[archive] Repeating a section in report generator

[Migrated content. Thread originally posted on 18 August 2006]

Hello,
I am attempting to print a specific section of a report from within a loop. In other words, I want to be able to print the section a variable number of times before continuing on to the next section of the report. I want to do this because of formatting concerns.

Specifically, I have several files that make up the detail for a specific customer. The number of occurrences and the amount of data is variable for each customer but we want the detail to be formatted in a specific way inside of the report even though the amount of data may vary from occurrence to occurrence. Therefore, we've decided that the easiest way to do this is by printing the section once for every occurrence of the data.

So here's the problem. We are trying to use the report generator to do this and I can find no documentation on how to do this or if it is even possible.

If anyone has any suggestions or experience with a situation such as this, any information you would be willing to share would be greatly appreciated.

Additionally, if anyone would have a suggestion on another way to achieve the same goal that would be great as well.

Thanks in advance,
-Chris

The report composer has a section controller. Each section within the report, the section ( event properties) can have a before print routime and an after print routine where you can define the type of logic of what goes into each section. Check out the report sample report1f where the data in a section is just the accumulated sales for a branch or for a state.

[Migrated content. Thread originally posted on 18 August 2006]

Hello,
I am attempting to print a specific section of a report from within a loop. In other words, I want to be able to print the section a variable number of times before continuing on to the next section of the report. I want to do this because of formatting concerns.

Specifically, I have several files that make up the detail for a specific customer. The number of occurrences and the amount of data is variable for each customer but we want the detail to be formatted in a specific way inside of the report even though the amount of data may vary from occurrence to occurrence. Therefore, we've decided that the easiest way to do this is by printing the section once for every occurrence of the data.

So here's the problem. We are trying to use the report generator to do this and I can find no documentation on how to do this or if it is even possible.

If anyone has any suggestions or experience with a situation such as this, any information you would be willing to share would be greatly appreciated.

Additionally, if anyone would have a suggestion on another way to achieve the same goal that would be great as well.

Thanks in advance,
-Chris

The report composer has a section controller. Each section within the report, the section ( event properties) can have a before print routime and an after print routine where you can define the type of logic of what goes into each section. Check out the report sample report1f where the data in a section is just the accumulated sales for a branch or for a state.

[Migrated content. Thread originally posted on 18 August 2006]

Hello,
I am attempting to print a specific section of a report from within a loop. In other words, I want to be able to print the section a variable number of times before continuing on to the next section of the report. I want to do this because of formatting concerns.

Specifically, I have several files that make up the detail for a specific customer. The number of occurrences and the amount of data is variable for each customer but we want the detail to be formatted in a specific way inside of the report even though the amount of data may vary from occurrence to occurrence. Therefore, we've decided that the easiest way to do this is by printing the section once for every occurrence of the data.

So here's the problem. We are trying to use the report generator to do this and I can find no documentation on how to do this or if it is even possible.

If anyone has any suggestions or experience with a situation such as this, any information you would be willing to share would be greatly appreciated.

Additionally, if anyone would have a suggestion on another way to achieve the same goal that would be great as well.

Thanks in advance,
-Chris

Thanks for the reply. I understand that there is a section controller for each section. And I understand the way it can be made to work.

The difficulty is getting it to repeat the section until all data has been output.

I understand that simple or even complex loops can be done within a given section. But due to the formatting requirements that we are running into I can't easily format the report to make sense to the end user without breaking it out into separate pieces inside of the same section. I've exhausted all of the formatting options that I can think of. The wonderful thing about the report generator is that it does so much for you. The terrible thing about the report generator is that it does so much for you.

The problem is laid out like this. In order for the data to make sense to the end user it needs to be formatted as such.

Parent-file 1st occurance.
1st Sub File part 1 (number of occurances, 1 to 999)
2nd Sub File part 1 (number of occurances, 1 to 999 in direct
correspondence with 1st sub file part 1)
3rd Sub File part 1 (number of occurances, 1 to 999 in direct
correspondence with 2nd Sub File part 1)

so the layout is as such -

P-FILE - 1
1ST SUB FILE 1 - 1
2ND SUB FILE 1 - 1
3RD SUB FILE 1 - 1
1ST SUB FILE 1 - 2
2ND SUB FILE 1 - 2
3RD SUB FILE 1 - 2
1ST SUB FILE 1 - 3
2ND SUB FILE 1 - 3
3RD SUB FILE 1 - 3
ETC........

P-FILE - 2
1ST SUB FILE 2 - 1
2ND SUB FILE 2 - 1
3RD SUB FILE 2 - 1
1ST SUB FILE 2 - 2
2ND SUB FILE 2 - 2
3RD SUB FILE 2 - 2
1ST SUB FILE 2 - 3
2ND SUB FILE 2 - 3
3RD SUB FILE 2 - 3
ETC...........


P-FILE - 3
1ST SUB FILE 3 - 1
2ND SUB FILE 3 - 1
3RD SUB FILE 3 - 1
1ST SUB FILE 3 - 2
2ND SUB FILE 3 - 2
3RD SUB FILE 3 - 2
1ST SUB FILE 3 - 3
2ND SUB FILE 3 - 3
3RD SUB FILE 3 - 3
ETC...........


ETC.......

The data that is kept on each line contains both numeric and alpha items. And the items on each line vary in size as well.

I don't know if any of this is making any sense to anyone....

Anyway, As I sit here right now I can think of one way to do it by essentially nesting a perform using the before and after print routines. But this is definately not preferred. It would probably work but I would think there would be a better way.

I may try the nested perform... but any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

I did check out the report1f... unfortunately I don't think it is applicable to this case.

[Migrated content. Thread originally posted on 18 August 2006]

Hello,
I am attempting to print a specific section of a report from within a loop. In other words, I want to be able to print the section a variable number of times before continuing on to the next section of the report. I want to do this because of formatting concerns.

Specifically, I have several files that make up the detail for a specific customer. The number of occurrences and the amount of data is variable for each customer but we want the detail to be formatted in a specific way inside of the report even though the amount of data may vary from occurrence to occurrence. Therefore, we've decided that the easiest way to do this is by printing the section once for every occurrence of the data.

So here's the problem. We are trying to use the report generator to do this and I can find no documentation on how to do this or if it is even possible.

If anyone has any suggestions or experience with a situation such as this, any information you would be willing to share would be greatly appreciated.

Additionally, if anyone would have a suggestion on another way to achieve the same goal that would be great as well.

Thanks in advance,
-Chris

Thanks for the reply. I understand that there is a section controller for each section. And I understand the way it can be made to work.

The difficulty is getting it to repeat the section until all data has been output.

I understand that simple or even complex loops can be done within a given section. But due to the formatting requirements that we are running into I can't easily format the report to make sense to the end user without breaking it out into separate pieces inside of the same section. I've exhausted all of the formatting options that I can think of. The wonderful thing about the report generator is that it does so much for you. The terrible thing about the report generator is that it does so much for you.

The problem is laid out like this. In order for the data to make sense to the end user it needs to be formatted as such.

Parent-file 1st occurance.
1st Sub File part 1 (number of occurances, 1 to 999)
2nd Sub File part 1 (number of occurances, 1 to 999 in direct
correspondence with 1st sub file part 1)
3rd Sub File part 1 (number of occurances, 1 to 999 in direct
correspondence with 2nd Sub File part 1)

so the layout is as such -

P-FILE - 1
1ST SUB FILE 1 - 1
2ND SUB FILE 1 - 1
3RD SUB FILE 1 - 1
1ST SUB FILE 1 - 2
2ND SUB FILE 1 - 2
3RD SUB FILE 1 - 2
1ST SUB FILE 1 - 3
2ND SUB FILE 1 - 3
3RD SUB FILE 1 - 3
ETC........

P-FILE - 2
1ST SUB FILE 2 - 1
2ND SUB FILE 2 - 1
3RD SUB FILE 2 - 1
1ST SUB FILE 2 - 2
2ND SUB FILE 2 - 2
3RD SUB FILE 2 - 2
1ST SUB FILE 2 - 3
2ND SUB FILE 2 - 3
3RD SUB FILE 2 - 3
ETC...........


P-FILE - 3
1ST SUB FILE 3 - 1
2ND SUB FILE 3 - 1
3RD SUB FILE 3 - 1
1ST SUB FILE 3 - 2
2ND SUB FILE 3 - 2
3RD SUB FILE 3 - 2
1ST SUB FILE 3 - 3
2ND SUB FILE 3 - 3
3RD SUB FILE 3 - 3
ETC...........


ETC.......

The data that is kept on each line contains both numeric and alpha items. And the items on each line vary in size as well.

I don't know if any of this is making any sense to anyone....

Anyway, As I sit here right now I can think of one way to do it by essentially nesting a perform using the before and after print routines. But this is definately not preferred. It would probably work but I would think there would be a better way.

I may try the nested perform... but any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

I did check out the report1f... unfortunately I don't think it is applicable to this case.

[Migrated content. Thread originally posted on 18 August 2006]

Hello,
I am attempting to print a specific section of a report from within a loop. In other words, I want to be able to print the section a variable number of times before continuing on to the next section of the report. I want to do this because of formatting concerns.

Specifically, I have several files that make up the detail for a specific customer. The number of occurrences and the amount of data is variable for each customer but we want the detail to be formatted in a specific way inside of the report even though the amount of data may vary from occurrence to occurrence. Therefore, we've decided that the easiest way to do this is by printing the section once for every occurrence of the data.

So here's the problem. We are trying to use the report generator to do this and I can find no documentation on how to do this or if it is even possible.

If anyone has any suggestions or experience with a situation such as this, any information you would be willing to share would be greatly appreciated.

Additionally, if anyone would have a suggestion on another way to achieve the same goal that would be great as well.

Thanks in advance,
-Chris

To continue my thought and to explain a bit further.....

This is a multi section report. It has to be because it is heavily user defined.

so for example.....

it needs to print

HEADER,

SECTION 1

SECTION 2

SECTION 3

SECTION 4
SECTION 4
SECTION 4
SECTION 4
SECTION 4
SECTION 4
(CONTINUES TILL FINISHED)

SECTION 5

SECTION 6

so on and so-forth.

don't know if this clarifies the problem at all.

[Migrated content. Thread originally posted on 18 August 2006]

Hello,
I am attempting to print a specific section of a report from within a loop. In other words, I want to be able to print the section a variable number of times before continuing on to the next section of the report. I want to do this because of formatting concerns.

Specifically, I have several files that make up the detail for a specific customer. The number of occurrences and the amount of data is variable for each customer but we want the detail to be formatted in a specific way inside of the report even though the amount of data may vary from occurrence to occurrence. Therefore, we've decided that the easiest way to do this is by printing the section once for every occurrence of the data.

So here's the problem. We are trying to use the report generator to do this and I can find no documentation on how to do this or if it is even possible.

If anyone has any suggestions or experience with a situation such as this, any information you would be willing to share would be greatly appreciated.

Additionally, if anyone would have a suggestion on another way to achieve the same goal that would be great as well.

Thanks in advance,
-Chris

Well nevermind. I've determined after trying absolutely everything, and talking to tech support etc... that this is impossible. Can't be done. Period.
Rather Dissapointing.