Oracle E-Business Suite

Release 11i
Discoverer & XML Publisher
Full Throttle Reporting
Tim Sharpe

Release 11i Workshops

Dallas, TX • Raleigh, NC
Denver, CO • Atlanta, GA • Detroit, MI
www.solutionbeacon.com
Agenda

 Typical Reporting Needs

 Dynamic
 Static
 Overview
 Discoverer
 XML Publisher
 Compare/Contrast
 Summary, Additional Resources
 Questions and Answers

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Dynamic Reporting

Discoverer

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Dynamic Reporting

 Ad Hoc Queries (on the fly)

 Layout Flexibility
 Analytics
 Dimensionality
 Time Series Analysis
 Data Slicing
 Hierarchical Drilling
 Business Intelligence
 Data Mining
 Spreadsheet Functionality

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Static Reporting

 Richly Formatted Reports

 Executive Reports
 Financial Statements
 Government Forms
 Marketing Materials
 Contracts
 Checks
 Labels
 EDI Files

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Discoverer Overview
Component Puzzle

 Administrator
 EUL & Catalog
 End User Tools
 Desktop, Plus & Viewer
 Portlets & Portlet Provider
 Oracle Application Server

 Oracle Database at center

 Internal Data
 External Data
 DB links, Gateways

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Discoverer Overview
Administrator

Provides Management of Infrastructure

 EULs
 Container
 Business Areas
 Access Control Structures
 Individual Components
 Folders
 Conditions
 Joins
 Etc.
 Security & Privileges
 Users & Responsibilities

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Discoverer Overview
Administrator (cont.)

 Business Area Components

 Folders - represent tables, views, queries
 Items – fields
 Conditions – where clause
 Hierarchies - drilling
 Item Lists – LOVs
 Calculations – custom fields
 Joins – between folders
 Summaries – pre-aggregations

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Discoverer Overview
End User Tools

 Desktop
 Self contained
 Client/Server design
 OS Dependent
 Full Functionality
 Plus
 Java Powered
 Web Based, OS Independent
 Most Functionality
 Viewer
 Web Based, OS Independent
 Minimal Functionality
 View Only

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Discoverer Overview
Desktop, Plus

 Create/Save Workbooks, Multiple

Worksheets
• Tabular, Crosstab
 Select Items from Folders
• Top, Side or Page
 Apply Conditions, Parameters
 Create Calculations
 Colors, Formats, Graphs
 Share Workbooks
 Schedule Runtimes
 Export Results to Excel, HTML,
Text, CSV, XML, PDF

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Discoverer Overview
Viewer

 View Existing Workbooks

 Re-arrange Fields
 Change Parameter Values
 Minimal Functionality

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Discoverer Overview
Portlets and Portlet Provider

 Single Point of Entry

 Java BI Beans
 Components of Oracle Application
Server

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Discoverer Overview
Portlet & Portlet Provider

 Fully Web Enabled

 Multiple Reports in Single View
 Personalizable
 Dashboards
 Combine Multiple Sources

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Static Reporting

XML Publisher

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XML Publisher Overview
Components

 XML Publisher Engine

 Report Templates
 EDI Templates
 Template Builder
 XML Data from Anywhere Report XSL

Templates
 Formatted Output in HTML, RTF,
Excel, PDF, EDI, etc.
 Deliver via Email, Fax, Printer,
Web Portal, etc.

XML EFT

Report Output

XML Data

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XML Publisher Overview
XML Publisher Engine

 Merges XML Data with Report

Template
 Provides Java-based Delivery
Mechanism
 Stand-Alone
 11i Version
 Concurrent Process
 Template Manager
 Reports Templates
 Data Templates
 Data Definitions

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XML Publisher Overview
Report Templates

Create with MS Word or Adobe

Acrobat

 MS Word
 Field Codes
 Template Markup Syntax

 Acrobat
 Typically Modify Existing
Documents
 Template Markup Syntax

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XML Publisher Overview
EDI Templates

 MS Word
 Special RTF Tables
 Produces Flat Files for EDI

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XML Publisher Overview
Template Builder

 MS Word Plug-in
 Wizards, Drag-and-Drop
 Report Preview
 Simplifies Template Creation

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XML Publisher Overview
XML Data

 Any Valid Source

 Produced from
 Oracle Reports
 PL/SQL
 Scripting
 Etc.
 Multiple Uses
 More than one template
 Data subsets
 Variable outputs

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XML Publisher Overview
Formatted Output

 Rich Text Formatting

 Precision & Control
 Interactivity
 Conditions & Parameters
 Sort
 Hide Columns
 Conditional Formatting
 Formulas, Functions
 Advanced Charting

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XML Publisher Overview
Formatted Output - Examples

 Checks

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XML Publisher Overview
Formatted Output - Examples

 Checks
 Invoices

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XML Publisher Overview
Formatted Output - Examples

 Checks
 Invoices
 Purchase Orders

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XML Publisher Overview
Formatted Output - Examples

 Checks
 Invoices
 Purchase Orders
 Government Forms

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XML Publisher Overview
Formatted Output - Examples

 Checks
 Invoices
 Purchase Orders
 Government Forms
 Tax Documents

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XML Publisher Overview
Formatted Output - Examples

 Checks
 Invoices
 Purchase Orders
 Government Forms
 Tax Documents
 Financial Reports

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XML Publisher Overview
Formatted Output - Examples

 Checks
 Invoices
 Purchase Orders
 Government Forms
 Tax Documents
 Financial Reports
 Dashboards

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XML Publisher Overview
Report Delivery

Data Source Layout Output Delivery

PDF Email
Oracle,
SQL Server
RTF

Printer
HTML
Oracle 11i,
PeopleSoft,
SAP, Siebel Excel Fax
XML Publisher

XSL XML
WebDAV
Oracle Reports, Templates
PL/SQL, Java, EDI
Perl, etc
EFT
WWW

Web Services

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Discoverer vs XML Publisher
Compare/Contrast

Discoverer XML Publisher

Web Enabled  
Data Security  
11i Integration  
Scheduling  
Advanced Analytics 
User Driven 
Advanced Formatting 
Report Delivery 

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Discoverer & XML Publisher
Summary & Additional Resources

Discoverer XML Publisher

 Dynamic  Static
 Analytics  Formatting
 User Driven  Delivery

Oracle Business Intelligence Discoverer Administration Guide

Oracle Business Intelligence Discoverer Desktop User's Guide
http://www.oracle.com/technology/documentation/discoverer.html
Introduction to XML Publisher
http://www.oracle.com/technology/products/xml-publisher/index.html
XML Publisher Users Guide incl Developers Guide
http://www.oracle.com/technology/products/xml-publisher/xmlpdocs.html

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Questions & Answers

Thank you!
Tim Sharpe
tsharpe@solutionbeacon.com

www.solutionbeacon.com

Real Solutions for the Real World.

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