a header and footer in the report.

    • Group Sort Direction provides sorting at the group level for group fields of a numeric type.

  6. Select fields for summary functions, and click Next.

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    To summarize on a field, select the field in the Report Fields list, select a function in the Summary Functions list, and select from the Display In list which footer (Report Footer or Group Footer) in which to display the summary. See Applying Summary Functions to Groups for information about the summary functions.

    The More Options step opens.

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    You can click the links to create a filter, create a calculated field, or change the view properties.

  7. Click Finish.

    A preview of the columnar report you configured opens in the Oracle BAM Active Studio work space.

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Additional tasks to finish editing a report include formatting data, repeating the steps in this procedure for templates with multiple views, and saving reports.

Grouping Items in Columnar Reports

In a columnar report, you can group items, apply sorting, and add headers and footers from the View Editor Group tab.

To group items in a columnar report:

  1. Double-click the columnar view you are editing to open the View Editor, or click Edit view in the View Tasks/Options list.

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  2. Click the Data icon in the View Editor.

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  3. Select the Group tab.

    Figure 3-1 View Editor Group Tab For Columnar Reports

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    Description of "Figure 3-1 View Editor Group Tab For Columnar Reports"

  4. Select a field in the Report Fields list as shown in Figure 3-1.

    You can select more than one field to move multiple fields at the same time.

  5. Click the Right arrow (>) to move the field to the Report Groups list (see Figure 3-1).

  6. Select either Header, Footer, or Detail from the position list for each field.

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    At least one field must have Detail selected.

  7. Select the Ascending or Descending sort direction to change the sort direction for each numeric field.

    Figure 3-2 Group Properties in Group Tab

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    Description of "Figure 3-2 Group Properties in Group Tab"

    • Display Group Header/Footer options enable you to display aggregates in a header and footer in the report.

    • Group Sort Direction provides sorting at the group level for group fields of a numeric type.

  8. The change the Report Groups order, select a field in the Report Groups list and click the Up arrow to move the field higher in the list, and click the Down arrow to move the field lower in the list.

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  9. Click Apply or OK.

Adding Summary Functions in Columnar Reports

In a columnar report, you can add summary functions as report footers or group footers from the Summary tab.

To add summary functions in a report:

  1. Open the View Editor by double-clicking the view you are editing, or click Edit view in the View Tasks/Options list.

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  2. Click the Data icon in the View Editor.

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  3. Select the Summary tab.

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  4. Click a field in the Report Fields list.

  5. Click one or more summary function check boxes in the Summary Functions list.

  6. Click the check boxes in the Display To list to display the summary function in the report or group footers.

    Group footer options only appear if you created groups on the Group tab.

  7. Click Apply or OK.

Quick Formatting in Columnar Reports

You can use the toolbar to apply grouping, sorting, and summarizing on single columns in columnar reports without opening the View Editor.

To apply quick formatting to a single column:

  1. In the columnar report you are editing, click a column to select it.

    The column border is highlighted, and the appropriate icons are enabled in the toolbar.

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  2. Click an icon on the toolbar to apply a function to the column.

    The button functions include:

  3. You can undo these functions or further edit the columnar report by clicking Edit view, and then clicking the Data icon in the View Editor.

Saving Reports

To save a report:

  1. Click Save Report in the Actions list.

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    The Save Report dialog box opens.

  2. Enter a unique name for the report or accept the default name, select the folder to save the report in, and click OK.

    Caution:

    A single or double quotation mark in an Oracle BAM object name, such as a data object, report, or enterprise message source name, will cause a runtime error.

    Do not include single or double quotation marks in an Oracle BAM object name.

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    You can click Create a new folder in the Save Report dialog box to create a folder before saving the report.

    A dialog box opens to confirm that the report is saved.

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  3. Click OK to close the dialog box and return to the report.

To save a report you edited:

  1. Click Save Report in the Actions list.

    A dialog box opens to confirm that the report is saved.

  2. Click OK to close the dialog box and return to the report.

To save a report you edited as a separate report:

  1. Click Save Report As in the Actions list.

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    The Save Report dialog box opens.

  2. Type a unique name for the report or accept the default name, select the folder to save the report in, and click OK.

    A dialog box opens to confirm that the report is saved.

  3. Click OK to close the dialog box and return to the report.

To save a report for offline viewing:

  1. Open a report for viewing (Save Offline is not available in editing mode).

  2. Select Save Offline in the Actions list.

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    The File Download dialog box opens.

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  3. Click Save.

  4. Choose a location in which to save the report, and click Save.

Note:

When printing a tiled report that has been saved offline, only the visible data prints. Data that is part of multipage views, as in List views, that is not currently displayed, is not printed. The exception to this is the Continuous mode Columnar report.

Renaming Reports

You can rename a report by selecting it from My Reports or Shared Reports tabs, while you are viewing it in Oracle BAM Active Studio, but not while editing the report.

To rename a report:

  1. Select the report to rename in the reports list in My Reports or Shared Reports.

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  2. Click Rename in the Actions list.

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    The Rename dialog box opens.

  3. Enter a unique name for the report.

    Caution:

    A single or double quotation mark in an Oracle BAM object name, such as a data object, report, or enterprise message source name, will cause a runtime error.

    Do not include single or double quotation marks in an Oracle BAM object name.

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  4. Click OK.

    The report is displayed with the new name.

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Editing Reports

This section provides procedures for editing many aspects of Oracle BAM reports. It contains the following topics:

Editing a Report

You can edit any reports that you own. You can edit formatting options for each view, and you can change view types. You cannot edit reports shared by other users unless you have Create permissions for the folder they are stored in.

To edit a report:

  1. Select the report to edit in My Reports or Shared Reports, and click Edit in the Actions list.

    The report is displayed in the work space.

  2. You can do choose from the following:

    • Click Edit view in the View Tasks/Options list to open the View Editor, which contains the data functions and formatting properties dialog box. You can also double-click the report display to open the View Editor.

    • To change the view type, click Change view type in the View Tasks/Options list. Previously selected options for the view are applied to the view type where possible.

  3. When you finish editing the report, click Save Report in the Actions list.

Adding Report Titles

You can add titles to display at the top of reports.

To add a title to a report:

  1. In a report you are editing, click in the Click to add a report title text at the top of the report.

    The text changes into a text cursor.

  2. Enter the report title.

The title is saved with the report. You can edit the report title by clicking the title text field and typing. You can format the report title in the Report Properties dialog box.

You can also add a display title for each view if your report has multiple views.

Formatting Report Titles

You can format report titles using the Report Properties dialog box. You must add a report title before you can format the text.

To format a report title:

  1. In a report you are editing, click Change Report Properties in the Actions list.

    The Report Properties dialog box opens.

  2. On the Title tab, click a font name from the Font list.

  3. Click a font style from the Style list.

  4. Click a font size from the Size list.

  5. Click the color swatch.

    A color palette opens.

  6. Select a color from the palette.

    The color and the color hexadecimal number display. You can also specify the color by typing or pasting a hexadecimal number in this field.

  7. Choose the effects to apply to the text by clicking the check boxes for underline, overline, or line through.

  8. Choose a case for the text such as capitalize the first letters, all uppercase letters, or all lowercase letters.

  9. Click Apply or OK.

Setting Backgrounds for Reports

You can set a background color or an image for reports. The background is displayed in the title bar, in the space behind view elements, and between views.

Only GIF, JPG, and PNG image file formats are supported.

To set a background color for a report:

  1. In a report you are editing, click Change Report Properties in the Actions list.

    The Report Properties dialog box opens.

  2. On the Background tab, click the current color swatch for the report background.

    A color palette opens.

  3. Select a color.

    The color and the color hexadecimal number display for the report background color. You can also specify the color by typing or pasting a hexadecimal number in this field.

  4. Click OK.

    The background color is applied to the report.

To use an image in the background:

  1. In a report you are editing, click Change Report Properties in the Actions list.

    The Report Properties dialog box opens.

  2. On the Background tab, select the Image check box, and click Browse.

    The File Upload dialog box opens.

  3. Click Browse to locate the image.

  4. Select an image file and click Open.

  5. Click Upload.

  6. Click OK to close the File Upload dialog box.

  7. Click OK to close the Report Properties dialog box.

Resizing Views

You can resize a view in a report. You might want to display a larger view, or you might want decrease the size of a view to make room for inserting another view.

To resize a view in a report:

  1. In a report you are editing, select the view to resize.

    The view displays selection handles.

  2. Click a selection handle and do one of the following:

    • Drag the handle with the mouse in a direction to resize the view.

    • Use the direction keys (arrows) in the direction you want the view edge to move (this offers more precision).

    The view is resized. You can also move the view without resizing by dragging the frame of the view instead of a selection handle.

Inserting Views

You can insert additional views into a report. After selecting a report template, you might want to arrange views and add more views.

To insert a view into a report:

  1. In a report you are editing, click Insert View in the toolbar.

    The view opens and the selection handles are active.

  2. You can do any of the following to arrange your view:

    • Click a handle and drag in a direction to resize the view.

    • Move the view without resizing by dragging the frame of the view instead of a selection handle.

    • Click Send Backward and Bring Forward in the toolbar to arrange views that overlap.

Deleting Views

You can delete a view from a report. You might want fewer views in a report, and then you can resize the remaining views.

To delete a view from a report:

  1. In a report you are editing, click the view to delete.

    The view displays selection handles.

  2. Click Delete View in the toolbar.

    The view is deleted.

Changing View Types

You can edit a report and change the view type you selected for a specific view. For example, you might have a three view report and decide to change the first view from a streaming list to an updating ordered list, without re-creating the entire report. Many view types can be changed and still maintain the majority of the properties you previously specified.

To change a view type in a report:

  1. In a report you are editing, click the view to change.

    The view displays selection handles.

  2. Click Change view type in the Actions list.

    The view type icons display.

  3. Click the view type to switch to.

    The view opens using the data object selected for the old view type.

  4. Open the View Editor to make any other formatting selections needed for the view type.

Changing the Data Objects Used

You can edit a report and change the data object you selected for a specific view, or any occurrence of a data object used throughout the entire report. The data object you select must contain at least the same fields as the originally selected data object. The data object you choose might contain additional fields. The data objects that do not apply are disabled.

You can change the dataobject for a specific view by using the View Editor Data Objects tab, or you can replace a data object for entire report by using Global Change Data Object action. For information about data objects see Oracle Fusion Middleware Developer's Guide for Oracle SOA Suite.

To switch a data object in a view:

  1. In a report you are editing, click the view to change.

    The view displays selection handles.

  2. Click Edit view in the Actions list.

  3. Click the Data Objects tab.

    The list of data objects opens. Data objects that are not similar to the original data object are disabled.

  4. Make any other formatting selections needed for the view type.

  5. Click OK or Apply.

To change all occurrences of a data object in a report:

  1. While the report is open for editing, click Global Change Data Object in the Actions list.

  2. In the Global Change Data Object dialog box, click Browse to select the currently used data object (the data object you want to replace).

  3. Click Browse by the second field to select the replacement data object, and clock OK.

Setting Active Data Retrieval Interval

When you create active data reports where the amount of changing data is large and changes often, you might want to set a time delay so that more data accumulates before each active data retrieval. This results in better display performance for the users viewing the report. The ideal setting depends on the data characteristics.

If the report display is not keeping up with the active data and the client system CPU is completely used, adding a small amount of time provides a chance for more records to collect before being sent so that more records are sent each time. The short delay increases display performance.

Determining the ideal amount of time requires displaying the report and testing which amount of time provides the best results. This setting applies to all the views in the report that display active data.

To set a data retrieval interval:

  1. In a report you are editing, click Change Report Properties text in the Actions list.

    The Report Properties dialog box opens.

    Figure 3-3 Report Properties Dialog Box Advanced Tab

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    Description of "Figure 3-3 Report Properties Dialog Box Advanced Tab"

  2. Click the Advanced tab.

  3. Select the second option under Active Data retrieval interval, and enter a number for the refresh interval in milliseconds, such as 500 to represent half a second or 2000 for 2 seconds.

    By default, the active data interval is set by the administrator, and the default value is 1000 milliseconds. However, the administrator may have changed the default interval.

  4. Click OK to save your changes and close the dialog box.

Configuring Report Breadcrumbs

When you create a report that is configured for drilling across to other reports, you can enable the Show Breadcrumbs feature to display the drill path at the top of the report. This leaves a trail of visited reports so that a user can click back to a previous report as shown in Figure 3-4.

Figure 3-4 Report Breadcrumbs

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Description of "Figure 3-4 Report Breadcrumbs"

This feature is only supported when the drill across type is configured with the Replace the Current Report option as shown in Figure 3-5. For information about configuring drill across targets, see Drilling Across.

Figure 3-5 Drill Across Destination Type Selection

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Description of "Figure 3-5 Drill Across Destination Type Selection"

This option is enabled in the Report Properties dialog box, as shown in Figure 3-3. To access this dialog box in a report you are editing, click the Change Report Properties link in the Actions list.

Configuring Browser Padding

The Show Report padding in view mode feature places a small space between the edges of the views in a report and the edge of the browser window. This ensures that text that is flush with the left or right sides of a view is not at the edge of the window.

This option is enabled in the Report Properties dialog box, as shown in Figure 3-3. To access this dialog box in a report you are editing, click the Change Report Properties link in the Actions list.

Deleting Reports

You can delete any reports that you own. You cannot delete reports shared by other users unless the report owner gave you Delete permission for the folder containing the report.

To delete a report:

  1. Select the report to delete.

  2. Click Delete in the Actions list.

    A dialog box opens to confirm the delete operation.

  3. Click OK.

    The report is deleted.

E-mailing Reports

You can e-mail reports or links to reports to yourself or other users.

To e-mail a report:

  1. Open the report that you want to e-mail for viewing in Active Studio.

  2. Click Email in the Actions list, and choose Report page or Report link.

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    A link to a report opens the active report when Report link is selected.

    If you select Report page for an active report, you can preview the report in the dialog box the way that the recipient views it. Report pages are static snapshots of the report, and they do not include any JavaScript or resizing capabilities. If a Web page in an External Content view contains JavaScript, it should not be sent using the Report page option.

    Snapshot report pages can only be viewed within the e-mail message in Microsoft Outlook. Firefox, Netscape, and other Mozilla clients are not supported for viewing snapshot report pages, so the report page is sent as an attachment.

    The Email Report dialog box opens.

    The report link version of the dialog box contains a link to the report.

    Figure 3-6 Email Report Dialog Box for Sending a Report Link

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    Description of "Figure 3-6 Email Report Dialog Box for Sending a Report Link"

    The report page version of the dialog box contains the graphic snapshot of the report, and you can click on the report to preview the snapshot before sending it.

    Figure 3-7 Email Report Dialog Box for Sending a Report Page

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    Description of "Figure 3-7 Email Report Dialog Box for Sending a Report Page"

  3. Specify Oracle BAM user names in the To, Cc, Bcc fields. You cannot send e-mail to users who are not authorized Oracle BAM users. See Oracle Fusion Middleware Administrator's Guide for Oracle SOA Suite for information about setting up users.

  4. Enter the message subject in the Subject field.

  5. Type a message to the recipient in the Message field. This option is only available when you are sending a report page.

  6. Click Send.

    The e-mail containing the report link or report page is sent to all of the message recipients.

Printing Reports

You can print a report you are viewing from the My Reports or Shared Reports tabs.

Note:

All rows may not print in List views. If a List view is broken into two or more pages only the selected page prints. You must select each page and print it separately.

To print a report:

  1. Click the report to print.

  2. Click View in the Actions list.

    Print Preview and the page orientation options display in the Actions list.

  3. Select either portrait or landscape for your page orientation.

  4. Click Print Preview in the Actions list.

    The Print Preview window opens.

  5. Click Print.

    The Print dialog box for your printer settings opens.

  6. Select printing options such as the printer to send the report to and the number of copies to print.

    If you changed the page orientation in Oracle BAM Active Studio, then you must also change the page orientation in your printer settings. Click Preferences in the Microsoft Windows Print dialog box, and then click the Basics tab to view the page orientation options.

  7. Click Print.

    The printer prints the report.

To close the Print Preview window, click Close.

When you print a columnar report, you can view the print boundaries and the page count.

To print a columnar report:

  1. Click the report to print.

  2. Click View in the Actions list.

    Print Boundaries and the page orientation options display in the Actions list.

  3. Click Print Boundaries to view the page layout and page count.

  4. Select either portrait or landscape for your page orientation.

  5. Click Print in the Actions list.

    The Print dialog box for your printer settings opens.

  6. Select printing options such as the printer to send the report to and the number of copies to print.

    If you changed the page orientation in Oracle BAM Active Studio, then you must also change the page orientation in your printer settings. Click Preferences in the Print dialog box, and then click the Basics tab to view the page orientation options.

  7. Click Print.

    The printer prints the report.

  8. To turn off the print boundaries, click Print Boundaries again.

Copying Report URLs

You can copy the URL of a saved report so that you can paste it in another location, such as a Web page in a portal site or as a link in an e-mail. The report URL contains the complete report location so that clicking the link opens the report in a browser. The report is displayed in Oracle BAM Active Studio.

To copy a report URL:

  1. Select the report in the list in the My Reports page or the Shared Reports page.

  2. Click Copy Shortcut in the Actions list.

    The Copy Shortcut dialog box opens including the string containing the report URL.

  3. Highlight the string, hold down the Control key, and type C to copy the text.

  4. Paste the URL in any location.

Saving Reports Offline

You can save reports locally as MHT files. These files are saved on your local computer so that you can view them at another time when you might not have access to Oracle BAM Active Studio. The MHT files are viewed in a browser and display the report just as it opens in Oracle BAM Active Studio.

To save a report offline:

  1. Click the report.

  2. Click View in the Actions list.

  3. Click Save Offline in the Actions list.

    The Save HTML document dialog box opens.

  4. Select a folder location to save the file.

  5. Type a name for the MHT file and click Save.

To view a report saved offline:

  • Locate the MHT file in your local files and double-click it.

    The MHT file is displayed in the Internet Explorer browser. The report display resizes according to the browser window size. Reports saved as MHT files are static and do not show live data.

Note:

When printing a tiled report that has been saved offline, only the visible data prints. Data that is part of multipage views, as in List views, that is not currently displayed, is not printed. The exception to this is the Continuous mode Columnar report.

Viewing Reports

You can view reports from the Home, My Reports, or Shared Reports tabs in Oracle BAM Active Studio. To configure a report to open in your Home tab, see Selecting a Report for the Oracle BAM Active Studio Home Tab.

You can specify whether to display an indicator as the report information loads. To enable or disable a report loading indicator, see Specifying Report Loading Indicator Settings.

To view a report on the Home tab:

  1. Open Oracle BAM Active Studio (see Getting Started With Oracle BAM Active Studio). The Home tab is displayed by default.

    Description of active_studio_overview.gif follows
    Description of the illustration active_studio_overview.gif

  2. Click the name of the report in the Recently Viewed list or the Recently Shared list. The report opens in the work space on the right side of the page.

To view a report from the My Reports or Shared Reports tabs:

  1. Click the name of the tab where the report is saved, for example, the My Reports tab.

    Description of bam_as_myreports_tab.gif follows
    Description of the illustration bam_as_myreports_tab.gif

  2. Click the report you want to view (MyReport for example).

    Description of bam_as_myreport_view.gif follows
    Description of the illustration bam_as_myreport_view.gif

  3. Click View in the Actions list.

    The report opens in the work space on the right side of the page.

To close the report, either click Close in the Actions list, or select another tab.

On the My Reports and Shared Reports tabs, you can sort the report lists by clicking the Report Name, Last Modified, or Owner headings in the work space on the right side of the page.

Responding to Report Prompts

Reports that include prompts display a dialog box that requires user input before the results can be displayed in the report.

If a prompt dialog box opens, specify values for the prompts, and click OK. The report opens using the values you specified in the prompts.

Figure 3-8 Prompt Dialog Box

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Description of "Figure 3-8 Prompt Dialog Box"

You can click the Reprompt button in the toolbar to view the dialog box again and present different report results.

Figure 3-9 Reprompt button

reprompt button
Description of "Figure 3-9 Reprompt button"

Pausing and Playing Active Data

When viewing reports, you can pause the display of active data in reports. For reports that are quickly updating, you might want to pause the display to view the current data before more active data is loaded.

To stop the display of active data:

  • In a report you are viewing, click the Pause icon in the toolbar.

The active data is temporarily halted, and the Pause button turns into a Play button.

To restart the display of active data:

  • Click Play in the toolbar.

The active data starts, and the Play button turns into a Pause button.