Oracle9i Reports Obsolescence Plan Oracle9i Reports

Statement of Direction

June 17, 2002

INTRODUCTION

Successful businesses know that

presenting their data in a timely and

meaningful way provides a powerful

advantage over the competition. To

that end, businesses continue to

need ever-more-powerful tools for

producing high-quality reports from

the masses of disparate data

sources kept in every major

corporation today.

For many years, Oracle Reports has

maintained its position as the premier reporting tool for Oracle databases by keeping pace with

rapid shifts in technology. As rapidly as technology has shifted, Oracle Reports has moved from

character-based, to graphical-based, to client/server, and now to multi-tier Web-based

development and deployment.

Oracle Reports has always been the reporting tool for use in conjunction with an Oracle

database. But, until now, companies found it difficult to retrieve data outside a relational

database.

Now Oracle9i Reports fills this gap and enables you to combine multiple sources of data into a

single published source—a truly universal publishing solution. Oracle9i Reports makes publishing

information easy by allowing you to access any data, and publish it in any format, anywhere!

This is a list of the new features in Oracle9i Reports:

• JSP and XML-based Report Definition

• New Data Sources: XML, JDBC, Text Files

• Pluggable Data Sources

• Java Importer

• Integration with Oracle9i JDeveloper

• Integration with Oracle9i SCM

• Servlet and JSP Runtime Architecture

• Open API’s – Pluggable Facilities

• Oracle9iAS Reports Services Clustering

• Reports as Oracle9iAS Portal Portlets

• PDF 1.4

• Enhanced Email support

Oracle Reports Statement of Direction 2 6/17/2002

• Enhanced Graphing

• Oracle9iAS Portal Report Import

• Edit Oracle9iAS Discoverer Worksheet Export

• Event-driven publishing

• Enhanced Report Bursting / Distribution

• OEM Integration

• SSO Integration

You can find more information about these exciting new features in Oracle9i Reports in the

“Oracle9i Reports New Features” whitepaper available on OTN

(http://otn.oracle.com/products/reports).

PACKAGING

Development of Oracle9i Reports requires the licensing of Oracle9i Developer Suite

which includes the Oracle9i Reports Developer.

Deployment of Oracle9i Reports requires the licensing of Oracle9i Application

Server. You must have a licensed version of Oracle9i Application Server to deploy

Oracle9i Reports even if you plan on using a third party Application Server.

This paper covers our direction with Oracle9i Reports and is divided into two sections:

• Section 1 - Deprecated functionality

• Section 2 - Obsolete Functionality

Oracle Reports 6i is the last version of Oracle Reports to support both a character-mode and a

client/server GUI reports viewer. Oracle will support Oracle Reports 6i until December 2003, with

extended support available till 2005.. These dates are based on the obsolescence of some

underlying component of Oracle Reports 6i relies upon, including operating systems.

For customers using Oracle Forms 6i, to call Oracle9i Reports, the only change necessary will be

to update the Form from using run_product to run_report_object, since Oracle9i Reports now

runs all reports through the Oracle9i AS Reports Services.

Client/server customers wishing to stay with Oracle Forms 6i and Oracle Reports 6i after

December 2003 will have extended support mode only until 2005 at which time support for

Oracle Reports 6i will cease. At this point, customers may continue to run their applications in an

unsupported mode or choose to migrate to the latest version of the Oracle Forms and Oracle

Oracle Reports Statement of Direction 3 6/17/2002

Reports.

We hope that this document provides you with the information necessary to

prepare for your future reporting needs using Oracle9i Reports. As always, we are interested in

your feedback pertaining to Oracle Reports and our obsolescence plan. Please email your

comments to inforep_us@oracle.com.

Oracle Reports Statement of Direction 4 6/17/2002

SECTION 1 DEPRECATED* FUNCTIONALITY IN ORACLE9i REPORTS

*The functionality is no longer documented and its use is discouraged, as it will be dropped in a subsequent release. However, most existing applications using this functionality will continue to run without modification.

As with any product, time takes its toll on the usefulness of technology. This section

lists those functions that have reached a point where they no longer contribute

significantly to the usefulness of the tool, and alerts you to functions that are no longer

documented. Their use is discouraged, as they will be dropped in a subsequent release of Oracle

Reports.

• User Exits/Call Interface

• Executables

• Command line options

• SRW.SET_ATTR built-in

• Miscellaneous built-ins

• Miscellaneous items

USER EXITS

A user exit is a call to an external function that is executed within Oracle Reports. One of the

issues with User Exits is the need to remake the executables to link in all the User Exits. This

makes troubleshooting and upgrades to the product very difficult. In Oracle9i Reports, you can

call Java methods using the ORA_JAVA package and the Java importer. This reduces the need

to have User Exits in a report and allows for a more open and portable deployment. You may also

use the ORA_FFI package, which provides a foreign function interface for invoking C functions in

a dynamic library. With the availability of these new built-ins, the use of User Exits is discouraged

in Oracle9i Reports, though makefiles will still be supplied to permit you to continue to work with

existing User Exits.

Oracle Reports Statement of Direction 5 6/17/2002

USER EXIT BUILT-INS

Built-in being deprecated Action in Oracle9i Reports

srw.unknown_user_exit Remove srw.unknown_user_exit. Replace with ORA_FFI, or ora_java calls.

srw.user_exit Remove srw.user_exit. Replace with ORA_FFI, or ora_java calls.

srw.user_exit20 Remove srw.user_exit20. Replace with ORA_FFI, or ora_java calls.

Srw.user_exit_failure Remove srw.user_exit_failure. Replace with ORA_FFI, or ora_java calls.

EXECUTABLES

• rwcgi.exe (Win32) and rwcgi(UNIX) - Moving away from using Common Gateway Interface

(CGI), which will no longer be supported after Oracle9i Reports. Use Servlet or JSP instead.

COMMAND LINE OPTIONS

Option Option to use instead

CURRENCY - The currency character

to be used in number formats.

Set the NLS_CURRENCY environment variable. If not set, the

default value is based on the language derived from the

NLS_LANG variable.

THOUSANDS - The thousands

character to be used in number formats.

Set the NLS_NUMERIC_CHARACTERS environment variable for

both the thousands separator and the decimal character. If not set,

the default value is based on the language derived from the

NLS_LANG variable.

DECIMAL - The decimal character to be

used in number formats.

Set the NLS_NUMERIC_CHARACTERS environment variable for

both the thousands separator and the decimal character. If not set,

the default value is based on the language derived from the

NLS_LANG variable.

PROFILE - Name of file that stores

performance statistics.

Use TRACEOPTS=TRACE_PRF to write the specific performance

statistics in the trace file. See the online help for additional options.

ERRFILE - Name of file that stores error

messages.

Use TRACEOPTS=TRACE_ERR to write the specific performance

statistics in the trace file. See the online help for additional options.

LOGFILE - Name of file that stores

status and error output.

Use a third party application to capture screen print.

Oracle Reports Statement of Direction 6 6/17/2002

KEYIN - Name of a keystroke file that

executes at runtime.

Obsolete function with removal of client/server and character mode

GUI.

KEYOUT - Name of a keystroke file that

records at runtime.

Obsolete function with removal of client/server and character mode

GUI.

SRW.SET_ATTR BUILT-IN

The srw.set_attr function was originally designed to save time and resources by changing

attributes within a single built-in function. Over time, each of these functions has become a

separate built-in. The srw.set_attr functionality has remained for compatibility, but has been

documented as a non-recommended approach; we recommend that you use the newer built-in

specified in the following table. Here is an example of srw.set_attr:

If :sal > 2000 then

srw.attr.mask := srw.face_attr +

srw.sz_attr +

srw.weight_attr +

srw.style_attr +

srw.gcolor_attr;

srw.attr.face := ‘times’;

srw.attr.sz := 18;

srw.attr.weight:= srw.bold_weight;

srw.attr.style := srw.underline_style;

srw.attr.gcolor:= ‘blue’;

srw.set_attr (0, srw.attr);

end if;

RETURN (TRUE);

The following code performs the function as the above without using srw.set_attr:

If :sal > 2000 then

srw.set_font_face(‘times’)

srw.set_font_size(18)

srw.set_font_weight(srw.bold_weight)

srw.set_font_style(srw.underline_style)

srw.set_text_color(‘blue’)

end if;

RETURN (TRUE);

Oracle Reports Statement of Direction 7 6/17/2002

The Following table provides the replacement built-in within Oracle9i Reports to be used instead

of the deprecated srw.set_attr masks.

SRW.SET_ATTR MASKS

Description of srw.attr.mask

being deprecated Attributes affected Action in Oracle9i Reports

srw.action_attr srw.attr.action Use srw.set_pdf_action

srw.aftcode_attr srw.attr.aftcode Use srw.set_after_printing_code

srw.aftform_escape_attr srw.attr.aftform_escape Use srw.set_after_form_html

srw.aftpage_escape_attr srw.attr.aftpage_escape Use srw.set_after_page_html

srw.aftreport_escape_attr srw.attr.aftreport Use srw.set_after_report_html

srw.bbcolor_attr srw.attr.bbcolor Use srw.set_background_border_color

srw.befcode_attr srw.attr.befcode Use srw.set_before_printing_code

srw.befform_escape_attr srw.attr.befform_escape Use srw.set_before_form_html

srw.befpage_escape_attr srw.attr.befpage_escape Use srw.set_before_page_html

srw.befreport_escape_attr srw.attr.befreport_escape Use srw.set_before_report_html

srw.bfcolor_attr srw.attr.bfcolor Use srw.set_background_fill_color

srw.bookmark_attr srw.attr.bookmark Use srw.set_bookmark

srw.borderwidth_attr srw.attr.borderwidth Use srw.set_border_width

srw.borderpatt_attr srw.attr.borderpatt Use srw.set_border_pattern

srw.face_attr srw.attr.face Use srw.set_font_face

srw.fbcolor_attr srw.attr.fbcolor Use srw.set_foreground_border_color

srw.ffcolor_attr srw. attr.ffcolor Use srw.set_foreground_fill_color

srw.fillpatt_attr srw.attr.fillpatt Use srw.set_fill_pattern

srw.formatmask_attr srw.attr.formatmask Use srw.set_format_mask

srw.gcolor_attr srw.attr.gcolor Use srw.set_text_color

srw.gspacing_attr srw.attr.gspacing Use srw.set_custom_spacing or

srw.set_spacing

srw.hjust_attr srw.attr.hjust Use srw.set_justification

srw.hyperlink_attr srw.attr.hyperlink Use srw.set_hyperlink

srw.linktag_attr srw.attr.linktag Use srw.set_linktag

srw.printer_intray_attr srw.attr.printer_intray Use srw.set_printer_tray

srw.plain_style srw.attr.plain_style Use srw.set_font_style(srw.plain_style)

srw.italic_style srw.attr.italic_style Use srw.set_font_style(srw.italic_style)

srw.oblique_style srw.attr.oblique_style No longer applicable

Oracle Reports Statement of Direction 8 6/17/2002

Description of srw.attr.mask

being deprecated Attributes affected Action in Oracle9i Reports

srw.underline_style srw.attr.underline_style Use srw.set_font_style(srw.underline_style)

srw.outline_style srw.attr.outline_style No longer applicable

srw.shadow_style srw.attr.shadow_style No longer applicable

srw.inverted_style srw.attr.inverted_style No longer applicable

srw.overstrike_style srw.attr.overstrike_style No longer applicable

srw.blink_style srw.attr.blink_style No longer applicable

srw.sz_attr srw.attr.sz Use srw.set_font_size(size)

srw.plain_texta srw.attr.plain_texta Use srw.set_charmode_text(srw.plain_texta)

srw.reverse_texta srw.attr.reverse_texta Remove srw.set_attr built-in

srw.bold_texta srw.attr.bold_texta Use srw.set_charmode_text(srw.bold_texta)

srw.reversebold_texta srw.attr.reversebold_texta No longer applicable

srw.underline_texta srw.attr.underline_texta Use srw.set_charmode_text(srw.underline_texta)

srw.underlinereverse_texta srw.attr.underlinereverse_texta No longer applicable

srw.underlinebold_texta srw.attr.underlinebold_texta No longer applicable

srw.reverseboldunderline_texta srw.attr.

reverseboldunderline_texta No longer applicable

srw.ultralight_weight srw.attr.ultralight_weight No longer applicable

srw.extralight_weight srw.attr.extralight_weight No longer applicable

srw.light_weight srw.attr.light_weight No longer applicable

srw.demilight_weight srw.attr.demilight_weight No longer applicable

srw.medium_weight srw.attr.medium_weight Use srw.set_font_weight(srw.medium_weight)

srw.demibold_weight srw.attr.demibold_weight No longer applicable

srw.bold_weight srw.attr.bold_weight Use srw.set_font_weight(srw.bold_weight)

srw.extrabold_weight srw.attr.extrabold_weight No longer applicable

Oracle Reports Statement of Direction 9 6/17/2002

MISCELLANEOUS BUILT-INS

The following table lists other deprecated functionality for built-ins.

Built-in parameters being deprecated

Built-in affected Action in Oracle9i Reports

srw.oblique_style srw.set_font_style Applicable for client/server only

NOTE: Font styles to remain:

srw.underline_style

srw.plain.style

srw.italic_style

srw.outline_style srw.set_font_style Applicable for client/server only

srw.shadow_style srw.set_font_style Applicable for client/server only

srw.inverted_style srw.set_font_style Applicable for client/server only

srw.blink_style srw.set_font_style Applicable for client/server only

srw.ultralight_weight srw.set_font_weight

Applicable for client/server only

NOTE: Font weights to remain:

srw.medium_weight

srw.bold_weight

srw.extralight_weight srw.set_font_weight Applicable for client/server only

srw.light_weight srw.set_font_weight Applicable for client/server only

srw.demilight_weight srw.set_font_weight Applicable for client/server only

srw.demibold_weight srw.set_font_weight Applicable for client/server only

srw.extrabold_weight srw.set_font_weight Applicable for client/server only

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS

Description of item Executable Affected Comments

Functionality to imbed an

OLE2 object.

rwbuilder.exe (rwbld60.exe in

6i) (Win32) and

rwbld60(Unix)

This is a client/server mode feature no

longer applicable in the Web environment

and can be mimicked using mime types with

associated plug-ins and hyperlinks.

Oracle Reports Statement of Direction 10 6/17/2002

SECTION 2 OBSOLETE FEATURES IN ORACLE9i REPORTS

This section describes items removed from Oracle9i Reports. By continuing to

remove obsolete functionality (and replacing it with new technology), Oracle9i

Reports ensures that our customers have the functionality they need for successful e-

Business development and deployment. These changes are consistent with moving away from

the client/server model and towards Web-based deployment.

• The rwrun60c character mode viewer (UNIX)

• Client/server GUI report viewer for Reports Runtime executable

• Oracle Graphics

• Miscellaneous items

Oracle Reports Statement of Direction 11 6/17/2002

RWRUN60C EXECUTABLE (UNIX) – CHARACTER-MODE RUNTIME/VIEWER

Oracle9i Reports no longer includes the special character mode runtime user interface

executable (rwrun60c), which was specific to the UNIX operating system.

Note that character-mode reports can still be designed in Reports Builder and character- mode

output produced with Oracle9i Reports by using rwrun.exe with the mode=character option on the

command line.

CLIENT/SERVER USER INTERFACE (GUI) FOR REPORTS RUNTIME (RWRUN) EXECUTABLE

In Oracle9i Reports, the runtime executable (rwrun.exe) no longer displays the Parameter Form

or screen preview (i.e., no graphical user interface for client/server reports). If the report contains

parameters, they must be passed on the command line. If the paramform=yes command line is

used, it will be ignored. If the destype=preview parameter is used, an error will be generated

stating that this format is no longer supported. This makes rwrun.exe equivalent in functionality to

rwclient.exe (i.e., it will run the report through the Reports Server instead of directly calling a

Reports engine). You can still use rwrun.exe to send the output to the file, printer, or other

supported formats.

In Oracle9i Reports, all reports are run through Oracle9iAS Reports Services. This allows you to

take full advantage of the Reports Server for security and distribution functionality. It also allows

for a more streamlined architecture and consistency within the product.

Oracle9i Reports will supply a mechanism that allows users running Oracle Forms 6i applications

to use the Oracle9i Reports Services. To leverage this service from within Forms it is required to

use the run_report_object instead of run_product for running reports. Further information can be

found on the Oracle Technology Network (http://otn.oracle.com) in the Forms Reports integration

paper.

ORACLE GRAPHICS

Oracle Graphics is no longer used to create charts in Oracle9i Reports. Instead, Oracle9i

Reports uses a new Graph Wizard, which will offer a much greater selection of graph types as

well as more control over the look and feel of the graph directly from within Reports Builder.

Existing 6i reports containing Oracle Graphics charts will execute under Oracle9i Reports, but will

require a 6i installation of Oracle Graphics on the same machine in a separate ORACLE_HOME.

This functionality will remain only for the Oracle9i Reports release. We strongly suggest that all

Oracle Graphics objects be recreated using the new Graph Wizard.

Oracle Reports Statement of Direction 12 6/17/2002

Because of the underlying technology, there is no migration path or conversion mechanism

available to convert Oracle Graphics charts to the new Graph Wizard format.

Oracle Graphics executables will not be shipped with Oracle9i Reports:

EXECUTABLES NO LONGER AVAILABLE IN ORACLE9i REPORTS

• Reports Background Engine (rwrbe60.exe) (Win32) and (rwrbe60)(UNIX)—all reports are

now executed through Reports Server, no more direct calls to the Reports Engine. This has

an impact on calling Oracle9i Reports from Oracle Forms using the run_product built-in.

Please review the document Oracle Forms: Features Obsolescence for Release 9i for

information on using run_report_object built-in.

• Reports Engine for OCI (rwisv60.exe) (Win32)—all reports are now executed through

Reports Services, no more direct calls to the Reports Engine.

• Oracle Application Server (OAS cartridge) (rwows60.dll) (Win32) (rwows60.so) (UNIX)—OAS

is no longer supported. Use Servlet or JSP.

• Query Builder (obe60.exe) (Win32)—The stand-alone version of Query Builder is being

removed, but Query Builder will continue to be available from within Reports Builder.

• Oracle Graphics Runtime (gorun60.exe-Win32) (g60runm -UNIX)

• Oracle Graphics Builder (gobld60.exe-Win32) (g60desm - UNIX)

• Oracle Graphics Batch (gobat60.exe-Win32) (g60batm - UNIX)

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS

Item being removed Executable affected

Description/Comments

Ability to create a

button in layout

model.

Reports Builder

(rwbuilder.exe)

and Reports

Runtime

(rwrun.exe)

Removed all functionality of buttons and all properties

associated with them. This is a GUI feature of client/server

mode and is no longer applicable. Use hyperlinks instead. In the

builder, reports containing buttons will have the buttons

converted to text objects.

Oracle Reports Statement of Direction 13 6/17/2002

Item being removed Executable affected

Description/Comments

Define an external

query

(File>New>External

Query)

Reports Builder

(rwbuilder.exe)

This is inconsistent with the current functionality of Data

Modeler. These files contain stand-alone SQL queries stored in

the file system. The Report Wizard still allows you to import a

query from a file into the Data Model.

PVCS, Clearcase for

source control

Reports Builder

(rwbuilder.exe)

PVCS and Clearcase can no longer be used for source control.

Use Oracle9i Software Configuration Manager (Oracle9i SCM).

Ability to open or

save reports to the

database.

Reports Builder

(rwbuilder.exe)

Reports can no longer be saved to/opened from the database.

The only available modes of saving your modules will be directly

to the file system or by saving them into source control (Oracle

9i SCM) using the Check in and Check out capabilities. If you

currently have reports stored in the database, you will need to

open them in a previous version of Oracle Reports and save

them to the file system.

Oracle Reports Call

Interface (OCI) to call

Reports executables

from a 3GL program.

Calling Oracle9i Reports directly from within a 3GL program will

no longer be supported. Sample programs, header files, DLL’s,

and documentation that support OCI are no longer shipped with

Oracle9i Reports. Replace this functionality by using the

rwclient.exe command line interface or JSP tag library

Report on Report

Reports Builder

(rwbuilder.exe)

The srwdoclb.rdf and srwdocpb.rdf will no longer be shipped

with Oracle Reports. These rdf’s were run against rdf’s stored in

the database, reporting on metadata for these reports.

MAPI e-mail protocol Reports Services

(rwserver.exe)

Moving to the Internet standard SMTP protocol.

Oracle drawing

format (files with the

.odf extension)

Reports Builder

(rwbuilder.exe)

(Win32) and

(UNIX)

Oracle drawing format is no longer supported. CGM, TIFF,

JPEG, BMP, PICT, PCX, and GIF are still supported.

ActiveX (or OCX)

control interface to

Reports Server

component.

rwsxa60.ocx

rwsxu60.ocx

The OCX control interface to the Reports Server is no longer

supported. Sample programs, header files, and other files that

used this are no longer shipped with Oracle Reports. Use

rwclient.exe (the command line interface), or open a socket and

communicate over http.

Web Wizard Rwbuilder.exe Replaced with the Insert Bookmards dialog box.

Oracle Reports Statement of Direction 14 6/17/2002

CHANGES TO THE BATCH AND BACKGROUND COMMAND LINE OPTIONS

Executable affected Yes No

RWRUN

Background=YES/NO

YES will generate a warning that this is

obsolete functionality and is ignored.

NO is the default.

RWRUN

Batch=YES/NO

YES is the default.

RWRUN will always run as a batch

command.

NO is obsolete and is ignored as

command will always run as batch.

RWCLIENT

Background=YES/NO

YES will run RWCLIENT

asynchronously. The client is released

to perform the next task.

NO is the default. The client will wait

until the job is finished.

RWCLIENT

Batch=YES/NO

Has never been a valid option Has never been a valid option

RWSERVLET

Background=YES/NO

Yes will run asynchronously. This was

the default mode in Oracle 6i Reports

for destype of printer and file.

NO is the default. Waits until the job is

finished. In Oracle 6i Reports, this was

dependant on the destype. For Oracle9i

Reports, it is standard across all

destypes.

RWSERVLET

Batch=YES/NO

Has never been a valid option. Has never been a valid option.

RWCGI

Background=YES/NO

Same as rwservlet. Same as rwservlet.

RWCGI

Batch=YES/NO

Same as rwservlet. Same as rwservlet.

RWSERVER

Background=YES/NO

Has never been a valid option. Has never been a valid option.

RWSERVER

Batch=YES/NO

No dialog for the server is displayed. NO is the default and the server dialog

box is displayed.

RWBUILDER

Background=YES/NO

Has never been a valid option. Causes

a rep-34551, deprecated feature error,

but continues working.

Has never been a valid option.

RWBUILDER

Batch=YES/NO

Has never been a valid option. Has never been a valid option.

Oracle Reports Statement of Direction 15 6/17/2002

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Oracle Reports Statement of Direction 16 6/17/2002