Oracle XML Publisher and

Template Builder for Microsoft Word

Presenter : Sai Narayan
Date : 25-June-08

Presenter Name
Date DD/MM/YYYY
 XML Publisher Paradigm
• Separates data/layout/output format

XML

Data Logic

XSL
Layout
XML Publisher
Report
Translation Output
XML Publisher Benefits
• Templates can be designed by functional user using familiar desktop tools
• Reduced maintenance costs – Enhancements like font changes/logo
changes etc can be done by functional user
• Flexibility of output – PDF, Excel, HTML
Getting Started
• Download and Install Oracle XML Publisher Desktop Patch 5.6.3
• Patch # 5887917
• http://updates.oracle.com/download/5887917.html
• Patch contains Template Builder and Template Viewer
• Template Builder
– Is an extension to Microsoft Word
– Allows development of RTF templates
• Template Viewer
– Provides report preview capability
Template Builder
• The template builder is an extension to your Microsoft Word
• It is available in the menu and toolbar
Process Overview
• Set the E-Business Report to generate XML output
• Run the concurrent program using SRS to obtain sample XML output
• Design your template using Microsoft Word Template Builder
• Use Template Viewer with sample XML output to finetune template
• Register E-Business Report as “Data Definition” using Template Manager
• Register and upload template using Template Manager
• Assign the template to the data definition code
• Let’s rock !
Set E-Business Report Output Format
• Navigate as System Administrator->Concurrent->Program->Define
• Set Output Format to XML and save
Run E-Business Report for Sample XML Output
• Run the E-Business report. For example, say Invoice Print (Receivables)
• Click on output and save the XML output to a file
Sample XML Output File
• Note the structure of the XML file
Designing the layout – Get the requirements
• Decide how the report layout should look like on paper
• For example, say the Receivables invoice needs to look like this (at least
part of it)
Template Builder – XMLP Directives
• for-each loop
• data fields
• page header/footer
• page numbering
• sorting
• page breaks
• calculated fields
• extended functions
• conditional logic
• images/logos
• Dynamic data columns
• Rows per page
• Last Page Only content
• Re-grouping xml data
• Cell highlighting
• Page totals
for-each loop
• Define groups to notify XML Publisher to loop through repeating information
• Insert the following tag before the first element
<?for-each:XML group element tag name?>
• Insert the following tag after the last element
<?end for-each?>
• E.g. The XML group element tag name “G_INVOICE” for recurring invoice
information
<?for-each:G_INVOICE?>
……invoice lines……
<?end for-each?>
Data fields
• Placeholders map the template field to the XML data field
• Syntax - <?XML element tag name?>
• Placeholder must match XML element tag name exactly
• Case sensitive
• E.g. The placeholder <?TRX_NUMBER?> identifies the Invoice Number
Page Header/Footer
• Enclose the body area of the report within the following tags
<?start:body?>
<?end body?>
• Elements occurring before the <?start:body?> tag compose the header
• Elements occurring after the <?end body?> tag compose the footer
Page Numbering
• Use Microsoft Word page numbering
• From Insert menu, select Page Numbers
• Select the position, alignment and format as desired
Sorting
• Insert sort tag within the group
• <?sort:element name?>, for example to sort by transaction number
– Enter the following after the <?for-each:G_INVOICE?>
<?sort:trx_number?>
• No end tag
• Sort on multiple elements possible, use multiple sort tags
– Example: <?sort:trx_number?><?sort:trx_date?>
• Sort on calculated fields supported
Additional Sorting
• Sort order descending
• Data type sorting
– Number
– Date
• Separated by semi-colon (;)
• <?sort:trx_number;
data-type=‘number’;
order=‘descending’?>
Page Breaks
• Just before the <?end for-each?> tag either…
– Insert a Microsoft Page Break
• Insert->Break->Page Break
-or-
• <Ctrl> + <Enter>
– Use XML Publisher directive
• <?split-by-page-break:?>
• This avoids extra blank page at the end of report
Calculated Fields
• Use field names and operand(s)
– + - Addition
– - - Minus
– * - Multiplication
– / - Division
• Example <?field1 + field2?>
• Not required to be in form field
Extended functions
• Some SQL functions can be used in template
 RPAD, LPAD, REPLACE
 INSTR, SUBSTR, LENGTH
 DECODE
 SYSDATE
 TO_NUMBER, TO_CHAR
 UPPER, LOWER
 GREATEST, LEAST
 ROUND, CEIL, FLOOR
 Usage is <?xdofx:function_name(params)?>
 It is NOT case sensitive
 Not required to be in a form field
Conditional logic
• Support for IF and CASE statements
• IF
– <?if:boolean_test?>
<?end if?>
– Example : to display only invoice lines with a line type of “LINE”
– Enclose the invoice line output within the tags below
• <?if:LINE_TYPE='LINE' ?>
• <?end if?>
 CASE
 <?choose?>
<?when:boolean_test?>
<?end when?>
<?otherwise?>
<?end otherwise?>
<?end choose?>
Images/Logos…
 Use a table for complete control of image behavior
 Static Images
 Paste the image directly into layout template
 URL
 Dummy image on template
 Specify URL in alternative text section
 Double click on image, go to web tab, alternative text field
 url:{‘www.myspace.com/xml_example/myimage.gif’}
 Server-side Images (in EBS)
 Dummy image on template
 Specify URL in alternative text section
 url:{‘${OA_MEDIA} /myimage.gif’}
 Also supported
 URLs and Paths in XML elements or combination of elements
 BLOBS from database
Dynamic data columns
 Dynamic Column Header
 <?split-column-header:group element name?>
 Dynamic Column Data
 <?split-column-data:group element name?>
 Example: Print departments in column header and demand qty as column
data
 Column header
 <?split-column-header:G_DEPT_CLASS?><?DEPT_CLASS?>
 Column data
 <?split-column-data:G_DEPT_CLASS?><?SUM_QTY?>
Rows per page
 Define row counter variable in a form field
<?xdoxslt:set_variable($_XDOCTX, ’Counter’, 0)?>
 Increment counter for each line (again in a form field)
<?xdoxslt:set_variable($_XDOCTX, ’Counter’, xdoxslt:
get_variable($_XDOCTX, ’Counter’) + 1)?>
 Break if the number of rows is reached (say 6 rows in this example)
<?if: xdoxslt:get_variable($_XDOCTX, ’Counter’) mod 6=0?>
<?split-by-page-break:?>
<?end if?
Last Page Only Content
• Create a section break in MSWord (Insert->Break->Section break Next
page)
• Insert the following syntax on the final page:
<?start@last-page:body?>
<?end body?>
• Content on the page above and below these tags will appear only on last
page
• Headers or footers previously defined for the report must be reinserted on
the last page
Re-grouping XML Data
 Not limited by the structure of the data source
 Use the tags
 <?for-each-group: BASE-GROUP;GROUPING-ELEMENT?>
 <?end for-each-group?>
 Can establish nested groupings
 <?for-each:current-group(); GROUPING-ELEMENT?>
 <?end for-each-group?>
 Example: CD Catalog XML data is grouped by CD. To change to group
by country, use the syntax below:
 <?for-each-group:CD:COUNTRY?>
Cell highlighting
• Native XSL embedded within XMLP using xdofo:ctx component
• Example: Change cell color to red if debit amount > 1000
<?if:debit>1000?>
<xsl:attribute xdofo:ctx="block“
name="background-color">red
</xsl:attribute>
<?end if?>
Page totals
• Declare variable to hold page totals, following data element declaration
• <?add-page-total:TotalFieldName;'element'?>
• Display total field
• <?show-page-total:TotalFieldName;'Oracle-number-format'?>
• Example: Suppose we want to total the field “debit”
• Create a page total variable called “dt” (it follows the placeholder)
<?debit?><?add-page-total:dt;'debit'?>
• Insert the show page total syntax in the page footer
<?show-page-total:dt;'C9G990D00';'(C9G990D00)'?>
• Page totalling available only for PDF output type
Template Builder – Load XML Data
• First step - Load the sample XML output file using Data->Load XML Data
Template Builder – Inserting Placeholders
• Insert placeholders using Insert->Field menu option.
• Text form fields
• Tag name is visible by clicking the Add Help Text button within the Text form field

• Use Microsoft Word tables for better alignment

Template Builder – Sample template explained
Template/XML/Form Field – How they relate
Transaction Number
XML

Template

Text form field

Template Builder Preview
• Preview template as PDF, HTML, Excel or RTF output
• Finetune till desired output is achieved
• Save template as .rtf file
Template Manager – E-Business Data Definition

• Navigate to XML Publisher Administrator responsibility

• Home->Data Definitions->Then Click on Create Data Definition button
• Enter details * Note: the Code is same as the concurrent program short
name – RAXINV_SEL
Template Manager – E-Business Template
• Navigate to XML Publisher Administrator responsibility
• Home->Templates>Then Click on Create Template button
• Assign the template to the Data Definition created earlier
• Upload the RTF file
Run concurrent using SRS
• Run the concurrent program using SRS
• Click Options button
• Select Output Layout Format – Default PDF
Exceptions
• Navigate System Administrator->Concurrent->Manager->Administer
• Select Output Post Processor
• Click on Processes button
• Select the active process
• Click on Manager Log button
• Review the log for exceptions
• More details and options for debugging – Refer Metalink Note 364547.1
References and more info.
• XML Publisher Blog
– http://blogs.oracle.com/xmlpublisher/
• XML Publisher Oracle Product Site
– http://www.oracle.com/technology/products/xml-publisher/index.html
• XML Publisher Forum
– http://forums.oracle.com/forums/forum.jspa?forumID=245
• User Guides
– Oracle XML Publisher User’s Guide
– Oracle XML Publisher Report Designer’s Guide
• Metalink Notes
– Metalink Note 422508.1 – About XML Publisher Release 5.6.3
– Metalink Note 364547.1 - Troubleshooting Oracle XML Publisher for Oracle Applications 11i
• Oracle Tutorial for XML Publisher for EBS
– http://www.oracle.com/technology/obe/obe_bi/xmlp_ebiz/index.html