The first step in creating a new report is to select the source of the data for the report. A Data Model defines data that is used by a report.
A report typically consists of the following components:
Data Model
Layout
Properties
Translations
A Data Model may contain multiple data sets and it defines how data fields are structured in relation to each other. It may also contain parameters with lists of values, bursting definitions and other structures or properties that determine how data is provided to a report. For information on creating a data model, see Data Modeling Guide for Oracle Business Intelligence Publisher.
Reports that use Oracle Business Intelligence Subject Areas as the data source do not require a separate data model. For more information, see Creating Reports Using a Direct Connection to a Subject Area.
The next step is to design a layout for the report data. The layout defines how the data is presented in the report. A layout consists of a template file and a set of properties for rendering the template file. BI Publisher supports templates created from a variety of sources including Microsoft Word, Adobe Acrobat, Microsoft Excel, Adobe Flash, and BI Publisher's own layout editor. A report can include multiple layouts.
Next, configure properties for the report. The report properties enable you to control many aspects of the report generation, formatting, and display.
Optionally, add translations for the report. BI Publisher's translation support enables you to include translations for individual layouts or for all translatable strings in the layout, data model, and the report metadata.
This chapter describes the process of creating a report by selecting a data model, adding a layout, and configuring properties using the report editor. For more information about report components, see the sections that are listed in the following table:
| Topic | More Information |
|---|---|
|
Creating a data model |
See the Data Modeling Guide for Oracle Business Intelligence Publisher |
|
Selecting a layout type |
|
|
Creating specific layout template types |
Creating BI Publisher Layout Templates |
|
Translating reports |