4.4 Producing Reports Using LANSA

If the UPRINT (unformatted print) command is ignored, then reports are produced by LANSA with the following commands:

DEF_HEAD

Define report heading line(s)

DEF_FOOT

Define report footing line(s)

DEF_LINE

Define report detail line(s)

DEF_BREAK

Define report break line(s)

PRINT

Print detail line(s) or trigger break line(s)

SKIP

Skip to a specific line on the report

SPACE

Space a number of lines on the report

The first 4 commands are used to define the various components of a report layout and the last 3 to actually control report production.

Each of these commands is described in detail in the Technical Reference Guide.

The report production commands have been designed this way in an attempt to satisfy 2 differing requirements:

1.  To be "smart" enough to satisfy most common reporting requirements virtually automatically.

2.  To provide sufficient flexibility to allow complex reporting requirements to be satisfied.

Most common reporting requirements can be satisfied by using the DEF_HEAD, DEF_BREAK, DEF_FOOT, DEF_LINE and PRINT commands in conjunction with a very small amount of RDML program logic.

When more complex reports are involved, using the DEF_LINE, PRINT, SPACE and SKIP commands in conjunction with more RDML program logic will probably produce the desired result.

The examples in this appendix are mainly involved with the first case. That is, producing common reports by utilizing the "smart" features of the report production commands.

The following topics describe the simplest type of report that can be produced and then successively build on this example to demonstrate how each of the report production commands are used to produce complex reports.

The following topics use examples to explain how reports can be produced by LANSA:

4.4.1 Using the DEF_LINE Command

4.4.2 Using the DEF_HEAD Command

4.4.3 Numbering Report Pages

4.4.4 Using the DEF_FOOT Command

4.4.5 Using a Leading DEF_BREAK Command

4.4.6 Using a Trailing DEF_BREAK Command

4.4.7 Printing on Multiple Lines

4.4.8 Submitting Reports to Batch

Finally, some of the most common problems that occur when first using LANSA to produce reports, in 4.4.9 Reporting Q & A.