Classics Forum

RE: What are you using to produce nice looking rep

Posted By: McGrath, Colin
Date: Tuesday, 9 September 2008, at 4:19 p.m.

In Response To: What are you using to produce nice looking reports (ROGER BURTON)

I forgot to mention another method that we use (tho' not free, as the
method listed in my earlier post), is to use an ODBC report writer, like
Crystal Reports.

--

Colin

-----Original Message-----
From: McGrath, Colin
Sent: Tuesday, September 09, 2008 3:58 PM
To: 'classics@iiug.org'
Subject: RE: What are you using to produce nice looking reports [2916]

We use the HP printer control language "pcl 5", and draw lines, boxes,
invoke different fonts, insert bold, underline, etc. commands using
that, from within the report. Then we use artinsoft's pcl6 software to
convert the report's output from pcl to pdf, and mail the pdf output.
You can also convert logos into pcl code and then convert that into a
format that can be stored in the 4GL program, but that is harder.

There are other options, but that's one way.

--

Colin

-----Original Message-----
From: classics-bounces@iiug.org [mailto:classics-bounces@iiug.org] On
Behalf Of ROGER BURTON
Sent: Tuesday, September 09, 2008 3:35 PM
To: classics@iiug.org
Subject: What are you using to produce nice looking reports [2916]

Hello all,

I'm VERY NEW to this game - forgive me if I've slotted this in the wrong

place, but it seemed the most appropriate option of those presented to
me. I'm
sure I'll hear about it if there is a better place.

I have used Informix-4GL (exclusively) to run the bulk of our operations
and I
would like to continue to follow this path. Until recently, the
production of
"documents" (Invoices, POs, Statements ...) was accomplished by running
an
Informix Report and invoking a "form" (created with a third-party bit of

software that was stored as a "macro" on an HP printer) as an overlay.
The
static portion (a.k.a. the pretty portion) of the document being the
Macro,
and the data (the dynamic portion) being supplied by the Informix
Report. It
looks respectable; monochrome and a little plain, but respectable.

This has served us well for many years. However, this solution is
becoming
more and more difficult to support as the original (forms generation)
software
is becoming more and more antiquated [it came on 5 1/4" floppies - just
to
give you an idea]. Enough is enough, I said, time to re-evaluate. I
further
speculated that this (the IIUG site) would be a good mechanism to poll
what
others (YOU) are doing if you have a similar situation in YOUR
environment.
I'd like to know how others (you) are resolving this?

Resolving the aforementioned would be great, but if your solution also
encompasses the conditional creation of a PDF file that can be e-mailed,
that
would make for a more complete solution. (And I'd look like a superstar
around
here.)

I am grateful for ALL input and I thank you in advance.

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Messages In This Thread

• What are you using to produce nice looking reports
  ROGER BURTON -- Tuesday, 9 September 2008, at 3:34 p.m.
  • RE: What are you using to produce nice looking rep
    McGrath, Colin -- Tuesday, 9 September 2008, at 3:59 p.m.
  • Re: What are you using to produce nice looking rep
    Art Kagel -- Tuesday, 9 September 2008, at 4:10 p.m.
  • RE: What are you using to produce nice looking rep
    McGrath, Colin -- Tuesday, 9 September 2008, at 4:19 p.m.
    • Re: RE: What are you using to produce nice looking
      ERICK NASSAR -- Monday, 27 October 2008, at 11:52 a.m.
  • RE: What are you using to produce nice looking rep
    Joel W Schumacher -- Tuesday, 9 September 2008, at 5:02 p.m.
  • Re: What are you using to produce nice looking rep
    DOUG ANDERSON -- Tuesday, 9 September 2008, at 5:21 p.m.
  • RE: What are you using to produce nice looking rep
    Miguel Caldera -- Tuesday, 9 September 2008, at 5:59 p.m.
  • Re: What are you using to produce nice looking rep
    David Gerdt -- Tuesday, 9 September 2008, at 7:32 p.m.

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