3 Using Interactive Reports

3.6.1 About the Actions Menu

The Actions menu appears to the right of the Go button on the Search bar. Use this menu to customize an interactive report.

The Actions menu contains the following options:

• Select Columns specifies which columns to display and in what order. See "Selecting Columns to Display".

• Filter focuses the report by adding or modifying the filter clause on the query. See "Adding a Filter".

• Rows Per Page determines how many rows display in the current report. See "Specifying Rows Per Page".

• Format contains the following submenu:

  • Sort - Changes the columns to sort on and determines whether to sort in ascending or descending order. See "Selecting Column Sort Order".

  • Control Break - Creates a break group on one or several columns. This pulls the columns out of the interactive report and displays them as a master record. See "Creating a Control Break".

  • Highlight - Defines a filter that highlights the rows that meet the filter criteria. See "Adding Highlighting".

  • Compute - Enables users to add computed columns to a report. See "Computing Columns".

  • Aggregate - Enables users to perform mathematical computations against a column. See "Aggregating a Column".

  • Chart - Displays the report data as a chart. See "Creating a Chart from the Actions Menu".

  • Group By - Enables users to group the result set by one or more columns and perform mathematical computations against columns. See "Grouping Columns".

• Flashback - Enables users to view the data as it existed at a previous point in time. See "Executing a Flashback Query".

• Save Report - Saves the interactive report. Depending upon their user credentials, users can save different types of reports. See "Saving an Interactive Report".

• Reset - Resets the report back to the default report settings. See "Resetting a Report".

• Help - Provides descriptions of how to customize interactive reports.

• Download - Downloads a report. Available download formats depend upon your installation and report definition. See "Downloading a Report".

• Subscription - Send an interactive report by email. See "Subscribing to Emailed Reports"

3.6.2 Selecting Columns to Display

To customize a report to include specific columns, select Select Columns on the Actions menu.

To use the Select Columns option:

1. Click the Actions menu and select Select Columns.

   The Select Columns region appears.

   
   Description of the illustration ir_select_column.gif
   
   

2. Select the columns you want to move. Click the center arrows to move a column from Display in Report to Do Not Display. To select multiple columns at once, press and hold the CTRL key.

3. To change the order of the columns, click the Top, Up, Down, and Bottom arrows on the right.

4. Click Apply.

   A revised report appears.

3.6.3 Adding a Filter

You can create a filter on an interactive report by adding or modifying the WHERE clause on the query. You can create two types of filters:

• Column - Creates a custom column filter. Select a column, select a standard Oracle operator (=, !=, not in, between), and enter an expression to compare against. Expressions are case sensitive. Use the percent sign (%) as a wildcard. Note that the selected column does not need to be one that currently displays. For example:

  STATE_NAME like A%
  

• Row - Creates a custom row filter. This filter creates a complex WHERE clauses using column aliases and any Oracle functions or operators. For example:

   G = 'VA' or G = 'CT'
  

  Where G is the alias for CUSTOMER_STATE.

3.6.4 Specifying Rows Per Page

You can specify the number of rows that display on a page by selecting Rows Per Page on the Actions menu.

To specify the number of rows that display:

1. Click the Actions menu and select Rows Per Page.

2. From the submenu, select a number.

   
   Description of the illustration ir_row_per_page.gif
   
   

3.6.5 Selecting Column Sort Order

You can specify column display sort order (ascending or descending) by selecting Sort on the Format submenu. You can also specify how to handle NULL values. Using the default setting always displays NULL values last or always displays them first.

To sort by column:

1. Click the Actions menu and select Format and then Sort.

   The Sort region appears.

2. Select a column, the sort direction (Ascending or Descending), and Null Sorting behavior (Default, Nulls Always Last, or Nulls Always First).

   
   Description of the illustration ir_sort.gif
   
   

3. Click Apply.

3.6.6 Creating a Control Break

You can create a break group of one or several columns by selecting Control Break from the Actions, Format submenu. Creating a break group pulls the columns out of the interactive report and displays them as a master record.

To create a break group:

1. Click the Actions menu and select Format and then Control Break.

   The Control Break region appears.

2. Select a column and then a status (Enable or Disable)

   
   Description of the illustration ir_cntrl_brk.gif
   
   

3. Click Apply.

   A revised report displays.

   
   Description of the illustration ir_ctrl_break_rpt.gif
   
   

   Note the defined break groups display in the Report Settings area above the report.

4. To disable the Control Break filter, deselect the Enable/Disable Filter check box. To enable the filer, select the Enable/Disable Filter check box again.

5. To delete the filter, click Remove Breaks.

3.6.7 Adding Highlighting

You can customize the display to highlight specific rows in a report by selecting Highlight on the Actions, Format submenu.

To add highlighting:

1. Click the Actions menu and select Format and then Highlight.

   The Highlight region appears.

   
   Description of the illustration ir_highlight.gif
   
   

2. Edit the following information:

   1. Name - Enter a name that describes this filter.

   2. Sequence - Enter a numeric value to identify the sequence in which highlighting rules are evaluated.

   3. Enabled - Select Yes.

   4. Highlight Type - Select Cell or Row.

   5. Background Color - Select a new color for the background of the highlighted area.

   6. Text Color - Select a new color for the text in the highlighted area.

   7. Highlight Condition - Select a column, an operator, and expression.

      
      Description of the illustration ir_highlight2.gif
      
      

3. Click Apply.

   
   Description of the illustration ir_highlight_rpt.gif
   
   

   Note the highlight On-Hold Projects displays in the Report Settings area above the report.

4. To revise the highlight, click the highlight name and make the following edits:

   1. Background Color - Select yellow.

   2. Text Color - Select green.

   3. Click Apply.

5. To disable the highlight, select the Enable/Disable check box.

6. To delete the highlight, click Remove Highlight.

3.6.8 Computing Columns

You can add computations to columns by selecting Compute from the Actions, Format submenu. These computations can be mathematical computations (for example, NBR_HOURS/24) or standard Oracle functions applied to existing columns.

To create a computation:

1. Click the Actions menu and select Format and then Compute.

   The Compute region appears.

2. In the Compute region:

   1. Computation - Select New Computation.

   2. Column Heading - Enter the name of the new column to be created.

   3. Format Mask - Select an Oracle format mask to be applied to the new column. (for example, $9999).

      Next, create the computation.

   4. Create the computation:

      • Columns - Select a column or alias.

      • Keypad - Select a shortcut for commonly used keys.

      • Functions - Select the appropriate function.

      In the following example, a new column compares the actual cost to the budgeted amount, using the formula H - I, where H is the cost and I is the budgeted amount.

      
      Description of the illustration ir_compute.gif
      
      

3. Click Apply.

   The revised report appears containing a new Cost Analysis column.

   
   Description of the illustration ir_compute_eg.gif
   
   

3.6.9 Aggregating a Column

You can define an aggregation against a column by selecting Aggregate from the Actions, Format menu. Aggregates are displayed after each control break and at the end of the report within the column for which they are defined.

To aggregate columns:

1. Click the Actions menu and select Format and then Aggregate.

   The Aggregate region appears.

2. In the Aggregate region:

   1. Aggregation - Select New Aggregation.

   2. Function - Select one of the following: Sum; Average, Count, Count Distinct, Minimum, Maximum, or Median.

   3. Column - Select a column.

      
      Description of the illustration ir_aggreg.gif
      
      

      This example creates a sum of the Cost column.

3. Click Apply.

   The computation appears at the bottom of the report.

   
   Description of the illustration ir_aggreg_rpt.gif
   
   

   In this example, the aggregate shows the sum of all amounts in the Cost column.

3.6.10 Creating a Chart from the Actions Menu

To create a chart, select Chart on the Actions, Format menu. You can create one chart for each interactive report. Once defined, you can switch between the chart and report views using links on the Search bar.

To create a chart:

1. Click the Actions menu and select Format and then Chart.

   The Chart region appears.

2. In the Chart region, specify the appropriate options.

   
   Description of the illustration ir_chart.gif
   
   

   The following attributes are for bar charts:

   1. Chart Type - Select the type of chart you want to create (horizontal bar, vertical bar, pie, or line.).

   2. Label - Select the column to be used as the label.

   3. Axis for Title for Label - Enter the title to display on the axis associated with the column selected for Label (not available for pie chart).

   4. Value - Select the column to be used as the Value. If your function is a COUNT, a Value does not need to be selected.

   5. Axis Title for Value - Enter the title to display on the axis associated with the column selected for Value (not available for pie chart).

   6. Function - (Optional) Select a function to be performed on the column selected for Value.

   7. Sort - Select a sorting method.

3. Click Apply.

   The chart appears.

   
   Description of the illustration ir_chart_rpt.gif
   
   

   Note the Search bar now contains two icons: View Report and View Chart.

4. Click these icons to toggle between chart and report views.

3.6.11 Grouping Columns

Group By enables users to group the result set by one or more columns and perform mathematical computations against the columns. Once users define the group by, they can switch between the group by and report views using the View Icon on the Search bar.

Topics:

• Creating a Group By

• Editing a Group By

• Deleting a Group By

3.6.12 Executing a Flashback Query

You can execute a flashback query by selecting Flashback from the Actions menu. A flashback query enables you to view the data as it existed at a previous point in time. The default amount of time that you can flashback is 3 hours (or 180 minutes) but the actual amount is different for each database.

To execute a flashback query:

1. Click the Actions menu and select Flashback.

2. In the Flashback region, enter the number of minutes.

3. Click Apply.

3.6.13 Saving an Interactive Report

As an end user, you can save a private or public interactive report. Only the user who creates a private report can view, save, rename, or delete it. The following shows the Reports list on the Search bar of an interactive report.

This example shows two reports:

• Default - Primary Report. This is the initial report created by the application developer. Default, Primary reports cannot be renamed or deleted.

• Private - 1. Control Break. This is a Private report. Only the user who creates a private report can view, save, rename, or delete it.

Topics:

• About Configuration Dependencies

• Saving a Public or Private Interactive Report

• Renaming a Public or Private Interactive Report

• Deleting a Public or Private Interactive Report

3.6.14 Resetting a Report

You can reset a report back to the default settings by selecting Reset from the Actions menu. Resetting a report removes any customizations you have made.

To reset a report:

1. Click the Actions menu and select Reset.

2. Click Apply.

3.6.15 Downloading a Report

You can download an interactive report back by selecting Download from the Actions menu. Available download formats depend upon your installation and report definition. Supported formats include comma-delimited file (CSV) format, HTML, Email, Microsoft Excel (XLS) format, Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF), and Microsoft Word Rich Text Format (RTF).

To download a report:

1. Click the Actions menu and select Download.

2. Select a report download format and follow the provided instructions.

3.6.16 Subscribing to Emailed Reports

End users can receive updated versions of a report by subscribing to it. To subscribe to a report, click Subscription on the Actions menu. Emails sent from an interactive report contain a system generated email signature that cannot be overwritten that identifies who originated the email.

To utilize Subscription:

• An Oracle Application Express administrator must configure email at the Instance level.

• The application developer must enable the Subscription check box on the Interactive Report Attributes page. See "Customizing the Interactive Report Search Bar" in Oracle Application Express Application Builder User's Guide.

To receive updated report results by email:

1. Click the Actions menu and select Subscription.

   The Add Subscription region appears.

2. Under Add Subscription:

   1. Email Address - Enter the email addresses to receive the report. To include multiple email addresses, separate each email address with a comma.

   2. Subject - Enter text to display in the email subject line.

   3. Frequency - Select the interval at which the report is sent.

   4. Starting From - Select a start date and time.

   5. Ending - Select an end date and time. Select a day, week, month, or year.

   6. Click Apply.