About Oracle XML Publisher Release 5.6.1

Last revised: Februrary 24, 2006

See Change Record

This document provides a complete, up-to-date description of Oracle XML Publisher Release 5.6.1 (Patch 4905678). You should read and understand all tasks described here before you begin your installation. The most current version of About Oracle XML Publisher Release 5.6.1 is OracleMetaLink Document 357308.1. Please ensure that you have the most current version before you begin.

How to Use this Document

This About Document contains the following information about Oracle XML Publisher Release 5.6.1.

1. New and Changed Features
2. New and Changed Components
3. New and Changed Setup Steps
4. Known Issues
5. Instructions for Applying Oracle XML Publisher Release 5.6.1 
6. Implementation and User Documentation
7. Software Updates
8. About Document Change Record

Target Audience:

• The Business User: Provides knowledge and guidance regarding application functionality.
• The Database Administrator: Installs and configures the Oracle database and maintains database access controls.
• The System Administrator: Responsible for administering systems.

Prerequisite Patch Application Instructions:

1. You must have already completed an installation of, or upgrade to, Oracle Applications Release 11i before advancing to Oracle XML Publisher Release 5.6.1. The patch application instructions in this document are appropriate for starting from any earlier version of Oracle XML Publisher Release 11i. 
2. If you do not already have a running Oracle Release 11i system, then you must first install the Oracle E-Business Suite. Please consult the related installation documentation, located on the Oracle Applications Online Documentation CD on OracleMetaLink.

Additional Product Information:

After you learn which features are new for your installation, you can find related information for those features by referring to the most recent version of your Oracle XML Publisher User and Implementation Documentation and Online Help. You can also use the other sections of this document to learn about product enhancements made to Oracle XML Publisher Release 5.6.1.

1. New and Changed Features

New Features

Data Engine New Features

Distributed Query Support

The XML Publisher data engine now allows you to access data from multiple data sources in a single query. The data template accepts a new "dataSourceRef" attribute for the "dataTemplate" element and the "sqlStatement" element. By specifying this attribute you can direct the data engine to process the query across multiple data sources, which may reside on multiple databases.

Simplified SQL Query Submission

The setSql feature allows you to simply pass SQL statements to the data engine and return XML without having to construct a full data template. The setSQL method will format your XML documents in ROWSET/ROW format. The ROWSET and ROW element names and can be replaced with names you choose, using data engine API methods setRowsetTag() and setRowsTag(), respectively.

RTF Template Enhancements

The following features for RTF templates are now supported:

Hyplerlink support for shapes – You can add a hyperlink to a shape to enable users to click the image in the document and link to an internal or external destination. The link can be static or dynamically determined at runtime.

Bookmark Support - XML Publisher can now generate the bookmark links that display in the PDF navigation pane. These can either be static bookmarks or dynamic and based on the incoming data stream.

Truncate Table Data -You can now choose to truncate data in a table cell that is too big for the cell. Previously all data was wrapped.

Last-page-only content support - You can specify the layout and content of the last page of the report. This is useful for documents such as checks, invoices or purchase orders in which content such as the check or a summary must appear in a specific place only on the last page.

Odd and even header and footer support - You can now define different headers and footers for odd and even pages in your output.

e-Text Template Enhancement

The DEFINE LEVEL command of the e-Text template now supports Group Sort Ascending and Group Sort Descending commands. Use one of these commands to sort the new defined level based on a specified XML element.

XDOLoader Utility

XML Publisher stores the metadata and physical files for templates and data definitions in BLOB columns in its schema. During testing and development you commonly must download information from a development instance to a test instance and then to a production environment. To streamline this process, you can now use the XDOLoader utility in conjunction with FNDLOAD to move the metadata and physical files for your templates and data definitions from one instance to another.

Bursting Engine

XML Publisher now provides a bursting engine capable of taking a data stream and splitting it based on multiple criteria. It will then generate an output based on a tamplate and deliver the individual documents through the delivery channel of choice. The bursting engine is an extension of the document processor engine and has its own method to be called to invoke it. It supports all of the delivery functionality that the document processor supports using the same format. It accepts the XML data to be burst and a control file that takes the document processor XML format.

2. New and Changed Components

This section lists the components that were added or changed for Oracle XML Publisher Release 5.6.1.  The components detailed in this section may have significant impact to existing customizations and/or extensions currently implemented on the system.  Take the necessary steps to review and understand the implications of these updates in these areas. For additional information refer to the Oracle Electronic Technical Reference Manuals (eTRM) located on OracleMetaLink.

• New Public APIs

New Public APIs

Bursting Engine API

The bursting engine is an extension of the document processor engine and his its own method to be called to invoke it. It has the following features:

• Supports the same specifications as the document processor.
• Accepts XML data as an inputstream or file.
• Supports multiple requests, multiple documents, and multiple templates against the same XML data.
• Supports all of the delivery functionality that the document processor supports using the same format.
• Event handling.

The bursting API accepts the XML data file, a control file, and a temporary directory as parameters and delivers the document output based on delivery informatino defined in the control file.

3. New and Changed Setup Steps

This section lists the setup steps that were added or changed for Oracle XML Publisher Release 5.6.1 since the previous release.  Refer to Oracle XML Publisher User's Guide for complete documentation on these features. About Documents for previous Oracle XML Publisher releases are available on OracleMetaLink.

There are no new or changed setup steps for XML Publisher Release 5.6.1.

4. Known Issues

There are no known issues that will prevent you from successfully applying Oracle XML Publisher Release 5.6.1.

However, the following issues regarding XML generation by Oracle Reports are known and may impact your ability to successfully use XML Publisher. The fixes for these problems are provided below:

Oracle Reports 6i does not set the encoding attribute in generated XML output.

This issue affects XML Publisher reports and interfaces used to parse the Reports XML output. The fix has two parts, and is included in 11.5.10 CU2. This issue affects customers having non-UTF8 and non-ASCII Applications environments. The affected customers may choose either of the following options to resolve this issue:

• Option1: Upgrade to Applications Release 11.5.10 CU2, which includes the fix
• Option 2: Apply the following patches:
  • Part1: Fix for Bug 4105297 - Request the controlled release patch 4302733. The passwords can be accessed through the bug.
  • Part2: Fix for Bug 4105369 - Apply 11i.ADXE.1 FEB 2005 CUMULATIVE UPDATE (4175764)

Outdated Arabic message file in Oracle Reports

The following issue is outstanding for Developer 6i Patchset 17 (Developer version 6.0.8.26), and affects all versions of Oracle XML Publisher:

The Unix version of the Arabic message file, r60ar.msb, is outdated. This results in a failure while generating XML Publisher Reports in Arabic on Unix Platforms. This issue will be fixed in Patchset 18. Customers can resolve the issue by applying the patch 4173459 for Solaris platform, or by removing $ORACLE_HOME/reports60/mesg/r60ar.msb for other platforms.

References:

• Refer to the latest 11i Applications Recommended Patch List to see if you should apply any additional Oracle XML Publisher patches on top of Oracle XML Publisher Release 5.6.1. To access the 11i Application Recommended Patch List:
  1. Log on to OracleMetaLink.
  2. On the OracleMetaLink page, click Patches.
  3. Click the eBusiness Suite Recommended Patch List link.
  4. Specify your query criteria to retrieve application recommended patches for your instance.

5. Instructions for Applying Oracle XML Publisher Release 5.6.1

Read these instructions if you are advancing from an earlier version to this Oracle XML Publisher Release 5.6.1. These patch application steps are cumulative and apply to all versions since the base release of 11i.1.

Tasks included in these instructions require use of the AutoPatch, AD Administration, and other AD utilities. For information about how to use these utilities, refer to Oracle Applications Maintenance Utilities, Release 11i .

If you have languages other than American English licensed in your installation, you should apply the translated versions (if they exist) of each Oracle Applications patch referenced in these instructions immediately after applying the American English version, unless the instructions state otherwise.

There may be both technical and functional steps required to apply this patch. Functional steps may require assistance from someone familiar with application setup and use, and with business processes at your enterprise.

Before you apply Oracle XML Publisher 5.6.1 rollup patch...

For the System Administrator...

Ensure that the Business User receives a copy of this document to review the new features included in Oracle XML Publisher Release 5.6.1. Some optional features may require additional patches and technical setup.

For the Business User...

Review this document. This document contains the descriptions of new features that are being delivered by this rollup, implementation steps for these new features, and known issues with Oracle XML Publisher Release 5.6.1.

Pre-install Steps

The following pre-install steps must be completed prior to applying Oracle XML Publisher Release 5.6.1.

Step 1 Shut down all middle tier processes. (Database Administrator) (Required)

Shut down all your middle tier procesess before applying any patches.

Step 2 Apply AD prerequisites (Required)

The following patches are required prior to applying Oracle XML Publisher Release 5.6.1.

1. 4337683 - AD Patch 11i.AD.2.
2. 4104924 - TXK (FND) AutoConfig Template Rollup Patch K (July 2005)
   

Step 3 Apply additional prerequisites (Required).

• 2771817 - OA Self Service Framework V5.7H
• 2949264 - Concurrent Processing Rollup Patch F
• 3043856 - PHP Login Causes Double Decrement of FND_USER.PASSWORD_ACCESSES_LEFT
• 3412795 - ADSPLICE Patch for XDO
• 3641831 - DBI60:RUP4:WF_EVENT_OMB_QH is invalid after applying HR_PF.D
• 3671463 - OA Framework Rollup Patch 5.7H - V6+
• 3942438 - Workflow Directory Services, Version 4 (Role Hierarchy Support)
• 3948369 - AOL Security Rollup Patch I.1
• 3647958 - FND_FUNCTION_SECURITY.MENU inserts menus with menu names as
  FND_MENUS_S.NEXTVAL

Step 4 Oracle Release 11i Use of Multiple Organizations in Oracle Applications (Recommended)

Oracle Applications strongly recommends that our customers convert to Multi-Org as soon as possible. We are making this recommendation in order to prepare for improvements to performance across the Oracle E-Business Suite as well as to prepare for supporting Multi-Org Access Control, an upcoming feature of the Oracle E-Business Suite.

For detailed information, see Release 11i Use of Multiple Organizations in Oracle Applications (OracleMetaLink Document 210193.1).

Functional Prerequisites

Product	Feature	Patch	Patch Description
Application Object Library	One-step reporting with the Concurrent Manager	3435480	Publishing Concurrent Requests with XML Publisher. (Note: This patch is included in the Oracle E-Business Suite 11.5.10 Cumulative Update 1.)

After applying any functional prerequisites...

If you applied patch 3435480, when you restart the middle tier you must ensure that the Concurrent Manager's Output Post Processor is running. See the patch Readme for related documentation.

Applying the Oracle XML Publisher 5.6.1 Rollup Patch...

Oracle XML Publisher Release 5.6.1 contains a unified patch driver and may contain additional driver files to be applied with AutoPatch.  Please apply the driver file on all application tier server nodes. 

u4905678

After applying the unified driver, use AD Administration (adadmin) to compile menu information.

After you apply the Oracle XML Publisher 5.6.1 Rollup Patch...

Post-install Steps

Once you have successfully applied Oracle XML Publisher Release 5.6.1, you must complete these additional steps.

Step 1 Review the Latest 11i Applications Recommended Patch List

Refer to the latest 11i Applications Recommended Patch List to see if you should apply any additional Oracle patches on top of Oracle XML Publisher Release 5.6.1. To access the 11i Application Recommended Patch List:

1. Log on to OracleMetaLink.
2. On the OracleMetaLink page, click Patches.
3. Click the eBusiness Suite Recommended Patch List link.
4. Specify your query criteria to retrieve application recommended patches for your instance.

Step 2 Generate Message Files (Required) (Database Administrator)

Generate message files using the AD Administration utility (adadmin). Within adadmin, choose the Generate Applications Files menu option and choose the Generate message files task. For more information, refer to "Generating Applications Files" in Oracle Applications Maintenance Utilities, Release 11i.

Step 3 Copy Fonts (System Administrator)

This patch installs a set of variable width fonts. Please copy the files from $FND_TOP/resource to the /lib/fonts directory (under OA_JRE_TOP and JRE_TOP) on all Web and concurrent nodes . The font files are:

ALBANYWT.ttf - "single-byte" characters only

ALBANWTJ.ttf - Unicode font with Japanese Han Ideographs

ALBANWTK.ttf - Unicode font with Korean Han Ideographs

ALBANWTS.ttf - Unicode font with Simplified Chinese Han Ideographs

ALBANWTT.ttf - Unicode font with Traditional Chinese Han Ideographs

Please refer to the OracleMetaLink document 240862.1, Install Oracle Unicode Fonts for Dynamic Image Generation in Oracle Applications, for more details.

Step 4 Restart the middle tier processes. (Database Administrator)

Step 5 Run XML Publisher Template Re-Generator concurrent program. (Required for Upgrades Only) (System Administrator)

If you are upgrading from an earlier version of XML Publisher, you must run the XML Publisher Template Re-Generator concurrent program. Use Standard Request Submission to submit this request from the XML Publisher Administrator responsibility. The request will prompt you for the following parameter:

Regeneration Criteria

Select "Outdated" to regenerate only outdated templates.

Select "All" to regenerate all templates.

Step 6 Assign the XML Publisher Administration responsibility to users. (System Administrator)

Assign the XML Publisher Administration responsibility (key = XDO_ADMINISTRATION) to users who will require access to the Template Manager. For instructions on assigning a responsibility to a user, see the Oracle Applications System Administrator's Guide.

Step 7 Assign the XML Report Publisher concurrent program to a request group. (System Administrator)(Conditionally Required)

If you have not applied either Oracle E-Business Suite 11.5.10 Cumulative Update 1 or Application Object Library patch 3435480, which integrates XML Publisher with the Concurrent Manager, you must perform this step.

The XML Report Publisher concurrent program (XDOREPPB) produces the PDF output from the report template and the data source. Assign this request to a request group for users who will be running requests generated by XML Publisher.

From the System Administrator responsibility, navigate to the Request Groups window.
Menu path: Security > Responsibility > Request

Query the request group to which you want to add the program.

Add the "XML Report Publisher" program (shortname XDOREPPB), to the request group.

To see which request group is associated to a responsibility, query the responsibility in the Responsibilities window (menu path:
Security > Responsibility > Define). The Request Group region identifies the report group assigned to the responsibility.

For more information on Request Groups, see the Oracle Applications System Administrator's Guide.

Step 8 Enable PDF Printing in Oracle Applications. (System Administrator)

The "PDF Publisher" print style and PASTA_PDF printer driver provide the capability to print PDF files using a 3rd party utility. You can use this style and driver to print a generated PDF. "--Pasta Universal Printer" type has been associated with the style and driver for ease of use. Please refer to the Readme file of patch 2847981 - PASTA 3.0.2.1 for detailed configuration steps.

Step 9 Specify a temporary directory for XML Publisher. (System Administrator)

Use XML Publisher's Administration interface to assign a temporary directory for the site level. (Navigation: XML Publisher Administrator > Administration > Configuration > General Properties > Temporary Directory).

If you are running XML Publisher on multiple middle tier machines, then you must set the temporary directory at the server level for each machine (unless each machine has the same directory structure for a site-level setting to be meaningful). To set the temporary directory at the server level, you must place a configuration file on each. For more information on setting up a configuration file, see "XML Publisher Configuration File" in the Oracle XML Publisher User's Guide.

Step 10 Run the ConfigLoader Utility (Upgrades Only) (System Administrator) (Optional)

If you are upgrading from a previous release of XML Publisher and you have a preexisting configuration file, you can run the ConfigLoader Utility to migrate your properties from the Configuration File (xdo.cfg) to the database. The command line utility is as follows:

java oracle.apps.xdo.oa.util.ConfigLoader UPLOAD
-DB_USER db_username
-DB_PASSWORD db_password
-JDBC_CONNECTION jdbc_con_string
-LEVEL <SITE/TEMPLATE/DATA_SOURCE>
(-APPS_SHORT_NAME application_short_name)
(-TEMPLATE_CODE template_code)
(-DATA_SOURCE_CODE data_source_code)
(-FONT_MAPPING_CODE font_mapping)
-FILE_NAME file_name

where LEVEL is the level at which to set the properties: SITE, TEMPLATE, or DATA_SOURCE

• If set at the TEMPLATE level, you must supply the APPS_SHORT_NAME and the TEMPLATE_CODE.
• If set at the DATA_SOURCE level, you must supply the APPS_SHORT_NAME and the DATA_SOURCE_CODE.

FILE_NAME is the path to the xdo.cfg file.

To migrate font mappings set up in your configuration file, you must supply a FONT_MAPPING_CODE to assign to the font mappings. Font mappings defined by the <font> element will generate a Font Mapping Set named according to the FONT_MAPPING_CODE appended with _FO. Font mappings defined by the <font-substitute> element will generate a Font Mapping Set named according to the FONT_MAPPING_CODE appended with _PDF. Any font mappings specified in the xdo.cfg will be added to these mapping sets, and these will be assigned to the configuration context. If any of the font mappings are to Truetype font files, the font file itself will be uploaded as well. For more information about font mapping sets, see the Administration section of the Oracle XML Publisher User's Guide .

For the PDF open/permissions password properties, the values of the properties will be encrypted before they are stored in the database. When requerying the properties after they have been entered, the actual value will not be shown in the configuration user interface.

Step 11 Make the Corresponding Oracle XML Publisher Documentation Available to Your Users (System Administrator)

Oracle strongly recommends the installation of documentation patch 5021800. This patch contains important implementation information for new features, end user documentation for new features, and updates to documentation for previously released features.  Applying this documentation patch does not affect any setup or transaction processing. The patch contains only revised text and illustrations that appear when a user reads online help, and does not contain any revised executable files or seed data changes.  This patch may be applied while users are on the system.

Step 12 Download and Install Oracle XML Publisher Desktop (Business User)(Optional)

Patch 4561835 Oracle XML Publisher Desktop 5.5

This patch contains the Template Builder and the Template Viewer, two desktop tools that will increase your productivity using XML Publisher. The Template Builder is an extension to Microsoft Word that simplifies the development of RTF templates. It automates many of the manual steps that would otherwise be required. The Template Viewer is a Java application that facilitates the rapid development of templates by providing advanced preview capabilities. See the patch readme and help files for user documentation and desktop system requirements.

Please note that this component was designed for XML Publisher version 5.5. You can use this version to design your templates, but new features made available in XML Publisher 5.6 and 5.6.1 will not be available in the Template Builder and you will not be able to test the new features using the tool. Please use the guidelines in the Oracle XML Publisher User's Guide to implement the 5.6 and 5.6.1 features. Please check back with this document for the release announcement and patch number for the 5.6.1 Oracle XML Publisher Desktop.

6. Implementation and User Documentation

The corresponding documentation patch for Oracle XML Publisher Release 5.6.1 is patch 5021800. This documentation patch should be applied as a post install step. (See Section  5. Instructions for Applying Oracle XML Publisher Release 5.6.1). The Oracle XML Publisher User's Guide is available as a PDF attachment to this document. The Java reference documents (javadocs) that accompany the API chapter are available in the following zip files:

XML Publisher Release 5.6.1 Core API Javadocs

XML Publisher Release 5.6.1 OA API Javadocs

Additional information including demos and sample templates for XML Publisher can also be found on the Oracle Technology Network.

Note that the Oracle Applications Online Documentation CD is available on OracleMetaLink.  It contains the most current Documentation Library plus all documents revised or released since the creation of the 11i.10 Documentation Library CD. The Virtual Documentation CD is created twice a month.

7. Software Updates

8. About Document Change Record

Date	Description of Change
February 24, 2006	Published document.

Oracle Corporation

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