IIUG Software Repository Files

From: dennisp@informix.com (Dennis Pimple)
Newsgroups: comp.databases.informix
Subject: Re: different report length
Date: 10 Sep 94 22:13:16 GMT

Peter Schubert <100043.1556@CompuServe.COM> writes:

>We need diffent report length on unknown printers.
>(e.g. Lineprinter Length 72, Laserprinter Length 66 ...)

>Is there a way to use variables for the PAGE LENGTH parameter ???

No, BUT ...

Below are two attacks I've made concerning using a single REPORT
function break at different page lengths. The first is a complete
program and uses PAGE LENGTH 1 and a lot of duplicate code in each
report control block to handle page breaks. As a demo, it handles
either 24 or 60 page output (for screen or printer output, natch)

The second is a REPORT function from an actual report I wrote last week
for a client that wanted the report to go to either legal or standard
paper (78 or 66 lines, on this system). It's not as complete as the
first, and doesn't show how to handle page footers, although I'm sure
it wold be doable with a bit of duplicate code and LINENO testing. It
uses the idea of setting PAGE LENGTH to the highest desired number and
TOP OF PAGE "^L", which is used to send a top-of-page signal when
breaking pages rather than the ole' Informix standard of repeated blank
lines to fill out the pages. I hope it's commented well enough to be of
use.

And if Walt is watching, he should feel free to add these to the
repository.

=======================================================================
Dennis J. Pimple         dennisp@informix.com    Opinions expressed
Senior Consultant        --------------------    are mine, and do not
Informix Software Inc    Voice:  303-850-0210    necessarily reflect
Denver Colorado USA      Fax:    303-779-4025    those of my employer.

-------------------- CUT HERE FOR scr_prt.4gl -------------------------
###########     #   INFORMIX PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
#######     #  ##   Denver, Colorado
######     #  ###   ==================================================
#####     #  ####   File: %M%  SCCS: %I% %P%
####     #  #####   Program: scr_prt.4go
###     #  ######   Client: Example
##     #  #######   Author: Dennis J Pimple
#     ###########   Date: %G% %U%
# Example of how to use the same REPORT function to run to either
# screen or printer, with appropriate page breaks.
# The general approach we take is to handle PAGE HEADERs & TRAILERs
# in the ON EVERY ROW section of the REPORT, to avoid any forced page
# breaks. This example will output 60-line pages to a printer,
# or 23-line pages to a screen (70 lines of report output)

From: dennisp@informix.com (Dennis Pimple)
Newsgroups: comp.databases.informix
Subject: Re: Page Line Length
Date: 30 Oct 1995 16:22:14 GMT

M J Spuffer (spuffer@clark.net) wrote:
: I'm a new kid to the the Informix world.  My group is just learning about 
: 4gl and all it's tricks.  Having lived in the Pick world for many years, 
: its quite and adjustment.  Now for the question:  How do you write one 
: report which will run on a lazer printer (57 print lines) or a line 
: printer (66 lines) without replicating the entire report section? At 
: first thought and IF statement around the PAGE LENGTH  statement would 
: seem proper, but to no avail.  Any ideas would be appreciated.

If you can live with it, set your page length to the minimum in the
OUTPUT section of the REPORT functions (PAGE LENGTH 57 in your
example), and set TOP OF PAGE to control-L so that the report sends a
page feed to break pages instead of the default behavior of padding
blank lines to break pages (TOP OF PAGE "^L" in the OUTPUT section).
This would work, although you're wasting some space on the line
printers.

If you can't live with the wasted space (e.g. you want the same report
to run to screen (24 lines) as well as to printer (66 lines) with
appropriate headers always in view, etc.), try the code below. It's a
straight 4gl solution, although I can envision a c solution that would
involve creating 2 or 3 seperate reports (Page Header, Page Trailer,
and Body), and then calling a c-function that would know to paste the
header and trailer to every n lines of body text. (sounds like an
interesting weekend project - any takers?)

Some duplication within control blocks is required, and with more group
headers/trailers things might get sticky.