Posted by Steven Moore - Moore Greens Inc on September 20, 2004 at 04:58:15:
In Reply to: Re: The Reporter posted by Stephen Auerbach on August 10, 2004 at 12:10:08:
I handy solution to all of the above seemingly has been resolved here at MG's.
We write an ITB program that prompts the user for the query items. Title$ is effectively written to as title$ = title$ + newstr() + " "
title$ can be sized for standard paper or wide paper. Adding a len(title$) can be added to allow for setting title1$ = title$ and resetting title$ = "" and continue building the next title string.
Once the prompts have all been answered and all the titles constructed the truly sweet part begins. We open the reporter/ced program and begin to write the new title(s). Depending upon size and potential of title(X)$, either we delete a title line group first then come back and write contiguous lines begining at first title line number and increment by 10.
We also carry through our programs line printers from each program requiring a printer. Users files allow for individuality (I use LP6, sales use LP4, etc.) and appears as our default printer when report type is laser printer size. Some programs are defaulted to the SP1, etc. Nightly invoices go to S01, other items to S02, etc. All controlled by program master detail files.
This way, we can change from the ITB the printout LP, etc. We can allow for many options here.
The best part is passing through dates sequencing. We actually build the query line in ITB and re-write to the reporter/ced file. In one particular case I had done this:
hdate$ = "10/01/2003";10
title "this is a test" + hdate$
Then only the date part was changed. I do not recall if this method still works, but I believe it does.
Bottom line, the user selects the criteria, that criteria is (can be) written to title lines, printer selections, etc. and all written to the reported program so all the control is done outside and no worry of staff corrupting a reporter/ced file.