SQL*Reportwriter

From Oracle FAQ

SQL*ReportWriter (sqlrep) was a general purpose tool for developing and executing reports against the Oracle database. It was designed for application developers who knew the SQL language. Information was entered into SQL*ReportWriter through its fill-in-the-forms interface.

[edit] History

Reportwriter, together with SQL*Forms, shipped with the database software up to Oracle 7.2. SQL*Reportwriter was superseded by Oracle Reports.

[edit] Elements of a report

A SQL*ReportWriter report is made up of the following objects:

• Queries define the data to be retrieved from the database.
• Fields represent column expressions and report calculations from SELECT statements and describe how each is to be displayed.
• Groups contain sets of fields. Groups are used to describe each section or subsection in the report and its relationships, as well as to dictate control breaks for subtotalling purposes.
• Summaries similar to fields, except they display subtotals and grandtotals rather than data directly from a query.
• Texts contain fields, summaries, and parameter references, combined with literal strings, such as titles, and define the final report format.
• Report object defines the page size, margins, parameter form text, comments, security, and history of the report.
• Parameters contain literal values that you supply at runtime to control the behaviour of the report. You can vary the data, routing of the output, and select national language settings.