About batch reporting About pluggable destinations

2-58 Oracle Reports Users Guide to Building Reports The page numbering of a report follows the format order. For example, in a report with a Header section of 2 pages, a Main section of 8 pages, and a Trailer section of 3 pages, with Format Order set to Main-Trailer-Header, the page numbering will be as follows in the report output: 12, 13 Header pages, which were formatted last, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, Main pages, which were formatted first 9, 10, 11Trailer pages, which were formatted second.

2.8.2 About batch reporting

If it is not necessary to examine report output in the Previewer for example, you may have to generate large volumes of output from a fully-tested report or run several reports in succession, you can run your report in batch using rwrun. This leaves you free to pursue other tasks while your reports are running. You can run reports in batch mode from the command line, or use a command file to specify arguments. A command file can save you a great deal of typing if you wish to run several reports using the same set of arguments. You can also use the Reports Server to batch process reports by specifying BACKGROUND=YES on the command line valid for rwclient or rwservlet to run reports asynchronously the client sends the call to the server, then continues with other processes without waiting for the report job to complete; if the client process is killed, the job is canceled. See also Section 4.7.2, Running a report from the command line Section 4.7.3, Running a report using a command file The Reference Command Line section of the Oracle Reports online Help for information about BATCH and BACKGROUND

2.8.3 About report distribution

Report distribution enables you to design a report that can generate multiple output formats and be distributed to multiple destinations from a single run of the report. You can create distributions for an entire report, and also burst to distribute individual sections of the report. For example, in a single run of a report, you can generate HTML output, send a PostScript version to the printer, and also e-mail any or all sections of the report to a distribution list. To distribute a report, you first define the distribution, then enable the distribution, as described in Section 4.7.12, Distributing a report to multiple destinations . For an example of using section-level distribution, see Chapter 37, Bursting and Distributing a Report . This chapter covers defining distribution of a single section to multiple destinations, using the Repeat On property and distribution XML file. Usage notes ■ You cannot mix character mode and bit-mapped output in one report. The MODE system parameter can only be set to one value per the entire report DEFAULT, BITMAP, or CHARACTER. ■ In order to use the same report definition file to burst and distribute to data-driven formats such as XML and DELIMITEDDATA, as well as to layout-driven formats such as PDF and ENHANCEDSPREADSHEET, you must ensure the following requirements are met: ■ The distribution XML file must specify the include element. For example: Advanced Concepts 2-59 lt;include src=mainSectiongt; ■ The Repeat On property must be set appropriately for the sections specified in the distribution XML file. ■ The sections specified in the distribution XML file in the report paper layout must not be empty. Examples Example 1 You can use sectioning and distribution to publish your report output in HTML, and also send a PostScript version to the printer. Example 2 You can send an executive summary of a report to senior management, and also e-mail detailed breakdowns to individual managers. In this example, a single report with two report sections needs to be created: a portrait-sized summary section and a landscape-sized detail section. Use the Repeat On property to associate the detail section with a data model group that lists the managers and then alter the destination to burst the report on each instance of the data model group to send the output to the appropriate managers. See also Section 2.1.2, About report sectioning and sections Section 4.14.19, Tracing report distribution Chapter Creating Advanced Distributions in the Oracle Fusion Middleware Publishing Reports to the Web with Oracle Reports Servicesmanual.

2.8.3.1 About the DST file

As an alternative to defining the distribution for a report or report section in the Distribution dialog box, you can also create a DST file and specify its name on the command line with the DESTINATION keyword to distribute the report. If a DST file is specified on the command line, the distribution that it defines overrides the distribution defined using the Distribution dialog box. The format of each line of a DST file is as follows: dist_ID : output_def Note: DST files are supported for backward compatibility with prior releases; the preferred and recommended method of distributing reports is with the Distribution dialog box or using XML. Note: If you trace report distribution to identify distribution errors see Section 4.14.19, Tracing report distribution , the trace file format is very similar to the DST file, so you can cut and paste to generate a DST file from the trace file. 2-60 Oracle Reports Users Guide to Building Reports where dist_ID is an identifier for a distribution destination. output_def is a series of rwrun or rwclient command line keywords that specify the distribution definition. In addition, the following parameter is valid: LEVEL specifies the scope of the distribution. Values for LEVEL REPORT means that the distribution applies to the entire report. Header_Section means that the distribution applies to the header section only. Main_Section means that the distribution applies to the main body section only. Trailer_Section means that the distribution applies to the trailer section only. Default REPORT Example The definition in this example sends report output to an HTML file, 3 copies of the main section to a printer, and the header section to a PDF file. ;dst file specified with the DESTINATION keyword on the command line DEST1: DESNAME=dst1.HTM DESTYPE=file DESFORMAT=HTML COPIES=1 LEVEL=Report DEST2: DESNAME=prt1 DESTYPE=printer DESFORMAT=BITMAP COPIES=3 LEVEL=Main_Section DEST3: DESNAME=SECT1.pdf DESTYPE=file DESFORMAT=pdf COPIES=1 LEVEL=Header_Section See also Section 2.1.2, About report sectioning and sections

2.8.4 About pluggable destinations

Pluggable destinations can be used to distribute any content that an engine not only the Oracle Reports engine has created in the Reports Servers cache. Oracle Reports provides the following out-of-the-box destinations: ■ Web ■ printer ■ e-mail ■ file ■ Oracle Portal ■ FTP ■ WebDAV You can also define access to your own custom destination by using the Oracle Reports Java APIs to implement a new destination component in the Reports Server. Note: All parameters for each distribution destination in a DST file DEST1, DEST2, and DEST3 in the example above must be specified on a single line. Specifying parameters on a new line results in failed distribution with error message REP-34304 andor REP-34305. Advanced Concepts 2-61 You can choose for your jobs to use an out-of-the-box destination or your customized destination to determine the destination for the output in the cache. For information and steps to implement and register a destination class, then use the destination with Oracle Reports, see the Oracle FTP Destination tutorial available on the Oracle Reports Plugin Exchange on the Oracle Technology Network OTN: on the Oracle Reports page http:www.oracle.comtechnologyproductsreportsindex.html , click Plugin Exchange. See also Chapter Configuring Destinations for Oracle Reports Services in the Oracle Fusion Middleware Publishing Reports to the Web with Oracle Reports Services manual.

2.8.5 About event-driven publishing