VsiFax and filePro -- frustration!

[Steve Parker]

Dear All,

I am finally at a point of total frustration trying to get VisFax to
interface properly with a filePro "report" I need to process.

SCO Unix 6.0	Problem #1	I have not been able to install the latest
version of VsiFax. Unknown errors to their technical support, so I finally
have ignored it, as it is not that important. At least not at this point,
but who knows about later. LEAST of my problems right now. Using version 6.0
and not 6.1.

I simply want to be able to FAX monthly statements and be able to track
their success / failure through a log. (There are about 2000 +- sent each
month.)

So we have a statement form that prints monthly and works fine. So far, so
good.

But there is only one way I've found that will send an entire file by FAX,
and that is by embedding codes through filePro that VsiFax can interpret for
FAX the number, etc. And one person suggested taking that file and parsing
it with a Unix shell script into separate files organized by customer number
and date (embedded in the "report" file for each customer, copied out to the
VsiFax auto-send directory and away they go.

But once done, there is no way to track what fails, as there is not log file
created by VsiFax using this process.

So I opted for an alternate method where a file is created on the fly, a
system command sends the FAX, another system command removes the file and
then the next customer is run. This method uses the -p /path/filename on the
menu's command line, and a careful sprinkling of the "PRINT" command to
create the file in question.

After I was all done, it worked -- except after the first FAX was sent, the
second, and every succeeding FAX, contains ^M (line feeds / carriage
returns) at the TOP of the next record. I was told this was because the Unix
"spooler" was open and that there is no way around it.

And so approach #3 (or so) where I am NOT using a -P command (or if I do, it
is to a /path/junk file that is not used) but instead am trying to use the
"PRINTER FILE" command. Problem is that I cannot seem to "assemble" a full
document! Mostly what I get is just the END of the form, with the totals and
closing information from the sub-total lines, like "THANK YOU FOR YOUR
BUSINESS" or "WE BUY USED CAT LITTER AT TOP DOLLAR" at the very bottom.

I'm pretty sure the problem is that I don't entirely understand how the
PRINTER FILE command works, unlike the PRINT command that I DO understand!
If not, then this approach may not work at all.

The records are selected through a -v process.

The selected records are processed one by one through the report, hitting an
"end" statement at the end of each record. When the customer number changes,
a GOSUB statement sends the FAX. I've even gotten clever enough that the
file names are unique with the "customer number" { "-" { date (without
slashes) so the failed FAXes can be easily tracked and processed manually.

At this point I'm looking for some ideas. I'm pretty lost on this right now,
and pretty burned out as well!! LOL!

Any ideas? In particular, can anyone shed light on "block" #1 with the extra
line feeds, or with "block" #2 some insight on the PRINTER FILE command that
will help me understand what I am doing wrong?

Thanks!

Steve Parker
ABC Computing Services