Most Frequently Asked Oracle BI Publisher Interview Questions and Answers
1. Question 1. What Is Bi
Publisher?
Answer :
It is a reporting tool for
generating the reports. More than tool it is an engine that can be integrated
with systems supporting the business.
2. Question 2. Is Bi Publisher
Integrated With Oracle Apps?
Answer :
Yes, it is tightly integrated
with Oracle Apps for reporting needs. In 11.5.10 instances xml publisher was
used, in R12 we can it BI Publisher.
3. Question 3. What Is The
Difference Between Xml Publisher And Bi Publisher?
Answer :
Name is the difference,
initially it was released on the name of xml publisher( the initial patchset),
later on they have added more features and called it Business Intelligence
Publisher. In BI by default we have integration with Datadefinitions in R12
instance. Both these names can be used interchangeably.
4. Question 4. What Are The
Various Components Required For Developing A Bi Publisher Report?
Answer :
Data Template, Layout template
and the integration with Concurrent Manager.
5. Question 5. How Does The
Concurrent Program Submitted By The User Knows About The Data Template Or Layout
Template It Should Be Using For Generating The Output?
Answer :
The concurrent program
‘shortname’ will be mapped to the ‘code’ of the Datatemplate. Layout template
is attached to the datatemplate, this forms the mapping between all the three.
6. Question 6. What Is A Data
Template?
Answer :
Datatemplate is an xml
structure which contains the queries to be run against the database so that
desired output in xml format is generated, this generated xml output is then
applied on to the layout template for the final output.
7. Question 7. What Is A Layout
Template?
Answer :
Layout template defines how
the user views the output, basically it can be developed using Microsoft word
document in rft (rich text format) or Adobe pdf format. The data output in xml
format (from Data template) will be loaded in layout template at run time and
the required final output file is generated.
8. Question 8. What Are The
Output Formats Supported By Layout Template?
Answer :
xls, html, pdf, eText etc are
supported based on the business need.
9. Question 9. Do You Need To
Write Multiple Layout Templates For Each Output Type Like Html/pdf?
Answer :
No, only layout template will
be created, BI Publisher generates desired output format when the request is
run.
10. Question 10. What Is The
Default Output Format Of The Report?
Answer :
The default output format
defined during the layout template creation will be used to generate the
output, the same can be modified during the request submission and it will
overwrite the one defined at layout template.
11. Question 11. Can You Have
Multiple Layout Templates For A Single Data Template?
Answer :
Yes, multiple layouts can be
defined, user has a choice here to use one among them at run time during conc
request submission.
12. Question 12. Where Do You
Register Data And Layout Templates?
Answer :
Layout template will be
registered under xml publisher administrator responsibility>Templates tab.
Data template will be
registered under xml publisher admininstrator responsibility> Data
Definitions.
13. Question 13. I Want To Create
A Report Output In 10 Languages, Do I Have To Create 10 Layout Templates?
Answer :
No, BI Publisher provides the
required translation for your templates, based on the number of languages installed
in your oracle apps environment requires outputs are provided.
14. Question 14. What Is The
Required Installation For Using Bi Pub Report?
Answer :
BI Publisher desktop tool has
be installed. Using this tool you can preview or test the report before
deploying the same on to the instance.
15. Question 15. How Do You Move
Your Layout Or Data Template Across Instances?
Answer :
xdoloader is the utility that
will be used.
16. Question 16. What Is The Tool
To Map Required Data Output And Layout Templates So That They Can Be Tested In
Local Machine?
Answer :
Template viewer will be used
for the same.
17. Question 17. Which Component
Is Responsible For Generating The Output In Xml Format Before Applying It To
Layout Template?
Answer :
DataEngine will take
DataTemplate as the input and the output will be generated in xml format which
will then be applied on layout template.
18. Question 18. Can Bi Publisher
Reports Be Used In Oaf Pages?
Answer :
XDO template utility helper
java classes are provided for the same.
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19. Question 19. Name Some
Business Use Cases For Bi Reports?
Answer :
Bank EFT, customer documents,
shipping documents, internal analysis documents or any transactional documents.
20. Question 20. How Do You Pass
Parameters To Your Report?
Answer :
Concurrent program parameters
should be passed, ensure that the parameter name/token are same as in the conc
prog defn and the data template.
21. Question 21. What Are The
Various Sections In The Data Template?
Answer :
o
Parameter section
o
Trigger Section
o
Sql statement
section
o
Data Structure
section
o
Lexical Section
22. Question 22. What Does Lexical
Section Contain?
Answer :
The required lexical clause of
Key Flex field or Descriptive FF are created under this section.
23. Question 23. What Triggers Are
Supported In Data Template?
Answer :
Before report and After report
are supported.
24. Question 24. Where Is The
Trigger Code Written?
Answer :
The code is written in the
plsql package which is given under ‘defaultpackage’ tag of data template.
25. Question 25. What Is The File
Supporting The Translation For A Layout Template?
Answer :
xliff is the file that
supports the translation, you can modify the same as required.
26. Question 26. How Do You
Display The Company Logo On The Report Output?
Answer :
Copy and paste the logo (.gif.
or any format) on the header section of .rtf file. Ensure you resize per the
company standards.
27. Question 27. How To Upload Rtf
Template From Backend?
Answer :
Using XDO Loader, we can
upload an RTF from Backend.
28. Question 28. How To Map Rtf
Template Via Backend?
Answer :
Using FND_PROGRAM.ADD_TEMPLATE
api we can map.
29. Question 29. What Are The
Executable And Concurrent Program Used To Develop A Report Without Rdf?
Answer :
XDODTEXE is used as
Executable, Java Concurrent Program is used Concurrent Program for
developing a report without RDF.
30. Question 30. How To Repeat The
Header Of The Template On Each And Every Page Of The Output?
Answer :
Use <?@section: ?> in
order to repeat that specific section in each page of the
output.also to reset the page number.
31. Question 31. How Many Ways We
Can Display Images In A Bi Publisher Report?
Answer :
It can be done in
5 ways:
o
Direct
Insertion into RTF Template
o
URL
Reference
o
OA_MEDIA
directory reference
o
Image from
BLOB datatype from database
o
Using UI
Beans
32. Question 32. What Are The Xml
Publisher Tables?
Answer :
PER_GB_XDO_TEMPLATES
XDO_DS_DEFINITIONS_B
XDO_DS_DEFINITIONS_TL
XDO_DS_DEFINITIONS_VL
XDO_LOBS
XDO_TEMPLATES_B
XDO_TEMPLATES_TL
XDO_TEMPLATES_VL
XDO_TEMPLATE_FIELDS
XDO_TRANS_UNITS
XDO_TRANS_UNIT_PROPS
XDO_TRANS_UNIT_VALUES
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