9.7.3 Managing Classic Report Column Attributes

Column attributes enable developers to control the display, features, and column behavior. Developers edit Column attributes to alter nearly all aspects of column behavior, including altering the layout and appearance, defining column links, creating column filters, and adding support for export and printing.

• Altering Classic Report Column Layout
  
• Enabling Column Sorting in a Classic Report
  
• Creating a Column Link in a Classic Report
  
• Defining an Updatable Column in a Classic Report
  
• Defining a Column as a List of Values in a Classic Report
  
• Controlling When Classic Report Columns Display
  
• Adding a Download Link to a Classic Report
  

See Also:

"Editing Pages in Page Designer"

9.7.3.1 Altering Classic Report Column Layout

You can use the Column Attributes section of the Report Attributes page to precisely control the report layout. For example, you can use these attributes to alter column heading text, change column positioning, hide a column, create a sum of a column, or select a sort sequence.

To edit the Column Attributes:

1. View the page in Page Designer:
   1. On the Workspace home page, click the App Builder icon.
   2. Select an application.
   3. Select a page.
   Page Designer appears.
2. In the Rendering tab, locate the region and expand the Columns node.

   The columns appear in the Rendering tab.

3. Select a column to edit.
4. To find a group or attribute:

   • Search for the group or attribute - Enter keywords in the Filter Properties field. The Property Editor displays the group or attributes. To return to the default display, delete the keywords.

   • Use Go to Group - Click Go to Group and select the group. To return the default display, click Go to Group again and select Expand All.

5. Edit the appropriate attributes in the Property Editor. Attributes are organized in groups.

   The following table describes common ways to edit report columns.

   Table 9-3 Common Report Column Edits for Classic Reports

   Description	Developer Action
   Hide a column.	Find Identification. For Type, select Hidden Column.
   Edit the column heading text.	Find Heading. Edit the Heading and Alignment attributes.
   Change the column heading text alignment.	Find Heading. Under Heading, make a new selection from Alignment.
   Alter the column display sequence.	Find Layout. Edit the Sequence attribute.
   Enable a unique sort sequence.	Find Sorting. For Sortable select Yes and select a Default Sequence. Any number of columns can be sort enabled. However, at least one column must have a Sort Sequence defined.
   Enable the sum of a column.	Find Advanced. For Compute Sum, select Yes.

   Tip:

   To view Help, select the attribute and click the Help tab. Once you activate the Help pane, the content that displays changes every time you select another attribute.

6. To save your changes click Save. To save and run the page, click Save and Run Page.

9.7.3.2 Enabling Column Sorting in a Classic Report

To enable column sorting:

1. View the page in Page Designer:
   1. On the Workspace home page, click the App Builder icon.
   2. Select an application.
   3. Select a page.
   Page Designer appears.
2. In the Rendering tab, locate the region and expand the Columns node.
   The columns appear in the Rendering tab.
3. Select a column to edit.

   The Property Editor displays the attributes for that column. Attributes are organized in groups.

4. To find a group or attribute:

   • Search for the group or attribute - Enter keywords in the Filter Properties field. The Property Editor displays the group or attributes. To return to the default display, delete the keywords.

   • Use Go to Group - Click Go to Group and select the group. To return the default display, click Go to Group again and select Expand All.

5. Find Sorting.
6. Under Sorting, edit the following:

   1. Default Sequence - Select the sort sequence for this column. Each column should have a unique sequence to correctly order the report output.

   2. Sortable -To enable sorting, select Yes. Selecting Yes enables the end user to sort this column in the report.

   Tip:

   To view help for an attribute, select the attribute in the Property Editor and click the Help tab in the central pane.

7. To save your changes click Save. To save and run the page, click Save and Run Page.

Tip:

Column sorting must be enabled if you want columns with null values to display at the top or end of the report. To learn more about the Sort Nulls attribute, see "Editing Classic Report Pagination."

9.7.3.3 Creating a Column Link in a Classic Report

Use the Column Link attributes to create a link from a report to another page in your application or to a URL.

To create a column link to another page:

1. View the page in Page Designer:
   1. On the Workspace home page, click the App Builder icon.
   2. Select an application.
   3. Select a page.
   Page Designer appears.
2. In the Rendering tab, locate the region and expand the Columns node.
   The columns appear in the Rendering tab.
3. Select a column to edit.

   The Property Editor displays the attributes for that column. Attributes are organized in groups.

4. To find a group or attribute:

   • Search for the group or attribute - Enter keywords in the Filter Properties field. The Property Editor displays the group or attributes. To return to the default display, delete the keywords.

   • Use Go to Group - Click Go to Group and select the group. To return the default display, click Go to Group again and select Expand All.

5. Find Identification. From Type, select Link.
6. Find Link and click No Link Defined.
   The Link Builder - Target dialog appears.
7. To create a link to another page, in the Link Builder - Target dialog:

   1. Type - Select Page in this Application.

   2. Page - Specify the target page number.

   3. Set Items - Select a Name and Value to specify session state for an item.

   4. Clear Session State, Clear Cache - Specify the page numbers on which to clear cache. To specify multiple page, enter a comma-delimited list of page numbers.

   5. Reset Pagination - Select Yes to reset pagination for this page.

   6. Advanced, Request - Specify the request to be used.

   7. Click OK.

8. To create a link to a URL, in the Link Builder - Target dialog:

   1. Type - Select URL.

   2. URL - Enter the URL address.

   3. Click OK.

9. To save your changes click Save. To save and run the page, click Save and Run Page.

9.7.3.4 Defining an Updatable Column in a Classic Report

Developers can make a column updatable by editing column attributes. Note that the Application Express engine can only perform updates if:

• A multirow update is defined.

• A PL/SQL process is implemented to process updated data.

• When using the built-in tabular form elements and display types, then the report has to be defined using the type SQL Query (updatable report).

To define updatable column attributes:

1. View the page in Page Designer:
   1. On the Workspace home page, click the App Builder icon.
   2. Select an application.
   3. Select a page.
   Page Designer appears.
2. In the Rendering tab, locate the region and expand the Columns node.
   The columns appear in the Rendering tab.
3. Select a column to edit.

   The Property Editor displays the attributes for that column. Attributes are organized in groups.

4. To find a group or attribute:

   • Search for the group or attribute - Enter keywords in the Filter Properties field. The Property Editor displays the group or attributes. To return to the default display, delete the keywords.

   • Use Go to Group - Click Go to Group and select the group. To return the default display, click Go to Group again and select Expand All.

5. In the Property Editor, find Identification and edit the Type attribute.

   Tip:

   To view Help, select the attribute and click the Help tab. Once you activate the Help pane, the content that displays changes every time you select another attribute.

6. To save your changes click Save. To save and run the page, click Save and Run Page.

9.7.3.5 Defining a Column as a List of Values in a Classic Report

A column can be rendered as Radio Group or a static, named, or query-based LOV. For example, a column can be rendered using a select list or a popup list of values. Or, a column can be rendered as read-only text based on a list of values.

This last approach is an effective strategy when creating display lookup values and is particularly useful in regular, nonupdatable reports. This approach enables you to display the value of a column without having to write a SQL JOIN statement.

To render a report column as a list of values:

1. View the page in Page Designer:
   1. On the Workspace home page, click the App Builder icon.
   2. Select an application.
   3. Select a page.
   Page Designer appears.
2. In the Rendering tab, locate the region and expand the Columns node.
   The columns appear in the Rendering tab.
3. Select a column to edit.

   The Property Editor displays the attributes for that column. Attributes are organized in groups.

4. To find a group or attribute:

   • Search for the group or attribute - Enter keywords in the Filter Properties field. The Property Editor displays the group or attributes. To return to the default display, delete the keywords.

   • Use Go to Group - Click Go to Group and select the group. To return the default display, click Go to Group again and select Expand All.

5. Find Identification. From Type, select Plain Text (based on List of Values).
6. Find List of Values. Select a Type:
   • Shared Component - Creates a list of values based on a predefined list of values defined in Shared Components.
   • SQL Query - Creates a dynamic list of values based on the SQL Query you provide.
   • Static Values - Creates a static list of values is based on the text value you provide.
   • PL/SQL Function Body returning SQL Query - Creates a dynamic list of values is based on the SQL Query returned by the entered PL/SQL Function Body you provide.
7. The UI changes based on the List of Values, Type you select. Fill in all required attributes (identified in red).
8. To save your changes click Save.
9. To save and run the page, click Save and Run Page.

9.7.3.6 Controlling When Classic Report Columns Display

You can use the Authorization Scheme and Server-side Condition attributes to control when a column displays.

Use Authorization Scheme to control access to resources (such as a report column) based on predefined user privileges. For example, you could create an authorization scheme in which only managers can view a specific report column. Before you can select an authorization scheme, you must first create it. Use Server-side Condition

A condition is a small unit of logic that enables you to control the display of a column based on a predefined condition type. The condition evaluates to true or false based on the values you enter in the Expressions fields.

To specify Authorization Scheme and Server-side Condition attributes:

1. View the page in Page Designer:
   1. On the Workspace home page, click the App Builder icon.
   2. Select an application.
   3. Select a page.
   Page Designer appears.
2. In the Rendering tab, locate the region and expand the Columns node.
3. Select a column to edit.
   The Property Editor displays the attributes for that column. Attributes are organized in groups.
4. To find a group or attribute:

   • Search for the group or attribute - Enter keywords in the Filter Properties field. The Property Editor displays the group or attributes. To return to the default display, delete the keywords.

   • Use Go to Group - Click Go to Group and select the group. To return the default display, click Go to Group again and select Expand All.

5. If controlling a column with an authorization scheme, select an authorization scheme:
   1. Find Security.
   2. Authorization Scheme - Make a selection.
6. If controlling the column with a condition define a condition, define a condition:
   1. Find Server-side Condition.
   2. Type - Make a selection.
   3. Depending upon your selection, enter an expression or value in the fields provided.
   If the authorization is successful and the condition type display evaluates to true, the column displays.
7. To save your changes click Save. To save and run the page, click Save and Run Page.

See Also:

• "Providing Security Through Authorization"

• "Understanding Conditional Rendering and Processing"

• "Available Conditions"

9.7.3.7 Adding a Download Link to a Classic Report

Developers can create a link within a report that enables users to export the report as a comma-delimited file (.csv) file. To add a CSV link to a report, you must enable Automatic CSV Encoding. When using Automatic CSV Encoding, the report template is not important. You can include a CSV link with any report template that has the CSV export substitution string defined.

See Also:

"Accessing the Globalization Attributes Page" and "Automatic CSV Encoding"