Discoverer

Using Discoverer 4i Plus
Copyright © Oracle Corporation, 2001. All rights reserved.

Objectives
After completing this lesson, you should be able to
do the following:
• Connect to Discoverer 4i Plus using a Web browser
• Describe the Discoverer 4i Plus window
• Work with saved workbooks
• Create and format new workbooks
• Apply conditions, calculations, totals, percentages,
and parameters
• Drill Up or Down for data
• Chart worksheet data
• Export worksheets and graphs to other
applications
®
14-2 Copyright © Oracle Corporation, 2001. All rights reserved.

Discoverer Plus

Discoverer Plus

Discoverer Plus Window

The Toolbar
Export
Table/Crosstab Layout Shortcuts

Setting Options

The Workbook
1 2

Opening a Workbook from the Database

Opening a Scheduled Workbook

Opening a Workbook with Parameters

Multiple Values in a Parameter

DRILL
• Drilling is a common operation performed by users to get

more details about the data that the user is interested in
during analysis. Typically, you drill down into data to
analyze it at a finer level of detail, and drill up to get the
"bigger picture."

DRILL
◆ Drill to item
Items in a particular sheet that can be
drilled (an item hierarchy has been set
up to include this item) would have a
drill icon displayed in front of the
heading in the header area of the
table/crosstab. When user clicks on this
icon a drill menu containing all the
drill targets would be displayed as
shown in the following

DRILL
◆ Crosstab drill using the drill icons
1)Drill Down on Single value of an item

The drilled data has to be displayed at the immediate lower to the
level from which the drill is performed. The data drill happens only
to the data value on which the drill is performed. Drill is not
performed to all other item values. All other item values are
collapsed until the level of the item on which the drill is performed.

DRILL
◆ Before performing drill

DRILL
◆ After performing drill

DRILL
◆ Drill UP
It means that drill applied to move up in the hierarchy. The drilled
data is displayed at the immediate upper to the level from which
the drill is performed. The item on which the drill is performed is
removed from the sheet .

DRILL
◆ Drill UP
In the following fig, it is already drilled down to City level from Region, here it is drilled UP
from City level to Region

DRILL
◆ Drill UP
The following figure reflects the result of drill up

DRILL
◆ Collapse option for Crosstab

Before applying Collapse on single value of an item

DRILL
◆ After applying Collapse on single value of an item.

Drilling Out to Other Applications

Creating Workbooks

Editing Worksheet

Creating Conditions

Format Masks

Calculations

New Calculation Dialog
Combo box Formula

which show Area
•Functions
•Selected Items
•Available
Items
Basic
•Calculations
Arithmetic
•Parameters Operations

Formula Area
• The Arithmetic Expression is displayed in this area

• Either we can Click the button for the operators or we
can type from the Keyboard
• We can select the items and paste the items if you are
using those items for the calculation, but here you
can’t type the items names from the keyboard
• if you enter a invalid expression then Discoverer will
popup a Error message.

Basic Arithmetic opertations
• Addition Precedence of the

operators is as in all the
• Subtraction
programming languages
• Division
• Multiplication
• Concatination
• Percentage

Other Function
Select ‘f(x) Functions’ from the Show Combobox. The List

box show the following Items in tree structure
•All Functions •Group

•Analytic •Numeric
•Conversion •Others
•Database •String
•Date
Here the All Functions is the collection of all others
groups listed above
®

Analytic Functions
Functions that can be applied on Data points are listed

under this group. Some of them are listed below
•COUNT •STDDEV
•MAX •SUM
•MIN •VARIANCE
•RANK •CORR
Example: AVG function has the expression
AVG(n) OVER (PARTITION BY expr1 [ORDER BY
expr2 RANGE BETWEEN expr3 and expr4])
The CAPITAL letters represents the keyword and the small
letters represent the value to be given.
®

Conversion Functions
• These functions are applicable only for non Data point

items like strings items, Date items etc.
• Basically this functions are used to convert from one
Type to another
some of the functions are listed below
•CHARTOROWID •TO_CHAR
•ROWIDTOCHAR •TO_DATE
•HEXTORAW •TO_LABEL
•RAWTOHEX •TO_NUMBER
•CONVERT •TO_MULTI_BYTE
•TO_SINGLE_BYTE
®

Date Functions
Functions which manipulate with Date data type are listed

in this group. The Syntax are as same as in SQL. Some
of them are listed below
•ADD_MONTHS •NEXT_DAY
•LAST_DAY •ROUND
•MONTHS_BETWEEN •SYSDATE
•NEW_TIME •TRUNC

Group Functions
• The Function which can be applied for a non grouped

item. We can say that these functions are Sub-group of
Analytical function.
• The difference is analytic functions has constraints to
specify inorder to concentrate on the data we are
looking for, but group function will generally apply on
all the data.
• Analytic functions are applicable for boths grouped
and non-grouped item, ie ‘Profit SUM’ as well as
‘Profit’, but Group Function is applicable for only non-
grouped items

Contd…...
• The Functions listed in Analytic functions are applicable to this
also. the Syntax is changed
Example : AVG function has the expression
AVG(n)
n is the non-grouped item say ‘Profit’

Numeric Function
• All the Arithmetic operators comes under this group

• Trignometric functions like SIN, COS, TAN etc
• Arithmetic function like CEIL, FLOOR, ROUND, SQRT,
POWER etc
• These function are only applicable for Data points
• The use of these function is same as in SQL

Others
Other functions supported by Discoverer which are

supported by SQL, some of the are listed below
•CASE •NVL
•DECODE •NVL2
•DUMP •ROWNUM
•GREATEST •UID
•LEAST •USER
•VSIZE

String Function
Function which can applied on String data types, ie

varchar2, some of them are listed below
•ASCII •LPAD/RPAD
•CHR •LTRIM/RTRIM
•CONCAT •NLSSORT
•INITCAP •SOUNDEX
•LENGTH •REPLACE
•LOWER •SUBSTR/SUNSTRB
•UPPER •TRANSLATE
®

Selected Items & Available Items
• ‘Selected Item’ lists all the Selected items, which we

have selected for the worksheet
• ‘Available Items’ lists all the remaining items which can
be accessed in the Business Area

Calculations & Parameters
• ‘Calculations’ lists the existing calculations, which is already

created. if no calculation is created then display the message
• ‘Parameters’ lists the existing parameters, which is already
created. if no parameters is created then display the message

Calculated items
• These items forms a column and display along

with the datapoints.
• Error messages are show if the expression is
wrong, or after querying whether to continue or
revert back
• The Calculated item name should be unique

Creating Totals and Percentages

Creating Parameters

Selecting the Graph Type

Creating Titles, Totals, and Series

Setting X-Axis and Y-Axis Options

Setting Plot Area Options

Setting Legend Options

Positioning Graph

Changing Graph Type

Exporting Graphs
• Graphs can be exported to the following formats:

– GIF
– HTML
• You can also specify the size of the graph to be
exported

Exporting Graph

Exporting Results

Exporting a Table and Crosstab
Worksheet to Excel
Table worksheet Crosstab worksheet

Exporting to HTML, Excel, and Notepad
1 2

Export Status

Summary
In this lesson, you should have learned how to:
• Connect to Discoverer 4i Plus using a Web browser
• Describe the Discoverer 4i Plus window
• Work with saved workbooks
• Create and format new workbooks
• Apply conditions, calculations, totals, percentages,
and parameters
• Drill up or down for data
• Chart worksheet data
• Export worksheets and graphs to other
applications

Practice 13-1 Overview
This practice covers the following topics:

• Opening workbooks saved in the database
• Creating new workbooks and saving them in the
database
• Creating workbooks with conditions, totals, and
parameters
• Creating charts by using Discoverer 4i Plus
• Exporting worksheets

Using Discoverer Viewer

Oracle9iAS Discoverer Components

Client-Server and Web Components of
Discoverer

What Is Discoverer Viewer?
Discoverer Viewer is the Web component of the Discoverer family that enables business professionals to
execute queries that have already been stored in the database.
Discoverer Viewer is a lightweight business intelligence tool that gives you access to workbooks and
worksheets that have been created in Discoverer Plus or Desktop Edition.
Discoverer Viewer is 100% HTML and requires no software other than a Web browser. It can be used over
low-speed modems and can be accessed through high-security networks and firewalls.
®

What Are the Key Features in Oracle
Discoverer Viewer?
Using Discoverer Viewer, you can:
Open reports with or without parameters, using a Web browser.
Run customized reports and set query execution options. For example, if you set
a limit to the query run time, the running query is automatically terminated when
the time threshold is reached.
Redirect queries to summary tables. Queries are automatically redirected to

summary tables containing presummarized data if the Summary data option is set.
Sort the items on the worksheet in the ascending or descending order and group sort items.
Analyze data through drilling, pivoting, and using graphs.
Export reports to Excel and other supported formats.

Print and bookmark reports as HTML pages.
You can also publish Discoverer contents on Oracle9iAS Portal, using the portlets that
Discoverer provides.

What Are the Key Features in Oracle
Discoverer Viewer?
Discoverer Viewer is 100% HTML and supports all the features of a Web
browser, you can:
- Set bookmarks for the frequently used worksheets
- Use the Back and Forward buttons to navigate through pages
- Use the browser Print function to print worksheets and reports
- Launch registered applications to view data exported from the
worksheets, using Discoverer Viewer

Key Terminology
Connections
To connect to Oracle Discoverer Viewer, you need to specify a username, password, and a connect string. Your
Discoverer Manager can create a connection with all these details. A Discoverer Connection is an identifier for the
data source that you will be using while working with Discoverer. When you navigate to the Discoverer Viewer
page, you will find a list of connections that the Discoverer Manager has created. When you click on the desired
connection, Discoverer logs you in using the username, password, EUL and connect string specified while
creating the connection.
Worksheets and Workbooks

A report is generated when you run a query. It contains information retrieved from the database based on the
items in the query. Discoverer presents the report as a worksheet. A workbook is a collection of worksheets that
can be saved in the database. With Discoverer, you can produce different styles of worksheets.
Top, Side, and Page axes

In a worksheet the items can be placed on any of these axes. A worksheet should have minimum a top axis. A
crosstab and a page-detail crosstab worksheet will have a side axis too. When you place an item on the page
axis, you can toggle the values of the item. For example, if you place the Department item on the page axis, you
can select different departments and the worksheet will show the data only for the selected department.

Connecting to Discoverer Viewer
There are two types of Discoverer Connections.

Public Connections: are created by your Discoverer Manager by making entries in the configuration file. You
cannot edit or delete a public connection.
Private Connections: After you have connected to the Discoverer Viewer start page, you can click the create
connection button to create a private connections. Private Connections are not visible if you change machines
or browsers.

Opening a Workbook

Opening a Worksheet
Discoverer Viewer starts executing the query for the default worksheet, and the Query
Progress page appears showing the estimated query run time.

The Worksheet Window

Navigating Through Worksheet Pages
Discoverer Viewer allows you to set the number of rows to be displayed per page for each
worksheet. For example, this worksheet is set to display twenty five rows per page.

Selecting Page Item Values
Each worksheet may have multiple page items and each page item may have multiple page item values
displayed in the drop-down list of values. When you select a page item value from the drop-down list,
Discoverer Viewer automatically starts updating the worksheet to match your selection.

Setting Parameters
A parameter is a value within a condition that you specify when you run a query. If a query includes a parameter,
you are prompted to specify the information you want to see when you run the query. For example, a parameter
may prompt you for a department name or a year. You can create parameters for worksheets using Discoverer
Plus.

Customizing Discoverer Workbooks
You can customize the look and feel of Discoverer Viewer according to your own personal preferences
and your company's needs.

Customizing Discoverer Workbooks

Discoverer Viewer Preferences
In Discoverer Viewer, you can specify preferences to control how the query is
run and how the data is displayed. These include:
- Query Governor Preferences
- Worksheet Preferences
- Summary Data Preferences
- End User Layer Access Preferences
- Fan-Trap Detection Preferences
- Locale Selection Preferences

Setting Query Governor Options
Query Governor options are used to set limits on the query run time and the amount of query data being
retrieved from the database. The purpose is to minimize wait time and to prevent exceedingly long queries
from running. Here you can also select between the options of running queries automatically after opening
a worksheet or having Discoverer Viewer ask for confirmation.

Setting Worksheet Options
Whereas Query Governor options are used to limit query run-time and data retrieval, Worksheet options are
used to determine the number of rows per page and how null values and values that cannot be aggregated
should be displayed.

Setting Summary Data Options
Summary Data is set up by the Discoverer Administrator to enhance performance in data retrieval. The
purpose is to load data quickly for the worksheets that you use most often. When this option is selected,
Discoverer checks the summary data tables first whenever you run a worksheet query. If the data is not there,
it will then look into the actual data tables.

Setting Fan-Trap Detection Options
Discoverer detects and prevents certain queries that could return ambiguous results. This automatic
detection can be disabled if you want to see such data. Disabling fan-trap detection however, may result in
queries generating potentially misleading results.

Setting End User Layer Access Options
End User Layer: A server-based metalayer set by the Discoverer Administrator. It is a collection of tables
in the database that enables you to create and use Discoverer workbooks.

Selecting Locale Options
Discoverer Viewer can display results in many different languages.

Types of Drills in Discoverer Viewer
The amount of detail you want presented in the data may vary. Discoverer lets you view different levels of data
without starting a new workbook or worksheet. This is called drilling. By drilling up or down you can choose to view
more or less of the worksheet data.
There are three types of drills in Discoverer Viewer:
Drill Down
To display detailed information related to the current drill item.
Drill Up
To collapse the data at the current level to the previous level, in order to display summarized information for the
selected item.
Drill Out
To drill to an external application that is linked to a particular worksheet. The external application can be a word
processor, spreadsheet, or Web browser.

Drilling Down / Drill Up / Drill Out
Drill Down / Drill Up
Drill Out

Pivoting Data
Changing the order in which columns appear in a table, or interchanging items between axes, is called pivoting.
By using pivoting, you can change the way data is presented in your worksheet.
Types of pivoting
- Pivoting between columns
- Pivoting top or side axis items
- Pivoting between rows and columns
- Changing page axis items ®

Customizing the Worksheet Layout

Viewing Worksheets with Graphs
Data comes alive with the use of graphs. If a worksheet includes a graph, Discoverer Viewer displays that graph
whenever the query for the particular worksheet is run.

Setting Presentation Options
You can select the features in Discoverer Viewer you want to display on the page. Using the Presentation
Options link, you can customize the content of your browser window according to your specific needs.
®

Export Worksheet Formats
In Discoverer Viewer, you can export the active (current) worksheet to any of the following formats:
xls Microsoft Excel workbook

htm Hypertext Markup Language
txt Tab-delimited text
csv Comma-delimited text
prn Formatted text
dcs Express format
xml Oracle Reports
dif Data interchange format
slk Symbolic link
wks Lotus 1-2-3 worksheet
The information exported to another format is the exact information displayed in the current worksheet. For
example, if you have drilled down to look at the details of a particular item, then that detailed information is
included in what you export.

Exporting a Worksheet Page
After you click Export Data, one of the following actions occurs (depending on the MIME type settings):
- The application is embedded in the browser and the worksheet opens.
- The stand-alone application is launched and the worksheet opens.
- The Save to File dialog box appears, enabling you to save the worksheet in the specified export format.

Bookmarking a Worksheet Page
Discoverer Viewer supports all Web browsers, including the latest releases of Netscape and Internet Explorer.
The following usual features of your Web browser are available:
- Bookmarking your favorite reports
- Using the Back and Forward buttons to navigate
- Using the Print function to print output
- Launching registered applications to process data which was exported using Discoverer Viewer
To bookmark your favorite worksheets and reports, select "Add to Favorites" in Internet Explorer or "Add
Bookmark" in Netscape.

Printing a Worksheet Page
You can use the browser Print function to print
worksheets and reports. Discoverer Viewer also
allows you to print a printer-friendly version of
our worksheet. To use this function, click Printer
Friendly Version.

What is Oracle Portal?
Oracle Portal, a component of Oracle9i Application Server, is a software framework for building
and deploying personalized Web sites to deliver information to customers, employees, and
partners. Oracle Portal provides a common integrated starting point for accessing all your data,
including files, images, applications, and Web sites both internal and external to your company.
Portlets
A portlet is information placed within a region on a portal page. All portlets come from a data
source registered with Oracle Portal, called a portlet provider. Portlets provide at-a-glance views
of information from various sources both inside and outside of your corporate network. By
assembling many portlets onto one page, you can have a centralized place to find and perform
all of your daily work tasks. Oracle Portal provides simple self-service tools for creating your
portlets. Even portlets created by others outside of your organization can be included in your
portal.
®

Discoverer Contents on Oracle Portal
Oracle9i Application Server provides solutions for enterprise information portals, business intelligence tools, and
Web site analysis tools. Oracle Discoverer can be integrated with Oracle Portal by using Discoverer portlets.
Discoverer portlets can be published on Oracle Portal and customized and accessed by multiple users.

Discoverer Portlets
Discoverer is a portlet provider to Oracle Portal. There are two types of Discoverer portlets.
List of Workbooks Portlet
The List of Workbooks portlet contains the links to Discoverer workbooks that are already
created in Discoverer Plus. It includes Discoverer Workbooks that are available to the user
based on the Discoverer connection being used. When you click a link in the portlet, the
selected workbook opens in Discoverer Viewer.
Worksheet Portlet
A Worksheet portlet allows you to place actual worksheet content on the portal page. A
worksheet portlet can contain only data, or only a graph or both.

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Copyright © Oracle Corporation, 2001. All rights reserved.

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• Drilling is a common operation performed by users to get

Copyright © Oracle Corporation, 2001. All rights reserved.

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◆ Crosstab drill using the drill icons

1)Drill Down on Single value of an item

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◆ Before performing drill

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◆ After performing drill

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◆ Collapse option for Crosstab

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◆ After applying Collapse on single value of an item.

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Copyright © Oracle Corporation, 2001. All rights reserved.

Combo box Formula

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• The Arithmetic Expression is displayed in this area

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• Addition Precedence of the

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Select ‘f(x) Functions’ from the Show Combobox. The List

•All Functions •Group

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Functions that can be applied on Data points are listed

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• These functions are applicable only for non Data point

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Functions which manipulate with Date data type are listed

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• The Function which can be applied for a non grouped

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• All the Arithmetic operators comes under this group

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Other functions supported by Discoverer which are

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Function which can applied on String data types, ie

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• ‘Selected Item’ lists all the Selected items, which we

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• ‘Calculations’ lists the existing calculations, which is already