Configure Pixel-Perfect Reports Using Report Viewer

Use the illustrated Report Viewer to configure pixel-perfect reports.

The following options are available in Report Viewer. Not all options are available for all reports.

• Specify parameters
• Select layout
• Select output type
• Perform actions

The image shows the Report Viewer options.

Description of the illustration xdo11g_report_view2.gif

Specify Parameters

Reports that require parameter value input present the parameter selection prompts in the report viewer. The presentation of the prompts varies according to the report configuration.

Parameters can be presented on the top of the report viewing area, to the left side of the report viewing area, as a pop-up dialog, or as prompts on the page before the report is displayed. Use the report editor to configure the parameter settings specifically for each report.

1. Click Parameters in the upper right area of the report viewer to display or hide parameter prompts.
2. Input the parameter values.
   Depending on the report configuration, the following prompt types are available to you for providing the parameter values:
   • Calendar to select a date.
   • Text box to type a value. Separate multiple values with a comma.
   • Choice list to select a value. Some lists support multiple selections. Lists with many values support search. Click Search at the bottom of the scroll list to open the Search dialog.
   • Check box to make multiple selections.
   • Radio button to make a single selection.
3. Click Apply to re-display the report after selecting parameters. If there's no Apply button, the report is regenerated automatically after you make a new value selection.
   The display of the Apply button is a parameter property setting.

Search for a Parameter Value

Use the parameter search option to search for a parameter value in a list.

1. Click Search at the bottom of the parameter scroll list to launch the Search dialog.
2. Enter a search string and then choose whether the value you're looking for starts with, ends with, or contains the entered string.

   You can use percent % and underscore _ as wild cards in your search string:

   • Percent % allows you to match any string of any length, including zero length.

   • Underscore _ allows you to match on a single character.

   For parameters that support multiple value selections, the Search dialog includes a shuttle interface to select multiple returned values.

Select a Layout

When multiple layouts are available, they're displayed as separate tabs in the Report Viewer page. Different layouts can have different output types.

1. Open the report in the Report Viewer.
2. Select the report layout tab you want to view.

Select an Output Type

You can select an output option from the menu in the Report Viewer.

1. Open the report in the Report Viewer .
2. Select the output option for the report from the output type menu.
   The output automatically renders either in the browser or in a spawned application.

Output Types

The View Report list contains the output types that are available for a pixel-perfect report.

Output Types

Output Type	Description
Interactive	Enables pop-up chart value displays, navigable and filterable tables, and other interactive features for a report. This output is only available for layouts designed using the Layout Editor.
HTML	Generates the report as an HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) file for browser viewing.
PDF	Generates the report as a PDF (Portable Document Format) file and opens the report in Adobe Acrobat reader. This output type is optimized for printing.
RTF	Generates the report as a RTF (Rich Text Format) file . If you've a word processing application installed, such as Microsoft Word or OpenOffice.org, then you're prompted to open the application for viewing.
Word	Generates the report as a Microsoft Word document in the .docx format.
Excel (mhtml)	Generates an MHTML file that can be opened in Excel 2003 or later. Select this output type to view the report in Excel if you've Microsoft Excel 2003. This option supports embedded images, such as charts and logos.
Excel (html)	Generates an HTML file that can be opened in Excel. Select this output type only if you're running the earlier versions of Microsoft Excel 2000 or 2002. This option doesn't support embedded images.
Excel (*.xlsx)	Generates the report as an Excel.xlsx (Excel XML format) file. If you've Excel 2007 or later installed, this option provides the best preservation of layout and formatting. For output format Excel 2007, that uses the xlsx file extension, Publisher doesn’t apply any formatting for number and date. Publisher saves the formatting mask and the actual value (date or number) into the XLSX output file. The formatting is handled by Microsoft Excel. For example: If the Microsoft Windows Region and Language of the client computer is set to English (United States), then the numbers and dates are formatted in en-US locale in the Excel output file. If the Microsoft Windows Region and Language of the client computer is set to French (France), then the numbers and dates in the same Excel output file are formatted in fr-FR locale.
PowerPoint (mhtml)	Generates a PowerPoint file compatible with Microsoft PowerPoint 2003. Microsoft PowerPoint 2010 doesn't support this output type. Choose PowerPoint (*.pptx) instead.
PowerPoint (*.pptx)	Generates a PowerPoint file in Microsoft Office Open XML format. This output type supports Microsoft PowerPoint 2007 and later.
MHTML	Generates a MHTML (Mime HyperText Markup Language) file. This option enables you to save a Web page and its resources as a single MHTML file (.mht), in which all images and linked files are saved as a single entity. Use this option to send or save HTML output and retain the embedded images and stylesheet formatting.
PDF/A	Generates a PDF file, which has an archiving standard to support reports that require long-term preservation. PDF/A is a specialized subset of the PDF standard that prohibits elements that may interfere with the preservation of the file as a self-contained document.
PDF/X	Generates a PDF file, which supports pre-press graphics exchange. PDF/X is a specialized subset of the PDF standard that streamlines documents for high-quality print production output and restricts content that doesn't serve the print production, such as signatures, comments, and embedded multimedia.
Zipped PDFs	Generates a zip file containing the report PDF output and index files. This option is only available for reports that have been designed to enable zipped PDF output.
FO Formatted XML	Generates an XML file with the XSL-FO information.
Data (XML)	Generates the XML data. For Safari browser users, the Safari browser renders XML as text. To view the XML generated by the data engine as XML, right-click inside the frame displaying the data and then click View Frame Source. This is a display issue only. The data is saved properly if you choose to export the data.
Data (CSV)	Generates the data in comma separated value format. The data must be in a simple <rowset>/<row> structure.

Perform Actions

The Actions menu provides more commands and operations that you can perform on a report.

1. Open the report in the Report Viewer.
2. Select the action from the Actions menu.

Actions

The options available to you in the Actions menu depend on your user privileges and properties set for the report.

Menu Option	Description
Add to My Favorite	Adds the report to your My Favorites list on your Home page.
Edit Report	Enables you to update the report definition. For example, you can add or create new layouts, update the report properties, or change the default parameter values.
Edit Layout	Enables you to update the layout you're viewing. When the layout was created using the Publisher Layout Editor, the Layout Editor launches in the browser. If the layout is based on another supported template type such as RTF, PDF, or Excel then you're prompted to save the template file. You can then open it in the appropriate application.
Export	Exports the report to the default application for the output type you select, for example, Adobe Acrobat for PDF output or Microsoft Excel for Excel output.
Send	Enables you to schedule the report for immediate delivery to an e-mail address, printer, or other destination. The Send action launches the Schedule Report Job page where you can select the output, destination, and notification options. You can't send a report in Interactive mode. You must select a different output type such as PDF or HTML from the View Report list, and then click Send.
Schedule	Creates a job to run and distribute the report.
Jobs	Enables you to view and manage currently scheduled jobs for this report.
Job History	Enables you to view completed and running report jobs.
Republish from History	Enables you to select a previously scheduled, completed job and specific output for viewing in the report viewer.
Share Report Link	Enables you to generate a link that you can copy and reuse, based on the report that you're currently viewing. When you select an option, a dialog displays the URL to the report. You can control what the URL displays as follows: Current Page displays the current page as shown. No Header displays the current report without the Publisher logo, tabs, or navigation path. No Parameters displays the current report without the header or any parameter selections. The Actions, Export, and View Report menus are still available. Document Only displays the URL to the current report document only. Displays no other page information or options.