HP 3000 Manuals

HP ALLBASE/BRW Reference Manual

Output Files 
[REV BEG]

An output file does not contain the entire report (including headings,
details, and footings).  Instead, an output file contains only item
values, not printer formatting information.[REV END] 
One output file can be defined for each lineset:

   *   Detail lineset
   *   Break footing lineset
   *   Break heading lineset
   *   Page heading lineset
   *   Page footing lineset
   *   Report heading lineset
   *   Report footing lineset

Every time the lineset occurs in the report, a record is written to the
output file.  For example, the output file of a detail lineset would
contain a record for each detail, while the output file of a break
footing lineset would contain a record for each occurrence of the break
footing.


NOTE  An output file used by a lineset must be unique; you cannot write
      data from more than one lineset to the same output file.  For
      instance, you can't write break heading and footing linesets to the
      same file.


Column calculations and numeric precision can be defined for items
written to the output file.  See Chapter 15 for details about column
calculations and numeric precision.

Types of Output Files 

   *   Intermediate report files (IRF). These self-describing files can
       only be used with HP ALLBASE/BRW reports.  They are called
       self-describing files because they need not be described in a data
       dictionary or BRWDIC since all data descriptions that HP
       ALLBASE/BRW needs are held in the file itself.

   *   Dictionary output files (DF). These are ordinary files that must
       be created in accordance with a file format description from a
       data dictionary.  Data in dictionary output files can be used by
       ALLBASE/BRW  or any other application.

   *   Quoted BASIC files (QB) and data interchange format files (DIF).
       These two types are used with PC applications and they are not
       described in a data dictionary.  When you write the results of a
       report to one of these formats, you cannot use the resulting files
       as HP ALLBASE/BRW source tables.

Defining an Intermediate Report File 

You use the Output File screen to define an intermediate report file and
to specify which items are to be written to it.


            

To define an intermediate report file 

   1.  From the Define Report screen, choose  Output File.

   2.  At the prompt, type the lineset information for the lineset you
       want to use.  Press Enter.

       The Output File screen appears.  Every item that appears on the
       Define Lines screen for the specified lineset is displayed in the
       Item field on the Output File screen.

   3.  Type the name of the file, password (if any), file size (if
       known), access mode and file type in the approriate fields.

   4.  Define the items for the output file.  You must define at least
       one item to be written to the output file.  See the next procedure
       for details on defining the items.

   5.  Press Enter.

To define items for an output file 

   1.  Type the name of each item that you want written to the output
       file in the Name in File field or type an X (or a number for QB
       and DIF files) in the Select/Sequence field.

       If the output file is an intermediate report file, you can choose
       any name for an item's Name in File.  However, if the output file
       is a dictionary output file, the name in the Name in File field
       must be a name of an element of the file, that is, the name of an
       element as specified in the file format in the data dictionary.

   2.  You can, optionally, specify whether the item is to be subject to
       a column calculation, and the numeric precision of an item in the
       output file.

   3.  Press Enter.

Items positioned on the Define Lines screen cannot be deleted or
re-arranged here.

If there are more than 9 items, use the Next/Prev Items keys to access
the next page and continue your selection.  Press Enter for each page.
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NOTE  The items and calculations displayed in the output file screen
      match what will be displayed on the Define Lines screen.  If you
      add a column calculation to a displayed item, that item reference
      on the Define Line screen will pick up the column calculation.  If
      you want to write column calculations to an output file and not
      have them appear on the printed lineset, type the item name a
      second time on the Output File screen.

[REV END]

To remove the use of an output file 

   1.  Type the name of the output file.

   2.  Choose  Delete Out.File 

   3.  Press Enter or choose  Delete Out.File again to confirm the
       deletion.

This deletes only the use of the output file for this lineset.  It
doesn't delete any MPE file.

Using IntermediateReport Files 

You can create an intermediate report file if you want to use data from
one HP ALLBASE/BRW report with data from other HP ALLBASE/BRW reports.
An intermediate report file is a self-describing file since it contains a
report's format definition (name, type, length, and position) in the user
label.  You do not define it in the data dictionary or BRWDIC.

Intermediate report files can only be used as source tables for HP
ALLBASE/BRW reports or with HP Information Access.


NOTE  HP ALLBASE/BRW version A.00.10 or later can use HP Information
      Access files as source tables.  Intermediate report files created
      with HP ALLBASE/BRW version A.00.10 or later can be used by HP
      Information Access.


To use an intermediate report file in HP ALLBASE/BRW[REV
BEG]

   1.  Assign a unique name to the intermediate report file by typing
       that name in the Source Table field on the Define Table screen.

   2.  Type a > character and the intermediate report file name in the
       Location (DB/DB Env/File) field.

   3.  Choose  Add Table.
[REV END]


            


NOTE  For better performance:  It is more efficient to use intermediate
      report files than dictionary output files if you only want to
      access the data from other HP ALLBASE/BRW reports.  This is because
      all items in an intermediate report file are held in HP ALLBASE/BRW
      format and no conversion need take place.


Other Information About Intermediate Report Files 

You can specify whether an item is to be subject to a column calculation,
and an item's numeric precision in the intermediate report file.

Intermediate report files are built when the report is compiled (not when
it is executed.  Values are only written to the files when the report is
executed.)  If an intermediate report file exists with the same name as
that specified on an Output File screen, and you compile the report, the
file will be purged as it is rebuilt.

If you want to use an item in an output file that does not appear in the
specified lineset, type its name in the Item field.  It will then appear
on the lineset, but will not be positioned and will not print.

If any other type of file exists with the same name as that specified on
an Output File screen, and you compile the report, the compile will fail
and the file will not be purged.

When you delete an intermediate report file with the PURGE command, you
can only create it again by re-compiling the report.  So, to free disc
space when data in an intermediate report file is no longer needed, you
can run the program REMPTY to clear the file, as shown here:

     :RUN REMPTY.PUB.SYS

          . . .
     Intermediate report file:  ORDERS.PUB

     END OF PROGRAM

REMPTY deletes all records from an intermediate report file but leaves
the file and the data descriptions intact.  REMPTY cannot be used for
other types of file.

Example 

The example below shows single items, single components of array items
and whole arrays that will be written to an intermediate report file.  If
you do not specify an index for an array, the whole array is written to
the intermediate report file.


            


NOTE  Every item in the specified lineset, (that is, the items positioned
      on the Define Lines screen of the specified lineset), will be
      displayed in the Item field.  However, only those items that you
      specify in the Select/Sequence field are written to the
      intermediate report file.  You can choose any name you want for an
      item in an intermediate report file.  Type the new name in the Name
      in File field.

MPE/iX 5.0 Documentation