Hi all,
You can call a PDF file by clicking any column or using URL in Link or Image/Embedded Content Dashboard objects. In order to call the PDF file from your server you need to first create "Virtual Directory" which can be accessed by Oracle Business Intelligence Presentation Services. In this directory you can save your PDF files and call from anywhere using its URL. So lets first deploy the "virtual directory" on weblogic server.
The default installation for Oracle BI EE 11g creates a default directory that can be used for customization. This directory is in <Oracle_Home>:\OracleBI\instances\instance2\bifoundation\OracleBIPresentationServicesComponent\coreapplication_obips1\analyticsRes.
To expose this directory, you must open the WebLogic Administration Console. Open a browser window and in the address bar, enter http://<hostname>:7001/console/login/LoginForm.jsp. The WLS Login window appears.
2. Enter your username and password (for example, weblogic/welcome1) and click Login. The WLS Administration Console appears.
3. Select Deployments from the Domain Structure pane on the left.
The "Summary of Deployments" pane appears on the right.
4. In the Change Center pane on the left (directly above the Domain Structure pane), click Lock & Edit.
All applications are made available for update within the table and the Install button is enabled. Note that the "Lock & Edit" button is now disabled.
5. In the "Summary of Deployments" pane on the right, click the Control tab and then click Install, enabling you to install a new web application. The Install Application Assistant pane appears.
6. a. Select the appropriate folders within the Install Application Assistant pane to navigate to <Oracle_Home>:\OracleBI\instances\instance2\bifoundation\OracleBIPresentationServicesComponent\coreapplication_obips1.The path is automatically entered for you.
b. Select the option button for analyticsRes. This is a valid application for deployment.
7. Click Next and accept the default value "Install this deployment as an application."
8.Click Next. In "Optional Settings - Source accessibility", select the radio button for I will make the deployment accessible from the following location and accept the default path.
9. Click Next to review the summary. In the "Additional configuration" section, ensure that the radio button for Yes, take me to the deployment's configuration screen is selected, and then click Finish.
10. The "Settings for analyticsRes" pane appears. Click Save.
A confirmation message appears above the "Settings for analyticsRes" pane.
11. In the Change Center pane on the left, click Activate Changes.
A second confirmation message appears above the "Settings for analyticsRes" pane.
12. Select Deployments in the Domain Structure pane.
13. Click the Control tab and then select the check box for the analyticsRes application. Notice that the state for analyticsRes appears as Prepared. You need to start the application.
14. Click Start and then select Servicing all requests.
15. Click Yes in the Start Application Assistant pane.
16. The "Summary of Deployments" pane reappears with a confirmation message. Note that analyticsRes now shows a state of Active.
In this way deployment of analyticsRes has been completed.
Storing PDF/test file in deployed directory:
1. Now put your PDF/text file in the deployed directory i.e. under C:\OracleBI\instances\instance2\bifoundation\OracleBIPresentationServicesComponent\coreapplication_obips1\analyticsRes path.
2. Open a browser window and enter http://<hostname>:7001/analyticsRes/test.pdf/test.txt Your test pdf/ file should appear in the browser window.
Calling PDF file dynamically in Analysis.
If you want to call the PDF file dynamically then there should be one column which will hold the name of the PDF. You can create your separate table in DB which will hold the name of the PDF. Let say in presentation you have one dimension as PDF and it contains two column as PDF Number and PDF Name. suppose my PDF names are 41005.pdf,41006.pdf,41007.pdf and so on....no matter number or char as we can cast it
I have to do following things :
1. If my data is in number then cast it to char. to do this hover on column - Click on "Edit Formula" and cast the column from number to char data type.
2. Now to pass the value of the column to browser, hover you mouse pointer over column - select column properties - click on Data Format - enter the following :
@[html]"<a href=http://myservername/analyticsRes/"@H".pdf>"@"</a>"
3. Click on save. Save the analysis.
4. Now click on any PDF file name in analysis,it will pass the value in browser and hit to that particular PDF File on server to open in your browser.
Note : the value you are passing that PDF should exist on the server otherwise it will give server not found error. I will soon post how to overcome server not found issue if PDF does not exists on server.
You can call a PDF file by clicking any column or using URL in Link or Image/Embedded Content Dashboard objects. In order to call the PDF file from your server you need to first create "Virtual Directory" which can be accessed by Oracle Business Intelligence Presentation Services. In this directory you can save your PDF files and call from anywhere using its URL. So lets first deploy the "virtual directory" on weblogic server.
Part 1 :
Deploying analyticRes in OBIEE 11g weblogic server:
The default installation for Oracle BI EE 11g creates a default directory that can be used for customization. This directory is in <Oracle_Home>:\OracleBI\instances\instance2\bifoundation\OracleBIPresentationServicesComponent\coreapplication_obips1\analyticsRes.
To expose this directory, you must open the WebLogic Administration Console. Open a browser window and in the address bar, enter http://<hostname>:7001/console/login/LoginForm.jsp. The WLS Login window appears.
2. Enter your username and password (for example, weblogic/welcome1) and click Login. The WLS Administration Console appears.
3. Select Deployments from the Domain Structure pane on the left.
The "Summary of Deployments" pane appears on the right.
4. In the Change Center pane on the left (directly above the Domain Structure pane), click Lock & Edit.
All applications are made available for update within the table and the Install button is enabled. Note that the "Lock & Edit" button is now disabled.
5. In the "Summary of Deployments" pane on the right, click the Control tab and then click Install, enabling you to install a new web application. The Install Application Assistant pane appears.
6. a. Select the appropriate folders within the Install Application Assistant pane to navigate to <Oracle_Home>:\OracleBI\instances\instance2\bifoundation\OracleBIPresentationServicesComponent\coreapplication_obips1.The path is automatically entered for you.
b. Select the option button for analyticsRes. This is a valid application for deployment.
7. Click Next and accept the default value "Install this deployment as an application."
8.Click Next. In "Optional Settings - Source accessibility", select the radio button for I will make the deployment accessible from the following location and accept the default path.
9. Click Next to review the summary. In the "Additional configuration" section, ensure that the radio button for Yes, take me to the deployment's configuration screen is selected, and then click Finish.
10. The "Settings for analyticsRes" pane appears. Click Save.
A confirmation message appears above the "Settings for analyticsRes" pane.
11. In the Change Center pane on the left, click Activate Changes.
A second confirmation message appears above the "Settings for analyticsRes" pane.
12. Select Deployments in the Domain Structure pane.
13. Click the Control tab and then select the check box for the analyticsRes application. Notice that the state for analyticsRes appears as Prepared. You need to start the application.
14. Click Start and then select Servicing all requests.
15. Click Yes in the Start Application Assistant pane.
16. The "Summary of Deployments" pane reappears with a confirmation message. Note that analyticsRes now shows a state of Active.
In this way deployment of analyticsRes has been completed.
Part 2 :
Storing PDF/test file in deployed directory:
1. Now put your PDF/text file in the deployed directory i.e. under C:\OracleBI\instances\instance2\bifoundation\OracleBIPresentationServicesComponent\coreapplication_obips1\analyticsRes path.
2. Open a browser window and enter http://<hostname>:7001/analyticsRes/test.pdf/test.txt Your test pdf/ file should appear in the browser window.
Part 3 :
Calling PDF file dynamically in Analysis.
If you want to call the PDF file dynamically then there should be one column which will hold the name of the PDF. You can create your separate table in DB which will hold the name of the PDF. Let say in presentation you have one dimension as PDF and it contains two column as PDF Number and PDF Name. suppose my PDF names are 41005.pdf,41006.pdf,41007.pdf and so on....no matter number or char as we can cast it
I have to do following things :
1. If my data is in number then cast it to char. to do this hover on column - Click on "Edit Formula" and cast the column from number to char data type.
2. Now to pass the value of the column to browser, hover you mouse pointer over column - select column properties - click on Data Format - enter the following :
@[html]"<a href=http://myservername/analyticsRes/"@H".pdf>"@"</a>"
3. Click on save. Save the analysis.
4. Now click on any PDF file name in analysis,it will pass the value in browser and hit to that particular PDF File on server to open in your browser.
Note : the value you are passing that PDF should exist on the server otherwise it will give server not found error. I will soon post how to overcome server not found issue if PDF does not exists on server.
