Basics of Oracle BI Publisher (BIP) for Oracle Integration

Create Pixel-Perfect Reports with Oracle BI Publisher

Unlock the power of data with Oracle BI Publisher, the leading solution for authoring, managing, and delivering highly formatted documents. Generate professional operational reports, electronic funds transfer documents, government PDF forms, shipping labels, checks, and sales & marketing materials with ease.

Understanding Data Models for Powerful Reporting

A data model is the foundation of your reports. It's an object containing instructions to retrieve and structure data for pixel-perfect output. Data models are stored as separate objects within the catalog and can range from simple (single data source) to complex (multiple data sets, parameters, triggers, and bursting).

Building Data Models with the Data Model Editor:

The data model editor empowers you to build robust data models. Key components include:

• Data Sets: Retrieve data from diverse sources like databases, data files, web services, and external data providers. A single data model can incorporate multiple data sets.
• Event Triggers: Automate report execution based on events. Implement before data, after data, and schedule triggers using PL/SQL code.
• Flexfields: Access data from Oracle Application flexfield structures.
• Lists of Values: Provide report consumers with selectable parameter values.
• Parameters: Define variables that can be set at runtime for flexible reporting.
• Bursting Definitions: Split data into blocks, generating individual documents for each block and delivering them to specified destinations.
• Custom Metadata (for Web Content Servers): Map data fields to custom metadata fields for enhanced reporting capabilities.

Mastering the Data Model Editor Features

The data model editor allows you to:

• Link Data: Establish master-detail relationships between data sets for hierarchical reporting.
• Aggregate Data: Create group-level totals and subtotals for insightful analysis.
• Transform Data: Modify source data to meet business requirements and reporting standards.
• Create Calculations: Compute data values not readily available in source data.

Report Design for Optimal Results

A report comprises a data model, a layout, and properties. Enhance your reports further with style templates and translations.

Report Designer Tasks:

• Design Layouts: Utilize tools like the Layout Editor (web-based, interactive), Microsoft Word, Adobe Acrobat, Microsoft Excel, and Adobe Flexbuilder.
• Configure Properties: Set runtime configuration properties for the report.
• Create Style Templates: Ensure consistent branding across your enterprise reports.
• Implement Subtemplates: Re-use common report functionality.
• Enable Translations: Support multiple languages for wider accessibility.

Layout Options for Diverse Output Formats

BI Publisher offers a variety of layout types to suit your reporting needs:

• BI Publisher Layout (XPT): Web-based design with interactive viewing and full output type support.
• Rich Text Format (RTF): Microsoft Word integration for automated design and flexible formatting. Supports various output types.
• Portable Document Format (PDF): Ideal for predefined form layouts (e.g., government forms).
• Microsoft Excel (XLS): Map data and define calculations within Excel workbooks.
• XSL Stylesheet: Define layouts using XSL formatting language for CSV, XML, HTML, and other formats.
• eText: Specialized RTF templates for Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) and Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT).
• Flash Layouts: Develop Adobe Flex templates for interactive Flash output.

Empower your organization with Oracle BI Publisher and create professional, customized reports that drive data-driven decisions.