RE: Text on report

[Peter Connell <peterc@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Buck,
Since the steps mentioned to duplicate a spool file begin with a CPYSPLF
then obviously this does not work with AFPDS files, but this is not relevant
since the idea was only to use this as an example and replace this step by
populating the file with text copied from a source member.
The suggestion assumes simple formatting without dynamic content such as
date or page.
If this is required then the same technique can be integrated into an RPG
pgm that generates all the content other than the text by overriding QSYSPRT
to have a shared open between the RPG and the CLP utility.
The idea was to demonstrate a solution that requires very little coding
without any need for compiling files, arrays and line counting for overflow.

Others have suggested a user space, but since this merely serves as a
container for the text, it is far simpler to read a file since there is a
separate layer of complexity required just to populate the user space and
another to extract the text from the user space in a formatted way.
I don't see any advantage over using a file.

As an additional note:
True duplication of any spool file, AFPDS or whatever, can be readily
achieved through the use of the spool file APIs. Now this is an excellent
use of user spaces, since the entire spool file object, in all it's
complexity, is merely dumped into the user space and read back out again.

Cheers, Peter

-----Original Message-----
From: Buck Calabro [mailto:buck.calabro@aptissoftware.com]
Sent: Thursday, June 22, 2000 2:21 AM
To: rpg400-l@midrange.com
Subject: RE: Text on report


Peter Connell wrote:

>1. The spool file is copied to disk via CPYSPLF 
>CTLCHAR(*FCFC).  At this point the disk file 
>could in fact be altered in any way (especially 
>if it was a cheque run, if you catch my drift).
>2.  Then execute the OVRPRTF QSYSPRT 
>CTLCHAR(*FCFC).  You can include any 
>other parameters of the OVRPRTF cmd if you
>desire that change the         attributes of the new 
>spool file.
>3.  Then execute the CPYF cmd to copy the 
>disk file to QSYSPRT.  This produces a new 
>spool file which will differ only if you have
>changed the content or overridden the attributes.

This is a cool idea but it has problems if:
a) The spooled file is AFPDS
b) The spooled file has "Page xxx" in it 
c) The spooled file has headings or footers

If you add or remove lines from the PF copy of the spooled file, you will
disturb the page count/overflow.  I've used this technique to add "Page xxx
of yyy" functionality.

Buck Calabro
Aptis; Albany, NY


Billing Concepts Corp., a NASDAQ Listed Company, Symbol: BILL
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