HP 3000 Manuals

Output File Screen [ HP ALLBASE/BRW Reference Manual ] MPE/iX 5.0 Documentation

HP ALLBASE/BRW Reference Manual

Output File Screen

You use the Output File screen to define an intermediate report file and
to specify which items are to be written to it.

To define anoutput file

1. From the Define Report screen, choose Output File.

2. At the prompt, type the lineset information for the lineset you
want to use. Press Enter.

The Output File screen appears. Every item that appears on the
Define Lines screen for the specified lineset is displayed in the
Item field on the Output File screen.

3. Type the name of the file, password (if any), file size (if
known), access mode and file type in the approriate fields.

4. Define the items for the output file. You must define at least
one item to be written to the output file. See the next procedure
for details on defining the items.

5. Press Enter.

To define items for an output file

1. Type the name of each item that you want written to the output
file in the Name in File field or type an X (or a number for QB
and DIF files) in the Select/Sequence field.

If the output file is an intermediate report file, you can choose
any name for an item's Name in File. However, if the output file
is a dictionary output file, the name in the Name in File field
must be a name of an element of the file, that is, the name of an
element as specified in the file format in the data dictionary.

2. You can, optionally, specify whether the item is to be subject to
a column calculation, and the numeric precision of an item in the
output file.

3. Press Enter.

Items positioned on the Define Lines screen cannot be deleted or
re-arranged here.

If there are more than 9 items, use the Next/Prev Items keys to access
the next page and continue your selection. Press Enter for each page.

To remove the use of an output file

1. Type the name of the output file.

2. Choose Delete Out.File

3. Press Enter or choose Delete Out.File again to confirm the
deletion.

This deletes only the use of the output file for this lineset. It
doesn't delete any MPE file.

Other Information

You can specify whether an item is to be subject to a column calculation,
and an item's numeric precision in the intermediate report file.

Intermediate report files are built when the report is compiled (not when
it is executed. Values are only written to the files when the report is
executed.) If an intermediate report file exists with the same name as
that specified on an Output File screen, and you compile the report, the
file will be purged as re-built.

If you want to use an item in an output file that does not appear in the
specified lineset, type its name in the Item field. It will then appear
on the lineset, but will not be positioned and will not print.

If any other type of file exists with the same name as that specified on
an Output File screen, and you compile the report, the compile will fail
and the file will not be purged.

When you delete an intermediate report file with the PURGE command, you
can only create it again by re-compiling the report. So, to free disc
space when data in an intermediate report file is no longer needed, you
can run the program REMPTY to clear the file, as shown here:

:RUN REMPTY.PUB.SYS

. . .
Intermediate report file: ORDERS.PUB

END OF PROGRAM

REMPTY deletes all records from an intermediate report file but leaves
the file and the data descriptions intact. REMPTY cannot be used for
other types of file.

Example

The example below shows single items, single components of array items
and whole arrays that will be written to an intermediate report file. If
you do not specify an index for an array, the whole array is written to
the intermediate report file.

NOTE Every item in the specified lineset, (that is, the items positioned
on the Define Lines screen of the specified lineset), will be
displayed in the field labeled Item. However, only those items
that you specify in the Select/Sequence field are written to the
intermediate report file. You can choose any name you want (use
the Name in File field) for an item in an intermediate report file.

Field Descriptions

Output File

The name of the output file.

Password

Optional. The lockword for this output file.

File Size

Optional. The maximum size of the file in records. If this is blank,
the default defined in HP ALLBASE/BRW's configuration file is used.

Access Mode

The access mode determines what HP ALLBASE/BRW does if another file of
the same name is encountered on the system at run time. Type one of the
following codes:

R = Replace the records in the file, that is, all
records currently in the file will be lost and any
new records will be written, starting from the
beginning of the file.

A = Append any records to the end of the existing file,
that is, all records currently in the file will be
kept, and any new records will be written to the
file, starting from the last old record.

S = If the output file is a dictionary output file that
already exists, or the output file is an
intermediate report file that already contains
records, and you specify S, HP ALLBASE/BRW will not
write any records to the output file. That is, all
records currently in the file will be kept and no
new records will be written.

File Type

Optional. The file type for this output file. Type one of the
following:

IRF = An intermediate report file that is a
self-describing file for use as a source table in
another report.

DF = A file in data dictionary format. The file format
must be described in the dictionary file
BRWDIC.PUB.

QB = A Quoted Basic file format.

DIF = Data interchange format file.

Item

Display. Displays all items selected for this lineset as specified on
the Define Lines screen.

Type

Display. Displays type defined for this item:

S = string

N = numeric fixed point

D = date

I = integer

R = real

T = time

Select/Sequence

Specify an X or a number to indicate that you want an item in the output
file. With QB and DIF files, the number will indicate the position of
the items in the record. If you leave this field blank, the item will
NOT be included in the output file.

ColCalc

Display/Optional. Displays the specifications entered on the Define
Lines screen for this item. This can be changed for the output file, as
explained below.

The type of column calculation to be performed on this item and the level
at which the calculation is to be reset. For items types N, R and I,
this can be one of these:

AVG
COUNT
MAX
MIN
TOTAL

Optionally, add a reset level and/or a source level to the name of the
column calculation. See the "Column Calculations" section in Chapter 7
for details.

NOTE The items and calculations displayed in the output file screen
match what will be displayed on the Define Lines screen. If you
add a column calculation to a displayed item, that item reference
on the Define Lines screen will pick up the column calculation. If
you want to write column calculations to an output file and not
have them appear on the printed lineset, type the item name a
second time on the Output File screen.

NumPrec

Optional. Numeric precision of this item if you want precision to be
changed for the output file. Type a number and method code, as described
in the following tables.

The number indicates the power of 10, or 10th exponent that indicates the
precision.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| |
| Valid range for Numeric (type N): -6 through 12; |
| |
| for Integer (type I): 0 through 8 |
| |
| for Real (type R): -90 through 76. |
| |
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The method code indicates how superflous digits are treated:

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| |
| Method Codes: Digits are: |
| |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| |
| R rounded |
| |
| T truncated |
| |
| C ceiled |
| |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

See Chapter 13, Calculations, for a full description of precision and the
special cases for Real number precision.

Name in File

The item name to be used in the output file. If the output file is a
dictionary output file, the name must refer to the name of an element in
the file as defined in the file description in the data dictionary.

MPE/iX 5.0 Documentation