Re: Using RDi Report Designer on a print file larger than 132 characters -- WDSCI-L

Hi Edmund,

That sounds like a reasonable compromise. The pop-up should include the current value, the maximum in the file and the ability to change it.

-mark

On 6/17/2020 12:03 PM, Edmund Reinhardt wrote:

Hi Mark, you are not the first to think of that and it might be a decent
RFE.
But it will not be simple because the width of report is input to the
calculation, and with the many relative postioning and widths it might
take multiple passes. But if we detected a line overflow maybe we could
pop up a message querying if a wider report width was intended. ______________________________________________________________________________________

Edmund Reinhardt [1][IMG]
905-413-3125
IBM Canada Ltd Rational Developer for i Access Client Solutions
Architect
[2]https://www.linkedin.com/in/edmundreinhardt/ [3]http://ibm.biz/rdi_hub [4]http://ibm.biz/IBMi_ACS

----- Original message -----
From: mlazarus<mlazarus@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent by: "WDSCI-L"<wdsci-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: Rational Developer for IBM i / Websphere Development Studio Client
for System i& iSeries<wdsci-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Cc:
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Re: [WDSCI-L] Using RDi Report Designer on a print
file larger than 132 characters
Date: Tue, Jun 16, 2020 12:22 PM
Edmund,

Is there any reason that the report width, for an existing report, not
automatically adjust the size to the maximum position it finds in that
source? Or the maximum allowed by a *PRTF?

-mark

On 6/16/2020 11:35 AM, Edmund Reinhardt wrote:
> Hello All
>
> let me help explain the design philosophy of Report Designer which
is very
> much modelled after RLU. This takes me back to my earliest days
at IBM
> when I shared an office with Albert Kwok who worked on RLU and was
> bringing that technology forward to CODE Designer.
> PRTF DDS is unlike DSPF DDS in that (1) records rarely stand
alone, and
> the relative positioning of one record to another is critical for
> design (2) critical attributes of the output (like report width)
are not
> stored in the DDS source itself but are specified on the CRTPRTF
command.
> > To address this RLU came up providing all of the context that was
needed
> to visualize a report (the order record were written in, with
which
> indicators and data, and the CRTPRTF parameters into special
comments.
> This allowed the tool to faithfully render the report and to
persist this
> metadata with the DDS source.
> RLU did take a learning curve, but once some of these basic
concepts were
> learned it was very powerful.
> We have taken these concepts and brought them forward with first
the OS/2
> and Windows and now Java-base tools. So now you have the full
power of
> mouse and properties files and drag/drop.
> But it still is important to understand the concept of "report"
because
> this is external to the DDS.
> We allow you to design records in isolation as a learning step but
you
> will not get the full power of the tool until you start using
reports.
> > Since this is fundamental to the 30 year design philosophy and it
is
> coherent and useful, I double it will be changed. We have done
our best
> to try to make it discoverable but maybe there is a way to improve
that.
> Please pass the word along. Maybe we should even allow simple
record only
> editing and force people into reports to start with.
> ______________________________________________________________________________________
>
> Edmund Reinhardt [1][IMG]
> 905-413-3125
> IBM Canada Ltd Rational Developer
for i Access Client Solutions
> Architect
> [2][5]https://www.linkedin.com/in/edmundreinhardt/ [3][6]http://ibm.biz/rdi_hub [4][7]http://ibm.biz/IBMi_ACS
>
> > > > > >
> ----- Original message -----
> From: "Mike Hockings"<hockings@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent by: "WDSCI-L"<wdsci-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: Rational Developer for IBM i / Websphere Development Studio
Client
> for System i& iSeries<wdsci-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Cc:
> Subject: [EXTERNAL] Re: [WDSCI-L] Using RDi Report Designer on a
print
> file larger than 132 characters
> Date: Tue, Jun 16, 2020 9:49 AM
> > Alan, good to hear that things are sorted out for you now!
>
> Vern, I don't recall that CODE Designer used the RLU settings as
at the
> time it was all the positional %% "special comments" used to
store
> settings
> in the source. There was the odd request to support the RLU
settings, I
> think it was for the compile command maybe, but really never
sufficient
> demand to justify the development effort to make it happen IIRC.
That
> was
> more than a couple of days back so my mind is a bit hazy on the
details
> now.
>
> In the current Page Designer, much like CODE Designer the
default record
> format for PRTF source is 132 chars and the specific page size
would be
> set
> in the Page (PRTF) or Screen (DSPF) definition. Yes, it may be
rare
> that a
> single PRTF source is compiled for different sizes but I am sure
there
> are
> people doing it. Over the years I have come to understand that
no
> matter
> how obscure a capability may be there is someone somewhere using
it and
> will make noise if it goes away.
>
> Mike Hockings, M.Eng., P.Eng.
> DevOps for Enterprise
> IBM Developer for z Systems and Power Systems Software Technical
Support
> IBM Canada Ltd. Laboratory
> hockings@xxxxxxxxxx
> voice 1-905-413-3199 T/L 313-3199 ITN 23133199
>
> From: Vernon Hamberg<vhamberg@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: Rational Developer for IBM i / Websphere Development Studio
> Client for System i&
iSeries<wdsci-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Date: 2020/06/16 09:29
> Subject: [EXTERNAL] Re: [WDSCI-L] Using RDi Report Designer on a
print
> file larger than 132 characters
> Sent by: "WDSCI-L"<wdsci-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>
> Hi Mike
>
> I was going by memory and thought I could specify a page width
with RLU
> - and it turns out it is a parameter on the STRRLU command -
defaults to
> 132 if not specified, according to the documentation. And it
uses
> whatever the setting was the last time the PRTF was edited with
RLU - as
> you know, RLU kept settings just as Report Designer does -
different
> format, I kind of wish they were the same or at least the RLU
codes were
> recognized by RDi.
>
> I believe there is a default - probably 132, same as RLU?
>
> I'm looking for something as simple with the Report Designer,
some
> property obviously available on the display that RDi opens up
with,
> nothing "buried", no matter how close to the surface, shall we
say.
>
> I suppose the same source could result in PRTFs of different
widths, but
> I find that to be rare - it would confuse me a lot!
>
> Speaking of RLU, the settings are saved in the source by RLU,
but when I
> open one of those - and we have many from long before WDSC or
RDi came
> around - I don't remember what the CODE/400 Designer did - when
I open
> an RLU-edited source member, those settings are ignored. I think
I hear
> an RFE title coming, eh?
>
> Cheers
> Vern
>
> On 6/16/2020 8:02 AM, Mike Hockings wrote:
> > In the source the records really have no defined size do
they, the
> page
> > size is set at compile (CRTPRTF, CHGPRTF) time. The source
can
> conceivably
> > be compiled into multiple PRTFs that have different page
sizes.
> Creating
> a
> > report in the Page Designer lets you reflect the different
sizes and
> then
> > you can have the same, or different, records in different
reports with
> > different defined page sizes to see how it looks. Is what
you looking
> for
> > is some sort of default report size?
> >
> > Mike Hockings, M.Eng., P.Eng.
> > DevOps for Enterprise
> > IBM Developer for z Systems and Power Systems Software
Technical
> Support
> > IBM Canada Ltd. Laboratory
> > hockings@xxxxxxxxxx
> > voice 1-905-413-3199 T/L 313-3199 ITN 23133199
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > From: Roger Harman<roger.harman@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> > To: Rational Developer for IBM i / Websphere Development
Studio
> > Client for System i& iSeries
> <wdsci-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > Date: 2020/06/15 19:49
> > Subject: [EXTERNAL] Re: [WDSCI-L] Using RDi Report Designer
on a
> print
> > file larger than 132 characters
> > Sent by: "WDSCI-L"<wdsci-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> >
> >
> >
> > I agree it's sort of hidden. But, you could infer that the
"report"
> *is*
> > the file level. Otherwise, all you have is individual
formats.
> >
> > Not sure i want the RDi teams effort spent on this.
> >
> > Looks like you can edit this line in the source view, close&
reopen
> and
> > RDi will honor the new value.
> >
> > A*%%RS+<device type="printer" width="198" height="66"
/>
> >
> > Roger Harman
> > COMMON Certified Application Developer - ILE RPG on IBM i on
Power
> >
> > --
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > From: WDSCI-L<wdsci-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> on behalf
of Vernon
> > Hamberg<vhamberg@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > Sent: Monday, June 15, 2020 4:06 PM
> > To: Rational Developer for IBM i / Websphere Development
Studio Client
> for
> > System i& iSeries<wdsci-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> > Subject: Re: [WDSCI-L] Using RDi Report Designer on a print
file
> larger
> > than 132 characters
> >
> > Hi Edmund
> >
> > I've struggled with this, too - it's not obvious that I
should go to
> > "Design Reports" to set something - and, IIRC, I have to
start
> designing
> > one in order to be able to set the width.
> >
> > It seems this value should be at the file level - I think
this was
> > easier in RLU - one of the few things that I would say this
about.
> > Because I otherwise like the Report Designer a lot.
> >
> > Do I hear an RFE in my future? :)
> >
> > Vern
> >
> > On 6/15/2020 4:57 PM, Edmund Reinhardt wrote:
> >> Hi Alan
> >> To get non-default widths, switch to 'Design Reports'
and
> specify
> the
> >> width you would like
> >> [1]
> >
> [5][8]https://imgur.com/EaP2zv6
>
> >
> >
> ______________________________________________________________________________________
>
> >
> >> Edmund Reinhardt [2][IMG]
> >> 905-413-3125
> >> IBM Canada Ltd Rational
Developer
> for
> > i Access Client Solutions
> >> Architect
> >> [3]
> >
> [6][9]https://www.linkedin.com/in/edmundreinhardt/
>
> > [4]
> >
> [7][10]http://ibm.biz/rdi_hub
>
> > [5]
> >
> [8][11]http://ibm.biz/IBMi_ACS
>
> >
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> ----- Original message -----
> >> From: Alan Shore via
WDSCI-L<wdsci-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> >> Sent by:
"WDSCI-L"<wdsci-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> >> To:
"wdsci-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"<wdsci-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> >> Cc: Alan Shore<ashore@xxxxxxxx>
> >> Subject: [EXTERNAL] [WDSCI-L] Using RDi Report
Designer on a
> print
> > file
> >> larger than 132 characters
> >> Date: Mon, Jun 15, 2020 5:39 PM
> >>
> >> Hi everyone
> >> I am SLOWLY getting myself accustomed to using RDi
> >> Give me 25 or 26 more years - I'll get there
> >> Anyway - I have to make a change to an existing
external
> print
> > file, but
> >> when I open that file to edit it with Report
Designer, it
> only
> > shows the
> >> first 132 characters of a print file, 200
characters wide
> >> I tried to google what (if anything) needs to be
done to see
> ALL
> of
> > the
> >> print file, but to no avail
> >> Im hoping someone can point me in the right
direction
> >>
> >> As always, all responses gratefully accepted
> >>
> >> Alan Shore
> >> E-mail :
ASHORE@xxxxxxxx<[6][9][12]mailto:ASHORE@xxxxxxxx>
> >> Phone [O] : (631) 200-5019
> >> Phone [C] : (631) 880-8640
> >> 'If you're going through hell, keep going.'
> >> Winston Churchill
> >>
> > --
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