38 Building a Report with Multibyte Characters for PDF Output

38.1 Prerequisites for this example

To build the example in this chapter, you must have the example files we have provided (see "Example Scenario", above), as well as access to the Order Entry sample schema provided with the Oracle Database. If you do not know if you have access to this sample schema, contact your database administrator. You must also have Acrobat Reader installed on your system.

Perform the following set up activities before you run the report:

1. In the Windows registry, under IDS_HOME in the ORACLE key, set NLS_LANG to AMERICAN_AMERICA.UTF8.

   
   

   Tip: Back up your registry before editing it as working with registry keys can cause the system to become unstable.

   
   

2. Open the uifont.ali file and edit it to specify the TrueType font file name. Type "Arial Unicode MS" = "ARIALUNI.TTF" under the [PDF:Subset] section. After including the line, the uifont.ali file should look like:

   Figure 38-3 uifont.ali file edited to include the TrueType font file name

   
   Description of "Figure 38-3 uifont.ali file edited to include the TrueType font file name"
   
   
   
   

   Note: On Windows, the uifont.ali file is located in: ORACLE_HOME\tools\common. On UNIX, it is located in: ORACLE_HOME/guicommon/tk/admin. The uifont.ali file defines the font aliases used by Oracle Reports and is extremely useful for cross-platform development. This file enables you to define which fonts to substitute when a particular font is unavailable. For more information, see the "Font Related Features" section in the "Using PDF in Oracle Reports" chapter in the Oracle Application Server Reports Services Publishing Reports to the Web manual, available on the Oracle Technology Network Oracle Reports Documentation page (http://www.oracle.com/technology/documentation/reports.html).

   
   

3. In the Windows registry under the Oracle key and IDS_HOME, add the location of the ARIALUNI.TTF TrueType font file to the value of REPORTS_PATH. For example, C:\WINNT\Fonts.

   
   

   Note: Install the TrueType font file ARIALUNI.TTF into C:\WINNT\Fonts, if it is not already there.

   
   

38.2 Create the query and paper layout for a multibyte report

When you create a report, you can use either the Report Wizard to assist you or create the report manually.

To build the report in this example, you will use the Report Wizard. Using the wizard you will specify the layout, style, fields, and template details for the report. You will also provide the SQL query that contains the condition with a runtime user parameter. This parameter allows users to specify the language in which they want the report output printed.

To create a simple report:

1. Launch Reports Builder (or, if already open, choose File > New > Report).

2. In the Welcome or New Report dialog box, select Use the Report Wizard, then click OK.

3. If the Welcome page displays, click Next.

4. On the next page, make sure that Create both Web and Paper Layout is selected, then click Next.

5. On the Style page:

   • Type a Title for your report, such as Product List.

   • Make sure that Tabular is selected.

   • Click Next.

6. On the Data Source page, make sure that SQL Query is selected, then click Next.

7. On the Data page, click Query Builder.

8. In the Select Data Tables dialog box, click PRODUCT_DESCRIPTIONS, then click Include.

9. Click Close.

10. The table is displayed in the Query Builder. Click to the left of the following column names to select them:

    • PRODUCT_ID

    • LANGUAGE ID

    • TRANSLATED_NAME

    • TRANSLATED_DESCRIPTION

11. Click OK.

12. In the Data Source definition field, your query should look something like this:

    SELECT ALL PRODUCT_DESCRIPTIONS.PRODUCT_ID, 
    PRODUCT_DESCRIPTIONS.LANGUAGE_ID, 
    PRODUCT_DESCRIPTIONS.TRANSLATED_NAME, 
    PRODUCT_DESCRIPTIONS.TRANSLATED_DESCRIPTION
    FROM PRODUCT_DESCRIPTIONS
    

    
    

    Note: You can enter this query in any of the following ways: Copy and paste the code from the provided text file called utf8_code.txt into the Data Source definition field. Click Query Builder to build the query without entering any code manually, as described in the steps above. Type the code in the Data Source definition field.

    
    

13. In the Data Source definition field, type where language_id = :p_lang_id, after the FROM clause in the query. This adds the where clause to the query definition The where clause restricts data based on the language selected by the user at runtime.

    Your query should now look like this:

    SELECT ALL PRODUCT_DESCRIPTIONS.PRODUCT_ID, 
    PRODUCT_DESCRIPTIONS.LANGUAGE_ID, 
    PRODUCT_DESCRIPTIONS.TRANSLATED_NAME, 
    PRODUCT_DESCRIPTIONS.TRANSLATED_DESCRIPTION
    FROM PRODUCT_DESCRIPTIONS
    where language_id = :p_lang_id
    

    
    

    Note: The expression, :p_lang_id, when prefixed with a colon is treated as a parameter. If the parameter does not exist, Reports Builder creates the parameter. From here on, you can access this parameter in the User Parameters section under the Data Model node in the Object Navigator.

    
    

14. Click Next.

    Reports Builder displays the following message to indicate that an additional parameter is created:

    Note: The query 'Q_1' has created the bind parameter(s) 'P_LANG_ID'.
    
    

15. Click OK.

16. On the Fields page:

    • Click PRODUCT_ID in the Available Fields list, and click the right arrow (>) to move the field to the Displayed Fields list.

    • Click TRANSLATED_NAME and click the right arrow (>) to move the field to the Displayed Fields list.

    • Click TRANSLATED_DESCRIPTION and then click the right arrow (>) to move the field to the Displayed Fields list.

17. Click Next.

18. On the Totals page, click Next.

19. Click Next on the Labels page.

20. On the Templates page, make sure that Beige is selected and click Finish.

    Reports Builder displays the Runtime Parameter Form because you referenced a user parameter.

21. Type JA, and click the Run Report button to execute the report.

    The report output is displayed in Paper Design view. It should look something like this:

    Figure 38-4 Paper design view of the report without Japanese characters in default setting

    
    Description of "Figure 38-4 Paper design view of the report without Japanese characters in default setting"
    
    
    
    

    Tip: If you do not see any results, make sure that the value JA is typed in capital letters so that data is retrieved from the database for the specified condition.

    
    

    You will not see any Japanese characters yet since a UTF8 TrueType font has not been selected.

22. Save the report as multibyteutf8_your_initials.rdf.

    
    

    Note: When designing a report, it is good practice to save it frequently under a different file name as a precautionary measure. Then, if you need to revisit some of the changes or if you generate an error, you can go back to the previously saved file and make revisions from that point.

    
    

38.3 Display multibyte characters in the report

You have successfully created and executed the report. Next, you have to change the font to a UTF8 multicharacter set TrueType font to see the characters of the language chosen in the report output.

To change the font to a multicharacter TrueType font:

1. In the Paper Design view, Shift-click the values below the Translated Name and Translated Description labels to select all the values in these two columns. You can now change their properties simultaneously.

2. From the font box in the toolbar, choose Arial Unicode MS.

   The report is executed and the Paper Design view of the report output is displayed in Japanese characters. It should look something like this:

Figure 38-5 Paper design view of the report with Japanese characters

Description of "Figure 38-5 Paper design view of the report with Japanese characters"

To run the same report in another language:

To run the same report again with a different runtime parameter and see the output in another language, perform the following steps:

1. Click the Run Paper Layout button in the toolbar, or choose Program > Run Paper Layout.

2. In the Runtime Parameter Form, type the value PL, and click the Run Report button to run the report.

   The Paper Design view of the report output is displayed with Polish characters. It should look something like this:

Figure 38-6 Paper design view of the report with Polish characters

Description of "Figure 38-6 Paper design view of the report with Polish characters"

38.4 Create a PDF document of your report

Reports Builder supports multibyte characters in the PDF format. By generating the PDF file of your report, you have the advantages of being able to:

• create the report output in a portable format.

• use PDF font subsetting and PDF font embedding feature.

  
  

  Tip: Make sure you perform the following steps before you generate the file: Change the registry entry for NLS_LANG to AMERICAN_AMERICA.UTF8. Edit the uifont.ali file. Edit the REPORTS_PATH registry entry. See Section 38.1, "Prerequisites for this example" for more details.

  
  

To generate the PDF file:

1. In Reports Builder, choose File > Generate to File > PDF.

2. Save the report as multibyteutf8_your_initials.pdf.

3. In the Runtime Parameter Form that displays, type the value PL (exactly as shown), and click the Run Report button to execute the report.

   The Report Progress dialog box is displayed and provides the print status of the PDF output. When the PDF is created, this dialog box disappears.

4. Locate the PDF file (multibyteutf8_your_initials.pdf) and double-click to open the file.

It should look something like this:

Figure 38-7 PDF file of the report with Polish characters

Description of "Figure 38-7 PDF file of the report with Polish characters"

38.5 Summary

Congratulations! You have successfully created a report to support any character set in your enterprise. You have used Reports Builder to generate a portable PDF file using font subsetting.

You now know how to:

• create the query and paper layout for the multibyte report using the Report Wizard.

• display multibyte characters using the UTF8 TrueType font.

• create a portable PDF file of your report.

For more information on any of the wizards, views, or properties used in this example, refer to the Oracle Reports online Help, which is available in Reports Builder or hosted on the Oracle Technology Network (OTN), as described in Section 3.1.1, "Using the Oracle Reports online Help".