13 Create RTF Templates

This topic describes the concepts of associating XML data to layout elements in an RTF report template. It describes basic and advanced techniques for creating complex and highly conditionalized report formats.

Topics:

• Get Started

• Associate the XML Data to the Template Layout

• Add Markup to the Template Layout

• Define Groups

• Define Headers and Footers

• Insert Images and Charts

• Add Drawings, Shapes, and Clip Art

• Supported Formatting Features of Microsoft Word

• Template Features

• Use Conditional Formatting

• Insert Page-Level Calculations

• Handle Data

• Set Variables, Parameters, and Properties

• Use Advanced Report Layouts

• Format Numbers, Dates, and Currencies

• Support Calendars and Time Zones

• Use External Fonts

• Control the Placement of Instructions Using the Context Commands

• Use XPath Commands

• Declare Namespaces

• Use FO Elements and XSL Elements

• Guidelines for Designing RTF Templates for Microsoft PowerPoint Output

• Guidelines for Designing RTF Templates for Microsoft Excel 2007 Output

• Render HTML Formatted Data in a Report

• Embed PCL Commands for Check Printing

• 2D Barcode Functions

Create a Data Set Using a View Object

Publisher enables you to connect to your custom applications built with Oracle Application Development Framework and use view objects in your applications as data sources for reports.

Performance of the query execution is better as the SQL is executed directly against the database.

Before you can create an Publisher data model using a view object, you must first create the view object in your application.

1. Click the New Data Set toolbar button and select View Object.
2. In the New Data Set - View Object dialog, enter a name for this data set.
3. Select the Data Source from the list. The data sources that you defined in the providers.xml file display.
4. Do one of the following:
   • Select Yes for Execute as SQL to extract the SQL query form the View Object and execute it on the Oracle Analytics Server domain.
   • Select No to execute the view object on the Oracle Applications domain through the ADF layer. The XML data is then streamed to the Oracle Analytics Server domain in chunks. This method results in poorer performance, but enables execution on the Applications domain. You can invoke some service interface layers to allow custom data manipulation.
5. Enter the fully qualified name of the application module, for example, example.apps.pa.entity.applicationModule.AppModuleAM.
6. Click Load View Objects.

   Publisher calls the application module to load the view object list.

7. Select the View Object.

   Any bind variables defined are retrieved.

8. Create a parameter to map to this bind variable.
9. Click OK to save your data set.