Printing unique report layouts based on data in a field

[DORaymond]

In a database as simple as just one flat file, can anyone think of a way to have a unique report layout print according to the value in a field contained in each record? So as an example, if I queried a simple table and the result was 5 records found, and 3 of the records were to be printed against Report A, and the balance of 2 records were to be printed against Report B (as assigned by data in a field).

I know I can add to or subtract from the look of a single report using conditional objects based on data in a field, but that is not what I am after.

[Stan Mathews]

Re: Printing unique report layouts based on data in a field

I queried a simple table and the result was 5 records

Then those 5 records will be printed.

If you query the table for the present query and a data value in a field then those records will be printed against whatever report you choose.

[DORaymond]

Re: Printing unique report layouts based on data in a field

Thanks for the quick reply Stan. What I am trying to ask is if there is a way to query say the 5 records (in my example), hit print button once, and have the first 3 records print with Report Layout A, and then seemlessly have the next 2 records print with Report B (with the actual report selection based on data in a field in each record). I have a project that could be done in a way that might require 20 different report layouts being called according to the data in each record.

[Stan Mathews]

Re: Printing unique report layouts based on data in a field

Seamlessly, no.

For one thing, you have to specify the name of a report to print it. That name can be derived by expression instead of hard coded.
A report prints the records that satisfy it's internal filter expression or the filter expression passed to it if there is no internal expression. Not some subset of those records.

That said, you could. (Say the query is state = "FL")

Use table.external_record_content_get(), with the appropriate filter expression ("state = 'FL' ") to derive a list of "data in a field". For example let's say it is city_name and the five records are either Ft Myers or Orlando.

You could determine how many unique values existed in that list (2). For each unique value, print a report filtered on

state = "FL" .and. city_name = "Ft Myers"
state = "FL" .and. city_name = "Orlando"

How you would decide which report to print for which group is beyond the information you've given.

[Al Buchholz]

Re: Printing unique report layouts based on data in a field

In a database as simple as just one flat file, can anyone think of a way to have a unique report layout print according to the value in a field contained in each record? So as an example, if I queried a simple table and the result was 5 records found, and 3 of the records were to be printed against Report A, and the balance of 2 records were to be printed against Report B (as assigned by data in a field).

I know I can add to or subtract from the look of a single report using conditional objects based on data in a field, but that is not what I am after.

Donald

Your instructions are too abstract for me to understand.

Can you be more concrete on what you are doing and how the data records for report A and B are determined?

[DORaymond]

Re: Printing unique report layouts based on data in a field

Maybe I can make my example simplier. Say a single table has only 5 records. One field in these records is called Report_Layout_ID. Each of my 5 records has (in this example) a different value in the Report_Layout_ID field (ReportA, ReportB, ReportC, ReportD, ReportE). What I would like to do is to be able to press a button on a form and print all five of the records, but each record would print with the corresponding report layout specified in each record. I imagine that I might be able to loop through the records and run a print operation for each different report layout (?).

[Stan Mathews]

Re: Printing unique report layouts based on data in a field

tbl = table.open("your_table_name")
tbl.fetch_first()
while .not. tbl.fetch_eof()
report.print(alltrim(tbl.Report_Layout_ID),"Report_Layout_id = "+quote(tbl.Report_Layout_ID))
tbl.fetch_next()
end while
tbl.close()

Should do that.

[Al Buchholz]

Re: Printing unique report layouts based on data in a field

Maybe I can make my example simplier. Say a single table has only 5 records. One field in these records is called Report_Layout_ID. Each of my 5 records has (in this example) a different value in the Report_Layout_ID field (ReportA, ReportB, ReportC, ReportD, ReportE). What I would like to do is to be able to press a button on a form and print all five of the records, but each record would print with the corresponding report layout specified in each record. I imagine that I might be able to loop through the records and run a print operation for each different report layout (?).

So each report run would have potentially 5 reports come out?

So could there be multiple records for ReportB?

Do you want all of the records for ReportB to be in a single report or each record be it's own report in the format of ReportB?

[Stan Mathews]

Re: Printing unique report layouts based on data in a field

With multiple records with the same report_layout_id you could.

lst = table.external_record_content_get("your_table_name","alltrim(Report_Layout_id)","Report_Layout_id",".t. .and. unique_key_value())")
for each rpt in lst
report.print(alltrim(rpt.value),"Report_Layout_id = "+quote(rpt.value))
next

[DORaymond]

Re: Printing unique report layouts based on data in a field

So each report run would have potentially 5 reports come out? (In this example with 5 records, yes.)

So could there be multiple records for ReportB? (yes)
Do you want all of the records for ReportB to be in a single report or each record be it's own report in the format of ReportB?

(Each one individual would be best)

Stan- I will look through what you presented, I think it is what I am trying to accomplish.

[Stan Mathews]

Re: Printing unique report layouts based on data in a field

If you want a single record per report.

tbl = table.open("your_table_name")
tbl.fetch_first()
while .not. tbl.fetch_eof()
rec = tbl.recno()
report.print(alltrim(tbl.Report_Layout_ID),"recno() = "+rec)
tbl.fetch_next()
end while
tbl.close()