AFM
Acronymn
for Adobe Font Metrics. AFM and PPD files are supplied by Adobe and by
printer
vendors. These files contain information about the printer. Along with other
parameters,
these files are read for the information about the available fonts for the
printer,
which Oracle Reports will use. For all the fonts listed in the PPD file, Oracle
Reports
searches for the corresponding AFM file according to the font name and loads
all
of the fonts for which there is an available AFM.
CGI
Acronym
for Common Gateway Interface. A standard for transferring information
between
a Web server and a CGI program. CGI specifies how to pass arguments to
the
program as part of the HTTP request, and defines a set of environment variables
that
are made available to the program. The program then generates output to pass
back
to the browser. CGI provides server-side processing to allow Web servers to
interact
dynamically with users.
column
1. A
vertical space in a database table that represents a particular domain of data.
A
column
has a column name (for example, ENAME) and a specific datatype (for
example,
CHAR). For example, in a table of employee information, all of the
employees'
names would constitute one column. A record group column
represents
a database column.
2. A
data model object created automatically for each column expression in a query's
SELECT
list, or created manually to perform summaries, formulas, or act as a
placeholder.
3.
The representation of an attribute of an entity.
data
model
A
relational model that defines what data should be fetched from the data
source(s),
what
values should be computed, and how data should be ordered in a report. Reports
Builder
objects that define the data model are queries, groups, columns, parameters,
and
links.
Data
Model view
One
of the views of the Report Editor that displays a structural representation of
the
data
in a report. The objects do not appear in the report output, but the structure
determines
the layout style, and the data objects provide the values that appear in the
layout
objects.Glossary-2
database
1. A
set of dictionary tables and user tables that are treated as a unit.
2.
(Oracle Express) A single file (possibly accompanied by extension files) that
contains
objects that organize, store, and manipulate data. In Express, examples of
such
objects are variables, dimensions, formulas, models, and programs.
data
source
A
source for data returned by a query, including database objects such as tables,
views,
synonyms, snapshots, and queries stored as views. OracleAS Reports Services
enables
you to access any data source.
The
new pluggable data source (PDS) architecture replaces Oracle Open Client
Adapter
(OCA), and the Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) drivers are no longer
supported
in Oracle Reports 10g. However, Java Database Connectivity (JDBC) is one
of
the pluggable data sources available that can utilize the JDBC-ODBC bridge,
allowing
access to other data sources.
detail
query
When
defining a master/detail report, the detail query retrieves all related records
for
each
record retrieved by the master, or parent, query.
dialog
box
A
partial screen or window that prompts you to enter information necessary to
complete
an operation.
disabled
An
interface element state that means a menu item, button, and so on, cannot be
used
in
the current context (that is, it does not respond to keyboard or mouse input).
enabled
An
interface element state that means that a menu item, button, and so on, can be
used
in
the current context (that is, it responds to keyboard or cursor/mouse input).
field
1. An
interface element in which you enter, edit, or delete data.
2. A
layout object that defines how the data for a specific query column appears.
foreign
key
A
value or column in one table that refers to a primary key in another table.
format
mask
A
setting that defines the appearance of the value of a field. For example, a
format
mask
is used to specify the display of currency amounts and dates.
format
trigger
A
PL/SQL function that enables you to dynamically change the formatting
attributes
of an
object. Glossary-3
formula
column
A
user-created column that gets its data from a PL/SQL function or expression, a
SQL
statement,
or a combination of these.
frame
A
layout object used to enclose other layout objects and control the formatting,
frequency,
and positioning of several objects simultaneously.
group
1. In
Reports Builder, a data model object that is created automatically to contain
all
the
columns selected by a query, or created by the user to modify the hierarchy of
the
data appearing in a report; it is used primarily for creating breaks in a
report,
as
well as for resetting computations.
2. An
object that is composed of several other objects.
HTML
Acronym
for HyperText Markup Language. A tag-based ASCII language used to
specify
the content and links to other documents on Web servers on the Internet. End
users
with Web browsers view HTML documents and follow links to display other
documents.
HTTP
Acronym
for HyperText Transfer Protocol. The protocol used to carry Web traffic
between
a Web browser computer and the Web server being accessed.
hyperlink
A
reference (link) from some point in one document to (some point in) another
document
or another place in the same document. A Web browser usually displays a
hyperlink
in some distinguishing way (in a different color, font or style). When users
activate
hyperlinks (by clicking on them with a mouse) the browser displays the target
of
the link.
IANA
Acronym
for Internet Assigned Numbers Authority. An organization working under
the
auspices of the Internet Architecture Board (IAB) that is reponsible for
assigning
new
Internet-wide IP addresses. IANA-defined character sets refers to those
character
sets
that can be defined for the charset tag and may be used in the Internet.
icon
A
graphic representation of a window or tool.
image
A
bitmapped object that can be stored and loaded into an application. The client
cannot
modify an imported image.
intranet
An
internal TCP/IP network, access to which is restricted (through a firewall) to
individuals
inside the company or organization. An intranet provides similar services
within
an organization to those provided by the Internet, but is not necessarily
connected
to the Internet. A common example of an intranet is when a company sets
up
one or more Web servers on an internal network for distribution of information
or
applications
within the company. Glossary-4
Java
A
computer language that supports programming for the Internet in the form of
platform-independent
"servlets" or "applets".
JAR
Acronym
for Java ARchive. A file used for aggregating many files (Java class files,
images,
and so on) into one file.
J2EE
Acronym
for Java 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition. An environment for developing and
deploying
enterprise applications in Java consisting of a set of services, application
programming
interfaces, and protocols that provide for developing multitiered,
Web-based
applications.
JSP
Acronym
for JavaServer Page. JSP technology is an extension to the Java Servlet
technology
from Sun Microsystems that provides a simple programming vehicle for
displaying
dynamic content on a Web page. JSP is a server-side technology. A JSP is an
HTML
page with embedded Java source code that is executed in the Web server or
application
server. The HTML provides the page layout that is returned to the Web
browser,
and the Java provides the business logic.
margin
An
optional report region that appears at the top and bottom of each logical page
in a
report
section (Header, Main, or Trailer). The margin may include any layout object,
but
typically contains boilerplate and fields (for page numbers, page totals, grand
totals,
and current date and time).
object
1. An
item that can be placed on the layout. The following are examples of objects:
rectangle,
line, ellipse, arc, polygon, polyline, rounded rectangle, freehand, chart,
text,
symbol, and text field.
2. In
an Oracle database, an instance of an object type. An object can be a row in an
object
table, or the portion of a row contained in a column object in a relational
table.
Object
Navigator
A
hierarchical browsing and editing interface that enables you to locate and
manipulate
application objects quickly and easily. Features include:
■ A hierarchy
represented by indentation and expandable nodes (top-level nodes
show
module types, database objects, and built-in packages), enabling tasks such
as
creating, editing, renaming, and deleting objects.
■ A find field and
icons, enabling forward and backward searches for any level of
node
or for an individual item in a node
■ Icons in the
horizontal toolbar replicating common File menu functions
Oracle
Application Server (OracleAS)
A
strategic platform for network application deployment. By moving application
logic
to
application servers and deploying network clients, organizations can realize
Glossary-5
substantial
savings through reduced complexity, better manageability, and simplified
development
and deployment. OracleAS provides the only business-critical platform
that
offers easy database Web publishing and complete legacy integration while
transitioning
from traditional client/server to network application architectures.
Oracle
Developer Suite
Combines
leading Oracle application development and business intelligence tools into
a
single, integrated product. Built on Internet standards such as Java and XML,
the
suite
provides a complete and highly productive development environment for
building
applications for Oracle Application Server and the Oracle database.
ORACLE_HOME
An
alternate name for the top directory in the Oracle directory hierarchy on some
directory-based
operating systems. An environment variable that indicates the root
directory
of Oracle products.
You
can refer to the directory specified by ORACLE_HOME in syntax:
On
UNIX: $ORACLE_HOME
On
Windows: %ORACLE_HOME%
OracleAS
Portal
A
browser-based development tool for building scalable, secure, extensible HTML
applications
and Web sites. OracleAS Reports Services uses OracleAS Portal to control
end
user access to reports published on the Web by storing information about report
requests,
the secured server, and any OracleAS Reports Services printer used to print
report
output.
Paper
Design view
One
of the views of the Report Editor that displays output for paper reports and
enables
you to make many commonly required, simple modifications to the layout,
such
as spacing, formatting fields, color, and editing text, without having to open
the
Paper
Layout view.
Paper
Layout view
One
of the views of the Report Editor that displays the layout objects in a paper
report
and
enables you to make many modifications to any layout object. All layout objects
have
properties that you can modify using the Property Inspector. The hierarchy of
the
layout
objects is determined by the Data Model.
Paper
Parameter Form view
Displays
the layout of the Parameter Form that, at runtime, allows user input of
parameter
values in the Runtime Parameter Form.
PDF
Acronym
for Portable Document Format. A file format (native for Adobe Acrobat) for
representing
documents in a manner that is independent of the original application
software,
hardware, and operating system used to create the documents. A PDF file
can
describe documents containing any combination of text, graphics, and images in
a
device-independent
and resolution independent format.Glossary-6
PL/SQL
Oracle's
proprietary extension to the SQL language. Adds procedural and other
constructs
to SQL that make it suitable for writing applications.
PPD
Acronymn
for PostScript Printer Definition. PPD and AFM files are supplied by
Adobe
and by printer vendors. These files contain information about the printer.
Along
with other parameters, these files are read for the information about the
available
fonts for the printer, which Oracle Reports will use. For all the fonts listed
in
the
PPD file, Oracle Reports searches for the corresponding AFM file according to
the
font
name and loads all of the fonts for which there is an available AFM.
Property
Inspector
A
window that enables you to view, locate, and set the properties of the
currently
selected
object(s) in the Object Navigator, Report Editor, and Template Editor. Every
Reports
Builder object (query, group, frame, parameter, and so on) has associated
properties
that can be viewed using the Property Inspector. The Property Inspector
features:
■ expandable and
collapsible nodes
■ in-place property
editing
■ search features
■ multiselection
■ complex property
dialogs
■ the ability to
invoke multiple instances of the Property Inspector
To
get help on any property, click the property in the Property Inspector and
press F1.
query
A SQL
SELECT statement that specifies the data you wish to retrieve from one or more
tables
or views of a database.
RDF
file
A
file that contains a single report definition in binary format. .RDF files are
used to
both
run and edit reports.
record
One
row fetched by a SQL SELECT statement.
REP
file
A
file that contains a single report definition in binary format. .REP files are
used
solely
to run reports; you cannot edit a .REP file.
repeating
frame
A
layout object used to display rows of data that are fetched for a group.
Reports Cache
A
component of OracleAS Reports Services that stores completed jobs
output.Glossary-7
Reports
CGI (rwcgi)
An
Oracle Reports executable, also known as the Common Gateway Interface (CGI) or
Reports
Web Cartridge, that translates and delivers information between either a Web
Server
or a J2EE Container (for example, OC4J) and the Reports Server, to run a report
dynamically
from your Web browser.
Reports
Client (rwclient)
An
Oracle Reports executable that provides a command-line interface to send a
report
to a
remote Reports Server (rwserver).
Report
Editor
The
Reports Builder window that provides different views to help you handle the
data
objects
and layout objects for Web and paper reports. The views are:
■ Data Model view
■ Paper Layout view
■ Paper Design view
■ Paper Parameter
Form view
■ Web Source view
Reports
Engine
A
component of OracleAS Reports Services that fetches data from the data source,
formats
the report, send output to cache, and notifies the Reports Server that the job
is
ready.
Reports
Builder (rwbuilder)
An
Oracle Reports executable that provides a design-time user interface to enable
report
developers to create and maintain report definitions.
Reports
Queue Manager (rwrqm)
(Windows
only) Maintains timestamp and status information about reports jobs
managed
by the Reports Server (rwserver).
Reports Runtime (rwrun)
An
Oracle Reports executable that runs a report using the OracleAS Reports
Services
in-process
Reports Server.
Reports
Server (rwserver)
An
Oracle Reports executable that provides reporting services to execute,
distribute,
and
publish your reports for enterprise-wide reporting. A component of OracleAS
Reports
Services that processes client requests, including user authentication,
scheduling,
caching, and report distribution. Use Oracle Reports clients such as
rwservlet,
Reports JSP, CGI, and rwclient send a report to Reports Server.
Note:
With Oracle Reports 10g, Reports CGI (rwcgi) is
deprecated
(maintained only for backward compatibility); instead,
use
Reports JSPs, rwservlet (Reports Servlet), or Reports Web
Services.Glossary-8
Reports
Services
The
runtime environment for Reports Developer applications. OracleAS Reports
Services
executes, distributes, and publishes your reports for enterprise wide
reporting.
Using OracleAS Reports Services to deploy your reports results in gains of
flexibility,
time savings, and processing capacity.
Reports
Servlet (rwservlet)
A
component of OracleAS Reports Services that translates and delivers information
between
either a Web Server or a J2EE Container (for example, OC4J) and the Reports
Server,
enabling you to run a report dynamically from your Web browser.
row
One
set of field values in a table; for example, the fields representing one
employee in
the
example table EMP.
Runtime
Parameter Form
A
screen or window appearing optionally at runtime in which a user can modify
print
options
and parameters prior to report execution.
schema
A
collection of related database objects, usually grouped by database user ID.
Schema
objects
include tables, views, sequences, stored program units, synonyms, indexes,
clusters,
and database links.
SELECT
statement
A SQL
statement that specifies which rows and columns to fetch from one or more
tables
or views.
servlet
A
Java application that runs in a Web server or application server and provides
server-side
processing, typically to access a database or perform e-commerce
processing.
Because they are written in Java, servlets are portable between servers and
operating
systems.
The
Reports Servlet (rwservlet) and JSP are components of OracleAS Reports
Services
that process custom (JSP) report tags and deliver information between the
Oracle
HTTP Server and the Reports Server.
SQL
A
standard interface for storing and retrieving information in a relational
database.
SQL
is an acronym for Structured Query Language.
SQL
file
A
file that contains a query stored in text (for example, ASCII or EBCDIC)
format.
SQL
script
A
file containing SQL statements that you can run to perform database
administration
quickly
and easily. Several SQL scripts are shipped with Oracle products.
SQL
statement
A SQL
instruction to Oracle. A SELECT statement is one type of SQL statement.
Glossary-9
style
sheet
HTML
extensions that provide powerful formatting flexibility in HTML documents.
To view
an HTML document that takes advantage of style sheets, display it in a
browser
that supports style sheets.
table
A
named collection of related information, stored in a relational database or
server, in
a
two-dimensional grid that is made up of rows and columns.
tabular
A
default layout displaying labels at the top of the page and rows of data
underneath
the
labels.
template
A
skeleton definition containing common style and standards, and may include
graphics.
A template provides a standard format to enable quick and easy
development
of professional standard look-and-feel reports.
Template
Editor
A
work area in which you can define objects and formatting properties for your
templates.
It is similar to the Paper Layout view of the Report Editor. You can create,
delete,
and modify objects (for example, page numbers, text, and graphics) in the
margin
area. You cannot create and delete objects in the body area, but you can
modify
the properties of body objects in the Property Inspector.
tool
An
iconic button used to create and manipulate objects in an application.
tool
palette
A
collection of tools represented by iconic buttons in the user interface that
allow a
report
developer to perform tasks, such as drawing a rectangle in the Paper Layout
view
or creating a query in the Data Model view.
toolbar
A
collection of iconic buttons that perform product commands. Usually aligned
horizontally
along the top, or vertically down the side of a window.
URL
Acronym
for Uniform Resource Locator. A compact string representation of the
location
for a resource that is available through the Internet. It is also the text
string
format
clients use to encode requests to OracleAS.
view
1. In
Reports Builder, a work area in which you perform a specific set of tasks, such
as
defining a report data model, layout, or Parameter Form.
2. A
virtual table whose rows do not actually exist in the database, but which is
based
on a table that is physically stored in the database.
Web
browser
A
program that end users utilize to read HTML documents and programs stored on a
computer
(serviced by a Web server).Glossary-10
Web
server
A
server process (HTTP daemon) running at a Web site which sends out Web pages in
response
to HTTP requests from remote Web browsers.
Web
Source view
One
of the views of the Report Editor that displays the HTML or JSP source for a
report.
You can use this view to add dynamic content to a Web page using the Report
Block
Wizard and the Graph Wizard. Experienced Java developers can edit the Web
source
directly in this view.
wizard
A
step-by-step interface for commonly performed tasks. The wizards in Reports
Builder
are:
■ Report Wizard:
guides you through the steps to create a basic paper or Web
report.
Each page of the wizard asks you for information to help you create your
initial
report.
■ Data Wizard: helps
you helps you quickly define or modify a query for a
multiquery
data models.
■ Graph Wizard: Adds
variety of charts and graphs, including true 3-dimensional
graphs.
Implemented in Reports Builder with the Oracle BI graph bean.
■ Report Block
Wizard: enables you to add data to a static HTML page.
XML
Acronym
for Extensible Markup Language. A metalanguage using SGML to define
and
structure data. Reports Builder supports XML output to enable Web publishing as
well
as electronic data exchange with third-party applications. You can also use XML
to
build report definitions that can be merged with other report definitions at
runtime
or
run separately
