Repeating rows in Excel output with OBIEE 11.1.1.7

Don’t use Oracle BI Suite as an Excel generation tool to continue a corporate Excel-BI, please! Why do I start with this plea, because I will show how to work with Excel outputs easier.

Starting with Oracle BI Suite 11.1.1.7(.10) the Excel export is able to implement the feature of suppressing cell values. Which means, when there are the same values in two or more rows below the other, the value is shown only in the first row. This feature makes reading tables much easier in my eyes. Still some need Excel files without this suppressing.

In table views suppressing cell values is the default setting. By clicking “Enable alternate styling” and then “Repeat cell values” in table properties this behavior can be changed. The formatting in an Excel output will change also. In the frontend there is no easy way to have suppressing cell values in the online report and repeated cell values in the Excel file.

But there are some possible solutions:
1. Creating two different layouts one for each setting
2. When embedded in a dashboard, a custom print layout can be created
3. Configure instanceconfig.xml to always repeat cell values

The latest point is outlined in the Oracle Documentation. By changing the the config file, the cell values will be repeated in every Excel output even when the setting in the table view is different.
For more information check also Oracle Support ticket “How To Configure Excel Export as “Repeat” Regardless of Setting in the Column Properties (Doc ID 1957040.1)”.