selection for report without selection table

[Bruce Easton]

Barry Wiseman wrote Thursday, July 24, 2008 4:31 PM:
> 
> Fairlight wrote:
> > Hi All,
> > 
> > I need a pointer.  There's a report someone did that relies on 
> a processing
> > table that uses SELECT.
> > 
> > I need to issue this report, complete with the grand total 
> section, etc.,
> > but from inside a dreport session that's running on another 
> table entirely.
> > I need to basically do it all via lookups or whatnot.
> > 
> > I -could- do it via a separate process, but -not- as a system 
> call, and I
> > need to get the selection data to any process without using selection
> > tables to issue the selections, since it can't be run interactively.
> > 
> > If I have a weak spot in fP, it's printing, mostly because I've rarely
> > needed it.  Hence...Help???  :)
> > 
> > TIA,
> > 
> > mark->
> 
> Mark, you're on the right track with your "separate process" thought: 
> save the selection parameters in a file, run the report as a subsequent 
> dreport job, modify the selection processing to grab args from the file 
> instead of being interactive, and Bob's your uncle. By rewriting the 
> report app to use FORMM in a loop as suggested later in this thread, 
> you're entering a world of pain where you have to maintain your own page 
> numbers, totals, etc.

I agree - having done some char-based reports like that before, 
that's probably why I haven't try to do any web-based like that - 
it IS a pain trying to follow the code keeping track of all those little 
forms  - they start growing in your filelist like tribbles.

Also, regarding the print command, I stated: 
'Yes the print command.  but hopefully you're not also trying 
to control sorting based on user input.'   But I think that lack 
of being able to control sorting at runtime would only apply to 
when you are trying to control selection with the print command 
during the output processing phase.   With the technique of 
storing and retrieving selection parameters, where 
a -v table is used, then you can, of course override 
the sort specification easily also using stored parameters.

Bruce

Bruce Easton
STN, Inc.