Creating Report Templates

This topic describes how to use Oracle Publisher Desktop to create a report template.

For more information, see Oracle Publisher Desktop.

This task is a step in Process of Creating Custom Reports.

Prerequisites

Determine if you can use a predefined report template.

It's recommended that you create a new report template only if no predefined report template meets your report layout requirements. Here are some examples of when you can use a predefined template:

• You can add new fields to an existing report template.

• Differences between your new report and an existing report are minor.

• You need multiple versions of the same report where each version displays slightly different data to different users.

Here are some situations where you must create a new report template:

• The report requires a new integration object.

• The report requires a new integration component. For example, you create a new report for a view that references the same business object. For more information, see How Siebel Reports Uses Integration Objects.

Create a Report Template

1. Install Oracle Publisher Desktop.
   Note: As a best practice, use the same version of Oracle Publisher Desktop and Oracle Publisher Server. For example, if you're using Oracle BI Publisher Desktop 11/Oracle Analytics Publisher Desktop 5.5, then you should run it with Oracle BI Publisher Server 11/Oracle Analytics Server 5.5.

2. Start Microsoft Word.

3. Click the Publisher menu, click Data, and then select the Load Sample XML Data menu item.

4. In the Select XML Data window, select an XML data file.

   XML data files reside in this folder on the Siebel Server: SIEBEL_SERVER_ROOT\XMLP\DATA.

   For more information, see Directory Structure That Siebel Reports Uses.

5. Use the Template Wizard to define the report template:

   1. In the Microsoft Word toolbar, select Insert, Table/Form, and then Wizard.

   2. In the Template Wizard, select one of these report formats, and then click Next:

      • Table

      • Form

      • Free Form

   3. (Optional) Change the XML data group, and then click Next.

   4. Select the Siebel fields that the report must display, and then click Next.

   5. If the report must display data in Table format, then specify the group and sort requirements, and then click Next.

   6. Add labels for the fields that the report displays, and then click Finish.

   7. Save the report template in RTF format.

      Siebel CRM creates these files in the Siebel file system:

      • The RTF file for the report template and the XLIFF files for a connected client.

      • The XSL and XLIFF files for a disconnected client.

   8. Open the RTF report template in Microsoft Word using Oracle Publisher Add-on.

   9. In Microsoft Word, click Translation, and select Extract Text.

      The report template is saved as an XLIFF file.

6. Preview the report template:

   1. In Microsoft Word, open the template file.

      Siebel CRM stores the template files in this folder: SIEBSRVR_ROOT\XMLP\TEMPLATES.

   2. Click the Publisher menu, click Preview Template, and then select the output file format.

      Siebel CRM displays the report in the format that you select.

   3. Preview different output file formats.

7. Copy the report template files to the Siebel Server:

   • If you're using a disconnected client, then copy these files from the client to the Siebel Server:

     • Copy Report template files that are in RTF format (.rtf) to the SIEBSRVR_ROOT\XMLP\Templates folder.

     • Copy XLIFF (.xlf) files to the SIEBSRVR_ROOT\XMLP\xliff\language_code folder.

   • If you're using a connected client, then save the template file in RTF format, and then copy this RTF file to the Siebel Server in this folder: SIEBSRVR_ROOT\XMLP\TEMPLATES

Make sure you don't include any special characters in the report name. For more information about these folders, see Directory Structure That Siebel Reports Uses.