Re: page n of x

[Gary Guthrie <GaryGuthrie@xxxxxxxx>]

My comments in-line


Buck Calabro wrote:
> 
> In my case, I need to know how many pages for each customer in a 80000
> page/15000 customer bill run.  In this case I have a work file that has the
> customer ID and total pages.  On the first pass I read all the source data
> and create an *SCS report, keeping track of each customer's page count and
> inserting "markers" for AFP graphics and "page x of y."  Then I CPYSPLF this
> to a disk file, pass through the sorted (by OPNQRYF) page count file (bills
> with more than 10 pages get special handling and are printed separately) and
> read the copied spooled data (which has the customer ID in the first columns
> of each record.)  This is the final pass - and it goes through the spooled
> file, not the source data.  The RPG program (I'm on topic!) then replaces
> the embedded markers with the appropriate graphic/page number/bar code/mail
> inserter tick mark and produces the final *AFPDS printer output.
> 
> There's no way I could afford to re-generate the bills from the source data
> TWICE.  The time window is just too small - there are literally millions of
> detail records to wade through.

In the case where the Page xxxx of yyyy needs to restart for each
customer in the spooled file (I think that's what I understand), it
seems that a "feature" of the option I proposed (spooled file APIs to
retrieve to user space, scan user space for marker, replace marker with
total page count, use spooled file APIs to re-spool) could be to have
multiple markers - in this case 2 markers. For example,


    Page _____ of ~~~~1

and

    Page _____ of ~~~~~

The scan and replace routine would search for, in this example, four ~
characters to indicate the need to insert a page count. It would check
the trailing character and if 1, set page count to 1, if ~ add 1 to page
count. Or whatever scheme floats the requirements boat!


> >The measure of a solution is not in
> >terms of the effort required to code
> >the solution, but rather in terms
> >of the robustness of the solution.
> 
> Say it again, Brother Gary!  It's music to my ears!!!


The measure of a solution is not in terms of the effort required to code
the solution, but rather in terms of the robustness of the solution.

There, I said it!  :)

Gary Guthrie
REAL Solutions Technical Support
NEWS/400 Technical Editor

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