Download Modify CM 14 Forms and Reports with BI Publisher

Modify CM 14 Forms and
Reports with BI Publisher
Rudy Ising
August 29, 2012
Thank you for joining today’s technical webinar
• Mute – all call in phones are automatically muted in order to
preserve the quality of the audio for all attendees.
• Questions – due to the high volume of participants, you can
email questions to [email protected]. We will try to
address your questions during or at the end of the
presentation.
• Follow up – all registrants will receive an Excel file listing all
questions and responses along with a link to the recorded
webinar.
8/30/2012
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Agenda
• What is BI
• Structure of CM
• BI Versions
– BI Web tool
– BI Publisher Desktop
•
•
•
•
Licensing
Considerations with Use
Benefits
Report/Form Modification Examples
– Adding fields
– Adding Logo
What is BI
• Oracle Business Intelligence Enterprise Edition
(OBIEE) is an enterprise report writing solution
used by Contract Management to create and
print all forms/reports/letter templates.
• Utilizes a dedicated server to handle all print
jobs (formerly handled by the CM web server).
CM Structure
CM User performs all work
through CM Web Server—do
direct login to BI server
required.
BI Versions
• Two Versions:
– Web Interface
– BI Publisher Desktop (local install using Word)
• Form/Report Developer uses either web
interface or Desktop tool to customize reports
– BI User licenses required for all developers.
BI Web Tool
Web Interface can be used for
ALL BI design tasks, including
data models and form design
Designs/layouts created in BI
Desktop are uploaded in web
tool.
BI Web tool
• Faster performance in Firefox
• Create Data Models (SQL Queries)
– Emphasis on raw SQL statement creation
• Create Form/Report/Template Design
– Similar interface to other report writers
• BI Server Administration
– Data Connection Setup
– Font Mapping
BI Publisher Desktop
Desktop tool provides some
layout options not in Web and
works offline with exported
XML copies of data models.
Complex design options here
require higher level of
programming skill.
BI Publisher Desktop
• Embeds directly into Word and works on local
machine.
– Creates a custom toolbar in Word
• Data Models are saved as XML Schema to allow
modifications to design.
– Web tool used for Data Model creation and modifications
– After changes re-export the Data Model XML design to
work offline.
• Allows more Word-like page/content formatting than
the Web tool.
– Advanced formatting requires higher level of programming
expertise.
Which to Use?
BI Web
• One stop shop
• Most like Infomaker
• Most expressions must be
in data model, not in report
design.
• Some layout restrictions
• All default Oracle
forms/reports are in this
tool so shortest path to
making simple changes.
BI Desktop
• Only used for report design;
data model designed in BI
Web.
• Upload to BI Web to appear
in CM
• Advanced users can do
more here than in Web
• Letter Templates work best
in this tool
Licensing
Use
License
Notes
Run Default
Forms/Reports
from CM
Runtime License included
with CM
No direct access to
reports from BI Web
server allowed.
Modify
User License for each BI User
Forms/Reports/Let who’s making modifications
ter Templates
(named users)
Advanced BI Web
Server Features
Needs BI Web Server
licensing, plus User Licensing
for all end-users
No license to use BI Web
Server to use BI
Scheduled Delivery, etc.
Considerations
• Conversions from older CM Versions
– No conversion utility currently available for
Infomaker to BI
– Good time to clean up report designs and “clean
house” of any non-essential form designs.
– New designs should use default CM14 designs as
basis.
– Letter Templates from old version (in Word) can
be modified using BI Desktop—however will
require manually re-creating links in document.
Some Current Limitations
• CM doesn’t currently support “prompted” reports (prompt
for date range, etc.)
• Currently enhancement request, so expect to see this added in future.
• Feature is already supported by BI, but doesn’t work when run in CM.
• Paragraphs
• BI Web forms/reports do not print paragraphs, but instead print all
text in continuous block.
• Custom programming in BI Desktop will provide support for this, but
this is not in the very “basic” skillset.
• This will also be a feature that may be resolved in a future release.
• Data Model Graphical View
• Graphical view in Data Model limited to 60 fields
• Data Model best suited for programmers with SQL experience.
• Learning Curve for “Graphical View” Infomaker Users.
Benefits
Benefit
Comments
CM14 Server doesn’t Running reports from dedicated server
process reports
frees up performance on the CM14
server
Most features are
No Remote Desktop/Citrix use required
web-based
like with Infomaker.
One data model can Different reports can use the same data
be used on many
model, rather than having to re-create
reports
the data model multiple times.
One data model can “Embedded” or “Nested” queries are
have MANY data sets now all in the same data model.
Benefits
Benefit
Comments
Each Data set can have
its own Data Source
This can provide for multiple data
sources inside of one report (e.g.
“consolidated reporting”)
Create multiple layouts in same report
with setting to pick the correct current
report layout.. Original layout can be
quickly restored.
Cache report values to speed retrieval
time.
Multiple Layouts for
Report
Report Cache Setting
Summary
• Similar functionality to Infomaker
• Provides Web-based tool
• Complex designs require thorough SQL syntax
understanding
Report/Form Modifications
• Using BI Web tool, we will:
– Review report design window
– Review data model design window
– Add a column to a report
– Insert a logo on a form
Questions?
Don McNatty
Principal Consultant
[email protected]
T. (877) 367-7990
Web www.drmcnatty.com
Web www.mlmpsinc.com
8/30/2012
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