VISION:Inform Report Output Formatting and Processing

Products

• Vision:Inform

Issue/Introduction

Most Broadcom VISION:Inform users create reports in the standard format, consisting of a date, title, and page number across the top, standard column headings taken from the file definition, single spaced, and formatted for a 3270 terminal or the system printer. But did you know that Broadcom VISION:Inform offers a wide range of flexibility in the area of report formatting and report output processing?

 

Environment

Release:
Component: V:INFM

Resolution

Broadcom VISION:Inform Report Formatting
The standard Broadcom VISION:Inform report is formatted (page height and width) based upon the characteristics of the device from which the query was submitted. If the SUBMIT process specifies to directly print the report, it is then formatted for the system printer. The Query Language Report Group statements include the FORMAT statement, which permits you, the query writer, to choose a number of different options to control how the report looks on the printed page. The Report Group statements also include the ITEM statement, which you can use to override the characteristics of a field as defined in the file definition for displaying in a report.

The FORMAT statement

FORMAT WIDTH number  HEIGHT number,
       DATEPOS value PAGEPOS value  TITLEPOS value,
       LABELS value  HEADINGS value DATEFMT value,
       LINES number  BORDER 'x'     PAGEGRP value

As you can see from the specifications for the FORMAT statement above, there are many options that you can set for the report format. Using the WIDTH and HEIGHT operands, you can set the page dimensions for the report. With the DATEPOS and PAGEPOS operands you can place date and page fields in different places on each report page (upper left, upper middle, upper right, lower left, lower middle, lower right, or none). The TITLEPOS operand lets you select the title location of the report, either at the top or bottom of each page. Use the LABELS operand to control how summary labels appear, and the HEADINGS operand to suppress column headings, if that is desired. The DATEFMT controls the format of the system date on each page (four different formats can be specified, as well as a constant value for printing of a specific date). Using the LINES operand, you can override the default of single spacing for detail lines, and can specify up to 8 blank lines between detail lines. If you want to override the column heading border character defined for the system, use the BORDER operand. Finally, with the PAGEGRP operand you can control how subtitles are printed when they change value.

ITEM Statement

ITEM ENTRY name(s)   SPACES value,
     PICTURE pattern HEADING text,
     NEWLINE         NONPRINT

With the ITEM statement, you, the query writer, can override values for how a field appears on a report. The System Administrator for the Broadcom VISION:Inform system sets these values when the File Definition used by the query is created. The ENTRY operand of the ITEM statement names the field in the file definition that is to be overridden (it can also name a temporary field that is used and reported in the query. Using the SPACES operand, you can specify the number of spaces to insert on a line before a field prints (the default is 2). The PICTURE operand lets you create override edit picture patterns for numeric and character fields. If you use the HEADING operand, you can specify the column heading to use for a field, either overriding an existing file definition column heading for a database field, or supplying column headings for a temporary field. When the NEWLINE operand is used for a field, it causes that field to print on a new detail line in the report. Using the NONPRINT operand for a field causes it to not appear on the report.

Note: You can find additional information on report formatting in the Advantage VISION:Inform User Guide, Chapter 4, Using VISION:Bridge, Additional Capabilities section.

CA VISION:Inform Output Processing
Output in report format can be 1) viewed online from the terminal from which the query was submitted (VIEW command); 2) Routed to another online terminal (ROUTE command); 3) Routed to an online CICS or IMS printer (ROUTE command); or 4) Printed on the system printer (SUBMIT with PRINT option). Report output that is printed on the system printer can be sent there directly as the query is processed, or it can be stored on the CA VISION:Inform communications file for online viewing where it can subsequently be routed to the system printer.

Note: You can find additional information on report viewing and routing in the Advantage VISION:Inform User Guide, Chapter 4, Using VISION:Bridge, Command Input section, VIEW and ROUTE command subsections. SUBMIT with PRINT option is in the same chapter, in the SUBMIT Panel section.

SUBFILE Output

Broadcom VISION:Inform has the capability to direct the output of your query to an OS/390 sequential file (SUBFILE) instead of a printed report. To accomplish this, the system administrator must authorize your Broadcom VISION:Inform User Id to create SUBFILEs. The query must use the EXTRACT Query Language statement instead of the REPORT statement. The Background Processor Job Control must be changed to add a DD statement for each subfile created. In addition, you can specify the DEFINE operand on the EXTRACT statement, and CA VISION:Inform will automatically generate the file definition for the SUBFILE when it is created.

Note: You can find additional information on SUBFILEs in the Advantage VISION:Inform User Guide, Chapter 4, Using VISION:Bridge, Creating a Subfile section, and also in the Advantage VISION:Inform System Administrator Guide, Chapter 4 Controlling Processing, Using Subfiles section.

The INFREPT Exit

The INFREPT exit, a powerful feature in Broadcom VISION:Inform, can be used to further refine and control printed output. INFREPT is the DDNAME of the dataset used by the Background Processor as the destination for reports routed to or printed on the system printer. The INFREPT exit allows an end user to code a routine that will be called by the Background Processor for each line of printed output that is directed to the system printer. The exit gets control at file OPEN and file CLOSE processing, once for each line of the report (with report header lines distinguished from report data lines), and once at the end of processing for each batch of queries. With the exit and its processing options, users can create their own alternate report destination, post-process any report data, insert output routing control information, or any other necessary site-specific processing.

Note: You can find additional information on the INFREPT exit in the Advantage VISION:Inform Installation and Support Guide, Appendix B, Writing Exit Routines, Print Exit Routines section.

Reports and Data for the Remote Client - CA Intraccess with CA VISION:Inform
Broadcom Intraccess is the PC client for Broadcom VISION:Inform for CICS. Broadcom Intraccess provides your business users with seamless, secure and efficient access to data on OS/390 enterprise servers using the power and convenience of Intranet technology. Data is delivered to your business users on the desktop or Web environment, where you can perform business analysis using the familiar tools of the local environment. Broadcom Intraccess output is initially stored in a dynamically allocated host file, in raw data formats (tab delimited with accompanying schema), or in viewable report format.

Broadcom Intraccess converts the data into data formats that can be used by most popular spreadsheet and reporting tools, imported into data warehouses and marts, and published to the Web. Alternatively, Broadcom Intraccess can access and email data directly to multiple users. Optimal data delivery speed is achieved with TCP/IP technology.