7 Managing Reports
This topic describes how to manage the report components in the Oracle BI Publisher folders. It includes setting permissions, downloading and uploading reports and folders, and moving report components in the catalog.
Overview of the BI Publisher Folders
The Oracle BI Publisher folders store the reports, data models, and style templates, that you create using Oracle BI Publisher.
You and every other user have their own personal folders, My Folders. Reports in personal folders can only be accessed by the user who created and saved the content into the folder. You can add subfolders to My Folders to organize the content in the way that is most logical to you.
Note:
The information in this chapter applies to installations of BI Publisher that are not integrated with the Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition. Information about the integrated Oracle BI Presentation catalog is in User's Guide for Oracle Business Intelligence Publisher.
You can also save reports in shared folders where other users or groups can access them. User permissions determine which folders are available to which users. Permissions are assigned at the object-level and determine who can view, edit, and schedule reports within that folder. Your administrator creates and maintains the shared folder structure.
Reporting Components Stored in the Catalog
Each reporting component has an identifying icon and lists the creation and modification information. Next to each item is a list of actions you can take.
The following reporting components are shown in the catalog:
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Folders
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Reports
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Data Models
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Style Templates
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Sub Templates
Creating a Folder or Subfolder
You can create a subfolder within your My Folder or, if you have the required permissions, you can create a shared system folder.
- Navigate to the desired location in the Folders pane in Catalog.
- On the Catalog toolbar, click New and select Folder.
- In New Folder, enter the folder name and enter a description (optional).
- Click Create.
Performing Tasks on Catalog Objects
You can perform tasks such as edit, copy, paste, rename, download, and set permission on catalog objects.
You can perform tasks on objects in multiple ways such as:
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By using the links next to the object.
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By using the catalog toolbar.
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By selecting the object and choosing the task from the Tasks region.
The image shows the Catalog page.
Your access to these actions depends on the permissions granted to you by your administrator.
The task options include the following:
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Edit - Opens the object in the appropriate editor or builder.
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Copy - Duplicates a folder or object. To paste the object in a different folder, navigate to the folder location and click Paste to place the copied item in the desired folder. To paste a copy of the item into the same folder, click Paste. The copied object is renamed with the prefix Copy_of_.
Note:
You can only paste one Copy_of_ item in the same location. Update the name before pasting additional copies of the same object. -
Cut - Cuts the item from the current location. To paste the object in a different folder, navigate to the folder location and click Paste to place the item in the desired folder.
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Delete - Removes a folder or object from the catalog.
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Download - Creates an archive file of the object that you can save to a selected location. See Downloading and Uploading Catalog Objects.
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Rename - Renames a folder or object.
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Permissions - Sets object-level permissions. See About Catalog Permissions in Administrator's Guide for Oracle Business Intelligence Publisher.
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Customize - Use this option only when your enterprise has implemented a customized process that includes the use of the Custom folder. See About Customizing Reports in Report Designer's Guide for Oracle Business Intelligence Publisher.
Folders also include the following tasks:
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Expand - Displays the folder contents.
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Paste - Pastes a cut or copied object into the selected folder.
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Upload - Uploads an archived object to the folder. See Downloading and Uploading Catalog Objects.
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Properties - Enables update of the folder description.
Downloading and Uploading Catalog Objects
The download feature of the BI Publisher catalog enables you to bundle and download multi-component objects such as reports in an archive file. You can then use the upload feature to unarchive the data to another location in the catalog.
The ability to download and upload catalog objects enables you to transfer objects across environments. For example, you can use this feature to transfer BI Publisher objects from a development environment to a production environment.
Extensions for Archived Objects table lists the file extensions that BI Publisher assigns to each type of archived object when downloaded.
| Catalog Object | Extension Assigned to Downloaded Files |
|---|---|
|
Data Model |
.xdmz |
|
Folder |
.xdrz |
|
Report |
.xdoz |
|
Style Template |
.xssz |
|
Subtemplate |
.xsbz |
If BI Publisher is integrated with the Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition, then use the archive and unarchive features of the Oracle BI Presentation Catalog to perform this function. See Managing Objects in the Oracle BI Presentation Catalog in User's Guide for Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition.
Understanding the Impact of Taking Actions on Objects Referenced by Reports
When you move, cut, rename, or delete a Data Model, a Sub Template, or a Style Template that is used as a resource for a report, the references to the resource are broken and the report cannot run as expected.
For example, if you have a report that was created with a data model that resides in a folder called My Data Models, and you move the data model to another folder, the report cannot run because the report definition is expecting to find the data model in the My Data Models folder.
If moving a resource object is unavoidable, then you must edit each report that references the object to refer to the object in its new location.
Exporting and Importing Catalog Translation Files
Export and import catalog translation files function enables administrators to export an XLIFF file that contains the translation strings.
For users with administrator privileges, the catalog toolbar includes the Export XLIFF and Import XLIFF function.
This function enables administrators to export an XLIFF file that contains the translation strings the selected catalog object or group of objects. The XLIFF strings can then be translated to the desired target language. After the XLIFF file is translated, the administrator can import the XLIFF file back to the catalog and assign it the appropriate locale.
See Adding Translations for the BI Publisher Catalog and Reports in Administrator's Guide for Oracle Business Intelligence Publisher.