1. User's Guide
  2. Smart View and Narrative Reporting
  3. Working with Narrative Reporting Data in Smart View
  4. Example: Working with Narrative Reporting Data in Smart View
  5. Copying and Pasting Narrative Reporting Data into Doclets

Copying and Pasting Narrative Reporting Data into Doclets

For this demonstration, we'll work with an example Word-based report package called Department Reports. We'll use the data that we created in Performing Ad Hoc Analysis with Narrative Reporting Data to create refreshable data points in a doclet called "Operating Expenses." The doclet will contain text interspersed with data points, and the full grid.

Note:

The procedure in this topic could also be performed in a PowerPoint-based report package.

To copy and paste Narrative Reporting data into doclets:

  1. In Word, connect to the Narrative Reporting data source, and then open a report package, as described in Connecting to Narrative Reporting in Smart View.
  2. In the Smart View Panel, select the doclet to check out.

    Figure 22-54 Smart View Panel Showing the Operating Expenses Doclets Selected


    Initial report package window showing the report package name and listing the doclets it contains. The doclet entitled Operating Expenses is selected
  3. Double-click the doclet name to open it.

    Figure 22-55 Doclet Opened from Smart View Panel, Ready to be Checked Out


    Shows the Word interface, at the right of the window, doclet opened on the left side
  4. In the Narrative Reporting ribbon, click Check Out.

    The Check Out button in the Narrative Reporting ribbon

    You can now author in the doclet. The example doclet in Figure 22-55 has placeholders within the paragraph for pasting data points. You can paste the entire grid below the table caption.

  5. To copy and paste a data point:
    1. Open and connect to the ad hoc grid that you created in Performing Ad Hoc Analysis with Narrative Reporting Data.
    2. Select the Actual total operating expenses figure in cell B13, and then click Copy button in Smart View ribbon. from the Smart View ribbon.

      Shows a portion of the Operating Expenses grid with cell B13 selected.

      Tip:

      You must be connected to the ad hoc grid, and you must use the Copy and Paste buttons on the Smart View ribbon so that the data you copy and paste remains dynamic between Office applications.

    3. In Word, position the cursor in the paragraph at the required location, and then, in the Smart View ribbon, click Paste.

      The paste operation results in a placeholder, "#NEED_REFRESH".


      The doclet showing the #NEED_REFRESH placeholder at the point where we pasted the data point

      In this scenario, a second data point for plan operating expenses is pasted into the paragraph.

  6. To copy and paste a range:
    1. Go to the ad hoc grid that you created in Performing Ad Hoc Analysis with Narrative Reporting Data.
    2. Select the entire grid, including all members, and then click Copy button in Smart View ribbon; in the example in Figure 22-56, you would select cells A2 through E13.

      Remember that in Performing Ad Hoc Analysis with Narrative Reporting Data, we moved the POV dimensions from row 1 to the POV toolbar. That's why the grid that we're copying from begins on row 2.

      Figure 22-56 Entire Ad Hoc Report Selected for Copying


      Shows the entire ad hoc grid selected for copying, cells A2 through E13
    3. In Word, position the cursor at the location that you require, and in the Smart View ribbon, click Paste.

      The paste operation results in a table in which every cell is populated with the placeholder, "#NEED_REFRESH", as shown in Figure 22-57.

      Figure 22-57 Ad Hoc Grid Range Pasted Below Table Caption


      Shows the grid pasted into Word, all data cells contain the #NEED_REFRESH placeholder.

    The data points and range are ready to be refreshed.

  7. Click Refresh, either in the Smart View ribbon or the Narrative Reporting ribbon.

    The resulting doclet page should look like this:


    Shows the refreshed doclet page, with figures where the #NEED_REFRESH placeholders were.
  8. Use the tools in Word to format the table in the doclet.
    1. Select the entire table and from the Layout ribbon in Word, select AutoFit, and then AutoFit Contents.
    2. Center and bold the headings.
    3. Right-align all the data values in the Actual, Plan, and Variance columns.
    4. Center the percentages in the Variance % column.
    5. Bold the totals in the Operating Expenses row.
    6. Clear the borders from the entire table.
    7. Add a single underline under the column headings and under the Actual, Plan, Variance, and Variance % columns in the "Depreciation and Amort" row.
    8. Add double underlines under the Actual, Plan, Variance, and Variance % columns in the "Operating Expenses" row.

    After you've applied the Word formatting, the table should resemble the table in Figure 22-58.

    Figure 22-58 Doclet Example Containing Formatted Word Table


    Shows the report in a formatted Word table.

    Now that you've completed your authoring tasks in the doclet, you can upload it and check it in to make it available to other doclet authors.

  9. Save the doclet in Word.
  10. In the Narrative Reporting ribbon, click Upload.

    The Upload button from Narrative Reporting ribbon.
  11. In the Upload File dialog box, select the check box next to any style attributes that you want to override, and then click OK.

    Style attributes in the doclet that differ from the style sample for the report package are noted with an exclamation point. In this case, there are no style attributes to override.


    The Upload File dialog box, where users select doclet attributes to override attributes from the sample style document
  12. From the Narrative Reporting ribbon, click Check In.

    The Check In button from Narrative Reporting ribbon

    The lock icon is removed from the doclet in the doclet responsibilities list, indicating that the doclet is no longer checked out.

This completes the example scenario. In summary, we showed you how to accomplish these tasks:

  • Create an ad hoc report while connected to an Narrative Reporting data source.

  • Format the figure and percentage data in Excel.

  • Open a report package and check out a doclet for authoring.

  • Copy and paste data points and ranges from the ad hoc grid in Excel to the doclet, creating a Word table.

  • Format the table using Word formatting.

  • Upload the doclet and check it in.

In a production environment, the next steps that you take depend on the requirements of the report package. You may need to submit the doclet for approval. You might need to author other doclets. Later, you may be asked to review portions or all of the report package. You can do all of these tasks in Oracle Smart View for Office.