ORACLE REPORTS Questions and Answers:

Questions and Answers:

Q: What is an Object Navigator in the Report Builder tool?

A: The Object Navigator window will be used in the Report Builder tool, to view report components and navigate through the report objects. It gives us a hierarchical listing of all the modules open in our current session. We use this listing to navigate to, and work on, those objects. It gives us access to all database objects we own or have grant to, as well as a list of all the built-in functions and procedures we can use in Oracle Form Builder.



Q: What does the Object Navigator contain?

A: The Object Navigator contains the following items:

· Reports

· Templates

· External SQL Queries

· PL/SQL Libraries

· Debug Actions

· Stack

· Built-in Packages

· Database Objects.

Q: List all important objects that are handy in the Reports object.

A: The following are a list of important objects in the Reports object. These objects are very handy to create, delete, and modify a report.

· Live Pre-viewer

· Data Model

· Layout Model

· Parameter Form

· Report Triggers

· Program Units

· Attached Libraries



Q: What is a Pre-viewer in the Report Builder?

A: The Live Pre-viewer object is a tool that provides developer to view what the report will look like when it is executed.



Q: What is a Data Model in the Report Builder?

A: The “Data Model” in the Report Builder is a tool that will provide developer to display the data content and layout appearance of the report.



Q: What is a Layout Model in the Report Builder?

A: The Layout Model object is a utility in the Report Builder that shows users how their reports will appear. When you run your report, Report Builder fills in the objects in the Layout Model with actual data. The Layout Model will show you several types of layout objects and the relationships that exist between them. The Layout Model uses symbols and graphical representations to show these relationships. You can add, modify or delete part of your layout from here.



Q: What is a Parameter Form in the Report Builder?

A: The Parameter Form in the Report Builder is a utility that provides developers how to define, remove, and modify their report parameters. They will use the “Parameter Form Builder” tool to design their runtime parameter form.



Q: What are the types of parameters in the Report Builder? Describe them.

A: There are two types of parameters: user parameters and system parameters. The “User parameters” will be used to manage the behavior and output of your reports. The “System parameters” will be used to manage the report runtime behavior of your reports such as defining your output destination. Remember that when you run your report, the Runtime Parameter Form will be appeared.



Q: What are the report triggers?

A: The Report Triggers are a small unit of a program that developers write. They will be used to define PL/SQL to fire at various points during the execution of your report. You will have:

· BEFORE REPORT,

· AFTER REPORT,

· BETWEEN PAGES,

· BEFORE PARAMETER FORM, and

· AFTER PARAMETER FORM.



Q: Describe program units and attached libraries in the report builder?

A: The “Program units” section will be used by developers to write their PL/SQL programs. The developers use the “PL/SQL libraries” to store their stored procedures and “Attached libraries” to access to those created stored procedures. You will use Program Units and Attached Libraries as the same way we use them in the Forms Builder tool.



Q: Describe property palette in the report builder?

A: The Property Palette in the Report Builder contains object properties. The contents of the Property Palette are referred to as the “Property sheet” for the object. We use the Property Palette to modify object properties. To open the Property Palette of an object, we can go to the object and right click on the mouse then select Property Palette.



Q: What is the property sheet for an object?

A: The contents of the Property Palette are referred to as the “Property sheet” for the object.



Q: What is the "Query" box in the "Data Model" window?

A: It refers to a SQL statement.



Q: What is the "Group" box in the "Data Model" window?

A: It refers to a control break or grouping rows. A SQL statement can have one single group referring to its entire table or more than one by using the GROUP BY statement.



Q: What is a Tabular report?

A: A Tabular report shows data in a table format. It is similar in concept to the idea of an Oracle table. Oracle, by default, returns output from your select statement in tabular format.



Q: What is a Group-Left report?

A: The Group-left report suppresses redundant printings of the same value in the leftmost column of the report. It is like making a control break in your report. You can use the “Group-left” report on a master-detail relationship as well.



Q: Describe a Mailing Label report.

A: A Mailing Label report is a list of addresses designed to be generated on mailing labels. The addresses can be printed across the page, and then down or vice versa.



Q: What are the handlers in the layout model?

A: The handlers are small square boxes that have been attached to a selected object. You can use those handlers to change the size of an object by dragging the handlers.



Q: What is a Matrix Report?

A: A matrix report is a chart with two axes (rows and columns) that display for sets of data. On the rows, the report displays one set of data, while on the columns the report displays another set. Within the two axes, report displays a cross-product of results.



Q: How do you set a table relationship in the report builder?

A: In the Report Editor, click on the ‘Data Link’ icon on the vertical toolbar. Notice that the cursor is changed to a cross. Move the cross cursor to the one item (the item that needs a link) then click and drag it to another item (the item that needs a link) of the other group. Now, you establish and set a table relationship between these two tables.



Q: What does the Select Parent Frame icon?

A: The "Select Parent Frame" icon selects the parent frame of the selected object. The position of the selected object (handlers) will change if the object has a parent.



Q: What is a conditional formatting in the report builder?

A: In the Live Pre-viewer, if you right click on the cells, and open the "Conditional Formatting" option, you can change the display output of the object. In the Conditional Formatting window, you can define exceptions to highlight data for specified conditions with different formatting such as color.



Q: What is a Form Letter report?

A: The Form letter report will complement the mailing label report. You can pull several database columns plus your mailing message to produce form mailings.

Q: What is the boilerplate in the Layout Editor?

A: The boilerplate utility in the Layout Editor will be used by developers to change the text fond or color and draw graphic on a report.



Q: Describe a GROUP-ABOVE report in the report builder.

A: A Group-Above report is a style you use to demonstrate a master/detail relationship in your database. You should define a master group, and for each master record, the report obtains the related values from the detail groups.



Q: How do you use a Master-Detail report in the Data Model?

A: You use a Master-Detail report in the Data Model to generate a control break report.



Q: How do you create multiple SQL queries in the Data Model?

A: In the Data Model, you can create as many SQL queries as you need. To create a SQL query, just click on the SQL icon on the vertical toolbar, drag the ‘+’ sign in to the Data Model and click any where that you wish to have your object. Then in the ‘SQL Query Statement’ box, write your SQL statement.



Q: How do you create a data link in the Data Model?

A: In the Report Editor, click on the ‘Data Link’ icon on the vertical toolbar. Notice that the cursor is changed to a cross. Move the cross cursor to the one item (the item that needs a link) then click and drag it to another item (the item that needs a link) of the other group. Now, you establish and set a table relationship between these two tables.



Q: What is the formula column and how do you create it?

A: The Formula Column is an object that a developer defines to establish his/her own formula. To create it, click on the "Formula Column" icon in the Data Model, drag the cross to the Group object and click on it again. Then right click on it, open its property palette, and change its name. In the Property Palette, double click on the PL/SQL Formula box. In the PL/SQL window, write a PL/SQL block to calculate your formula.



Q: What is the summary column and how do you create it?

A: The summary column is an object that a developer defines to establish the SUM, AVG, MIN, etc functions on a table. To create it, go to the Data Model window, select the Summary Column icon, move the cross cursor to the "group customer id" and click on the box. Then right click on it, and open its property palette. In the property palette window, change its name, change its "source," and change the "Reset At" options."



Q: What are the templates in the report module?

A: The Templates are generic objects that allow you to force a set of standard features and attributes onto your reports. They help you impose uniformity on your.



Q: How do you select an object or objects in the layout editor?

A: To select an object, click on the object and you will see the handlers (small boxes) attached to the object. To select multiple objects, move the cursor outside of all the objects that needs to be selected and click and drag the cursor to put all the objects in a box, and then release the cursor. Now, all the objects should have handlers attached to them.



Q: How do you move an object or objects in the layout editor?

A: Take the cursor on the selected object(s)--in side of its handlers--and then drag the object(s).



Q: How do you delete an object or objects form the layout editor?

A: Select an object and click on the delete key.



Q: When do you use the Edit Margin icon?

A: In the ‘Report Editor - Layout Model’, click on the "Edit Margin" icon on the horizontal toolbar. The report heading margin will be appeared. Now, we can change anything on that margin.



Q: How do you create and use a binding variable?

A: A colon next to an item means that the item is a binding variable. For example to define a binding variable, see the following SQL statement.

SELECT ALL first_name, last_name FROM customers, portfolio

WHERE id = :id; (:id is a binding variable)



Q: Describe a drill-down report.

A: A drill-down report lets you get more detailed information at a different level of data aggregation. The most common methods of drilling-down use the mouse or a button to call another report, graph, or form.



Q: Describe a List of Values in the report module?

A: A “List of Values”, can be used as a validation mechanism for values defined in user parameters. Your LOV or “List of Values” can consist either of static values or items queried from the database using select statements.



Q: How do you create a user parameter item?

A: A colon next to an item means that the item is a user parameter. For example to define a user parameter, see the following SQL statement.

SELECT ALL first_name, last_name FROM customers, portfolio

WHERE id = :id; (:id is a binding variable)



Q: How do you define a system parameter item?

A: In the ‘Report Editor - Layout Model’ window, click on the "Parameter Form" icon which is on the horizontal toolbar. The Report Editor - Parameter Form window will be opened. In the Parameter Form window click on the "Parameter Form Builder" icon which is on the horizontal toolbar. The Parameter Form Builder window will be displayed. In the ‘Parameter Form Builder’ window, change the Title item if you wish and then click on the DESTYPE (Destination Type) parameter, etc to select system parameters.