PT 8.59
Randall Groncki

Introduction

Using PeopleTools, we can generate BI Publisher reports containing images from our PeopleSoft environment. For example, an employee report listing with the employee’s photo or an asset report containing the item pictures.

To accomplish this, we need to use several technologies previously covered:
• Create an XML File with PeopleTools using the Rowset Method
• Invoke BI Publisher with PeopleCode
• Using Design Time Images in PeopleTools
• User Uploaded Images in PeopleTools
• File Image Utilities PeopleSoft forgot

Demo Example

Our example is a Manager’s Team Member report. This report (Example right) shows the basic information about a manager’s direct reports:
• Name
• Job Info
• Basic Contact Info
• Photo

We pull each photo from the database as we create the report.

In the case an employee does not have a photo, a “Dummy” silhouette is displayed for UI Consistency.

Approach Overview: How are we going to do this?

PeopleTools

Create views of our data for easier data capture
• Create a Parent/Child Rowset using these view Record Definitions to hold the data
• Send each employee photo to the file server and read it back using the File Object’s Base64 method
• Place that photo’s Base64 string into a Long Field on the view records
• Use the Rowset Method to create an XML String
• Send that XML String to a file
• Use BI Publisher Delivered App Packages to generate the report

BI Publisher Template

Use an RTF template for this report
• Use the fo:instream-foreign-object function to transform the Base64 string into an image
• Use conditional areas to deal with missing photos

Record Definitions

We need to send an extremely long string containing the Base64 encoded photo from PeopleTools to BI Publisher.
X_EMPLOYEE_PHOTO is a type LONG field added to both the parent and child records of the data structure. This is the field that will hold the encoded photo of each employee.

Structure

X_PT3_TEAM_SRCH
• Parent Record
• Contains the Manager’s data and photo
• One record per report
X_PT3_TEAM_VW
• Child Record
• Team Member reporting to Manager in Parent Record
• One row per each employee reporting to manager

/* create rowsets */
&RS_X_PT3_TEAM_VW = CreateRowset(Record.X_PT3_TEAM_VW); /* child rowset */
&RS_X_PT3_TEAM_SRCH = CreateRowset(Record.X_PT3_TEAM_SRCH, &RS_X_PT3_TEAM_VW); /* parent rowset */

Data Load App Package

I’ve created a custom App Package/App Class to contain all the code to load the data for our demonstration.

The X_Print_Team_List_With_Photo() class contains all the methods and properties referenced in this doc. All the objects used in this demonstration are available on PeopleToolsTechTips.com and github.com/PeopleToolsTechTips

The core of this App Package is the LoadEmployeeImage() method. This method:
• Uses a view to convert the EMPL_PHOTO table to an attachment record
• Uses the GetAttachment() function to move the image to a file
• Opens that file and uses the file object’s GetBase64StringFromBinary() function to read it back as a Base64 string
• Returns the Base64 string for load into the X_EMPLOYEE_PHOTO field on each record

method LoadEmployeeImage
   /+ &Emplid as String +/
   /+ Returns String +/
   
   Local File &Image_File;
   Local string &Base64String, &NewFileName, &FQ_Filename_path;
   Local integer &retcode;
   
   &NewFileName = %UserId | %Datetime | ".jpg";
   &Image_File = GetFile(&NewFileName, "W");
   &FQ_Filename_path = &Image_File.Name;
   &Image_File.Close();

   &retcode = GetAttachment("record://X_EPHOTO_VW", &Emplid, &FQ_Filename_path);
      
   If &retcode < 2 Then
      &Image_File = GetFile(&FQ_Filename_path, "R", %FilePath_Absolute);
      &Base64String = &Image_File.GetBase64StringFromBinary();
      &Image_File.Close();
   End-If;
   
   /* delete file */
   &Image_File = GetFile(&FQ_Filename_path, "R", %FilePath_Absolute);
   &Image_File.Delete();
   
   <* this makes the xml file unnecessarily large with a repeated default image
   If None(&Base64String) Then
      &Base64String = %This.LoadDummyImage();
   End-If;                            *>   
   
   Return &Base64String;
end-method;

Create the XML File

After the Rowset is loaded with the manager header and all the reports in the child Rowset, convert that rowset to an XML string using the delivered PSXP_XMLGEN:RowSetDS class.

Write the resulting string to a file.

&oXML_GENERATOR = create PSXP_XMLGEN:RowSetDS();
&my_xml = &oXML_GENERATOR.getXMLData(&RS_Team_List, "");

&Str_Filename = "Team_Listing_" | %UserId | ".xml";
&oXML_File = GetFile(&Str_Filename, "W", "UTF8");
&oXML_File.WriteLine(&my_xml);

/* save file name and path for publishing */
&XML_Filename_path = &oXML_File.Name;
&oXML_File.Close();

BI Publisher Template

Use an RTF template for this report.

The images will be placed in the 1st box on of the grid.

fo:instream-foreign-object

The fo:instream-foreign-object() function enables us to insert an Base64 encoded image from our XML File into our BI Publisher RTF Template.

<fo:instream-foreign-object content-type="image/jpg" height="3 in" width="4 in">
<xsl:value-of select="IMAGE_ELEMENT"/>
</fo:instream-foreign-object>

Image Type Options

• content-type=”image/jpg”
• content-type=”image/png”
• content-type=”image/gif”

Image Size Options

Height and Width parameters are optional. If not specified, the image will render at its natural size on your document.

Other sizing options include:
• px – pixels
• cm – centimeters
• % – percentage of original dimensions

Image Field designation

Insert the field containing the Base64 image into the report.

Right click on that field and invoke the BI Publisher Properties dialog box

Paste in the fo:instream-foreign-object function and edit to specifications

Edit the fo:instream-foreign-object syntax

<fo:instream-foreign-object content-type="image/jpg" height=”1.0 in” width=”0.75 in”>
<xsl:value-of select='fld_X_EMPLOYEE_PHOTO'/>
</fo:instream-foreign-object>

Ensure the Select is pointed at the field containing the Base64 encoded image and the sizing information is correct.

Missing Photos

Not all employees will have a photo. Missing photos create a problem in a BI Publisher document:
• The user is visually expecting a photo in the UX
• Missing photos are sized overly large and badly in BI Publisher.

There are several ways to handle missing photos:

• When generating the XML File, insert a generic photo in place of the missing photo.
• Easiest option to deal with in the RTF Template
  • Creates an unnecessarily large XML file with the default image defined multiple times
  • Taxes system resources more heavily than necessary
• RTF Template Conditional Area – No Photo
  • Create a conditional area to only show the photo if populated
• RTF Template Conditional Area – Default Photo
  • Create a conditional area to show an alternate fixed default photo if no photo is populated in the data

RTF Template – No Photo

Create a conditional area that tests for a string in the photo field

The XSL in the condition tag looks checks to see if the field is greater than a space. If so, show the photo.

The next conditional area checks if the field is less than or equal to a space. If so, show the “No Photo Available” verbiage.

RTF Template – Default Image

The RTF template showing the default image is much the same as the template showing the “No Photo Available” string. Instead of the text, a default image is inserted into the template. This saves us from sending that same image to BI Publisher many times for all the cases where an image is unavailable.

Report Examples

Default Photo

Missing Photo Message

Missing Photo Unmanaged