REPORT GENERATION SYSTEM The Flexbase Report Generation System (RGS) is designed with a 66 line by 132 column report design area. This area can be used to layout a wide variety of report types that include columnar, page, labels and invoices. HELP Help has been assigned to the F1 function key. Pressing this function key will open a help window associated with the command or function that you are using. ROW TYPE IDENTIFIER A row type identifier is a label that must be assigned to each row in the report that you want to be printed. The different types of row type identifiers allow you to design both simple and complex reports with ease. Only those rows in the report design area that have been given a row type identifier will be utilized when the report is printed to the specified output device. Row type identifiers are set by moving the small block cursor to the desired row and then pressing the F3 function key. This will highlight the current row and open a window from which you can select the desired row type identifier. The six possible row types are: Intr - Introduction. A row that has been tagged with this identifier will be printed only once, at the beginning of the report. Multiple rows of this type are accepted. Head - Header. This row type is printed at the top of each report page. If the report contains Intr rows, then the header rows will be printed below the introduction rows on page one. Multiple header rows are accepted. Body - Body. A body row will be printed once for each qualifying record in the database. Multiple body rows are accepted. Foot - Footer. Footer rows are printed at the bottom of each report page. Multiple footer rows are accepted. Conc - Conclusion. A row that has been tagged with this identifier will be printed only once, at the end of the report. Conclusion rows are most often used to summarize data within the report. Multiple rows of this type are accepted. Break - A row that is to be printed only when the contents of a specified field changes will be identified in the when printed column by the name of the field. REPORT ELEMENTS Report elements consist of fields from the database (with or without summary attributes assigned), free text and RGS supplied functions. The following table displays the report element types that are allowed or disallowed for each row type in the report. Note: If a report element is used on a row type where it is not allowed, the RGS will consider it as free text. Type Allowed Not Allowed ------ ------------------------ ------------------------------ Intr Free Text,@TIME,@DATE Fields,@PAGENUM,@NEWPAGE, Fields with summary attributes Head Free Text,@TIME,@DATE, Fields,@NEWPAGE @PAGENUM Body Free Text,Fields, @NEWPAGE,@PAGENUM Fields with summary attributes,@TIME,@DATE Foot Free Text,@TIME,@DATE, @NEWPAGE Fields with summary attributes,@PAGENUM Conc Free Text,@TIME,@DATE, @PAGENUM Fields with summary attributes,@NEWPAGE Break Free Text,Fields with @TIME,@DATE,@PAGENUM,@NEWPAGE summary attributes USING REPORT ELEMENTS Free Text, as a report element, can be placed anywhere within the 66 row by 132 column boundaries. The other report element types must be selected from a list of available report elements. To do this, move the small block cursor to the location in the report design area that you wish to position the desired report element and then press F10. This opens a report element window that lists the four @ functions and the name of each field in the database. Use the cursor control keys to move through the list to find the desired report element and then press Enter. The report element will be placed into the report design area. If the report element is a field name from the database, another window will automatically open displaying the attributes and display parameters for this field. If no changes are necessary, press Esc to close the window and continue designing your report. To make changes to the attributes and parameters within the window, move the reverse video cursor to the desired parameter and enter the new value. The attributes and display parameters for each field that is displayed in the report are: Summary - Normally used on Conc and Break rows to summarize data within the report. NONE - This is the default for each field. SUM - The sum of all fields in the report by this name will be totaled. COUNT - The number of times that this field is printed will be displayed. AVG - The sum of all fields in the report by this name will be totaled and then the average displayed. MIN - The minimum value printed in the report for this field will be displayed. MAX - The maximum value printed in the report for this field will be displayed. Justify - This parameter sets the field display position. [Left ] - Contents are left justified. [ Center ] - Contents are centered. [ Right] - Contents are right justified. Var - Left justified and variable length. On Change - The contents of this field will be printed only when the contents change. You can select one of three parameters: N - No, print the contents of this field for each record in the database. Y - Yes, print the contents of this field only when a change is detected. P - Yes, print the contents of this field only when a change is detected, but, on a new page. Length - This parameter sets the width of the displayed field. Decimals - For numeric field types, the number of decimal places can be set for the report display. Format - Sets the type of display for numeric fields. Four of the report elements are RGS functions that can be used to enhance the presentation of the report. They are: @DATE - Displays the current system date. @TIME - Displays the current system time. As the report is printed, this value is updated. @PAGE NUM - Prints the current page number of the report. @NEW PAGE - Advances the paper to the next top of form. FILE COMMANDS F2 F U - Selects the database to be used for the report. This command should be executed when first entering the report generation system. Many of the commands that will be used to design the report depend on data peculiar to a specific database. This command links this report design session to the specified database so that the needed information can be obtained. F2 F L - Loads a Flexbase report format file. Previously saved Flexbase report format files have the extension .FBR. These format files can be loaded into the report design area using this command. F2 F S - Saves a report design to disk. Sometimes you may want to print a report several times, but on different occassions. This command allows you to save the current report design to a disc file. It can be reloaded at at later date using the F2-F-L command. F2 F Q - Quits this report generation session. This command quits the current report design session and returns you to the DOS prompt. If you want to save the current report design before quitting, use the F2-F-S command. EDIT COMMANDS F2 E D - Delete the selected item. To delete an item, the row or report element must first be selected. To select a row, move the small block cursor to the desired row and execute the F2-E-R command which will highlight the row. Then use this command to remove the row from the report design. Any free text or report elements on the row will be deleted. Move the small block cursor to the desired report element and execute this command to remove the single element from the report design. F2 E I - Insert a blank row at the current cursor position. All report elements and free text below this line will be moved down one row. Any report design data on row 66 will be lost. F2 E R - Select the current row. This command will highlight the selected row. This row will remain as the selected item until it is moved, deleted, or another row is selected. Note: When deleting a selected item, a selected row takes precedence over a selected report element. F2 E M - Move the selected item. When executed, this command will reverse video the selected item so that you can easily follow it while it is being moved. When the new position is located press Enter. If the new position will not collide with free text or other report elements, the move will be allowed, otherwise, a beep will sound and you will be given the opportunity to reposition the selected item. To cancel a move request, press Esc. F2 E C - Clears the report design area. This command erases the report design area and resets all tables. PRINT COMMANDS F2 P P - Print report using current parameters. This command initiates the printing process. The free text contents of the report design area, as well as the report elements and their associated attributes will be used to provide the desired report display. F2 P D - Set output device parameters. This command displays an output device parameter table that lists the current output device, margins, page length and print font that will be used to format the report when printed. Note: A report that is printed to the screen will display columns 1 thru 80 of the report design area. Left and right margins will be disabled when printing to the screen. SEARCH COMMANDS F2 S C - Set conditions to qualify records. This command allows you to enter conditions that must be met in order for the record to be included in the report display. Conditions can be set for fields that may or may not be included in the final report display. F2 S S - Set the sort order for the report. This command displays a table of key fields that can be selected to order the report. If multiple sorting is desired, or the report will be printed using multiple field breaks, the database should sorted using the FBS module. Note: If the database has been sorted using the FBS module, leave the sort table blank or you will interrupt the disired sort order display. WARNING! If you do not have a printer connected to your computer, Flexbase will notify you that the printer is not ready. You will have to wait several seconds for the DOS time out to occur before pressing the Esc key to cancel the print request.