Print image on 4GL report
The poster asked whether Informix 4GL can print an image (a signature on cheques) in a report, or whether the report file could be post-processed to add one. Replies agreed 4GL can't embed images directly: suggestions were to post-process the output file with another tool, use Aubit4GL's PDF report feature (4GL-compatible, open source), or build PCL overlays/macros (e.g. with Forms Electric) loaded to the printer from 4GL for letterheads and signatures. The poster settled on converting the ASCII report to PostScript with enscript and appending the signature image using ImageMagick's convert -append to produce a PDF, though he noted it would need trial and error.
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Is it possible to print an image on an Informix 4GL report? I would like to print a signature on checks. I always output my reports to a file with: "start report report_name to file_name" If 4GL can't directly add an image to the report maybe I can post process the report file and add the image somehow? The check signature would be the last line of the report, which may make it easier to append an image to the end of the report text file. Anyone done this?
On May 26, 2:04 pm, loc <c320...@gmail.com> wrote: > Is it possible to print an image on an Informix 4GL report? I would > like to print a signature on checks. I always output my reports to a > file with: > > "start report report_name to file_name" > > If 4GL can't directly add an image to the report maybe I can post > process the report file and add the image somehow? The check > signature would be the last line of the report, which may make it > easier to append an image to the end of the report text file. Anyone > done this? I don't think you can do it directly, although I haven't kept up to speed/date on 4GL in a long time. What you could do is to print the report to a file and then have a different process read the file and then the image and write it out to your final file. There are a couple of ways you could do it depending on what you needed. But if you're going to do that, why not look at a different language to write the report in the first place?
On May 26, 3:15 pm, Ian Michael Gumby <im_gu...@hotmail.com> wrote: > On May 26, 2:04 pm, loc <c320...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > Is it possible to print an image on an Informix 4GL report? I would > > like to print a signature on checks. I always output my reports to a > > file with: > > > "start report report_name to file_name" > > > If 4GL can't directly add an image to the report maybe I can post > > process the report file and add the image somehow? The check > > signature would be the last line of the report, which may make it > > easier to append an image to the end of the report text file. Anyone > > done this? > > I don't think you can do it directly, although I haven't kept up to > speed/date on 4GL in a long time. > What you could do is to print the report to a file and then have a > different process read the file and then the image and write it out to > your final file. There are a couple of ways you could do it depending > on what you needed. > > But if you're going to do that, why not look at a different language > to write the report in the first place? Well all my reports are written in 4GL so I'd like to continue coding in 4GL. I have the 4GL report outputting a file, but now how do I add the image to that text file? Any image format works for me, which ever would be easier. I'm using Linux.
You can do it using a "PDF report" with aubit4gl. Aubit4GL is fully informix4gl compatible, so should be easy to reuse your existing report. Its also open-source, & free :-) 2009/5/26 loc <c320sky@gmail.com> > Is it possible to print an image on an Informix 4GL report? I would > like to print a signature on checks. I always output my reports to a > file with: > > "start report report_name to file_name" > > If 4GL can't directly add an image to the report maybe I can post > process the report file and add the image somehow? The check > signature would be the last line of the report, which may make it > easier to append an image to the end of the report text file. Anyone > done this? > _______________________________________________ > Informix-list mailing list > Informix-list@iiug.org > http://www.iiug.org/mailman/listinfo/informix-list >
On May 26, 3:04 pm, loc <c320...@gmail.com> wrote: > Is it possible to print an image on an Informix 4GL report? I would > like to print a signature on checks. I always output my reports to a > file with: > > "start report report_name to file_name" > > If 4GL can't directly add an image to the report maybe I can post > process the report file and add the image somehow? The check > signature would be the last line of the report, which may make it > easier to append an image to the end of the report text file. Anyone > done this? It's going to take a little trial and error, but I think I can do what I want by first converting the text file outputted by the 4GL report into postscript and then append the signature image to that file. # Convert 4GL ascii report file to postscript enscript report_name.txt --no-header -o report_name.ps # Append both image files into one convert -append report_name.ps signature_image.bmp 4gl_report_with_signature.pdf
"loc" <c320sky@gmail.com> wrote in message news:39079cf5-eddc-4331-9d7e-8aaaa3bf5e75@z7g2000vbh.googlegroups.com... > Is it possible to print an image on an Informix 4GL report? I would > like to print a signature on checks. I always output my reports to a > file with: > > "start report report_name to file_name" > We achieved this in 4gl by using 'Forms Electric' to create overlays from word documents, as many times the reports have some standard form letter text followed by a signature block. In the 4gl code we use pcl commands to load the overlays as macros to the printer, then turn on appropriate macro before printing report output along with it (a few wrapper functions make it simple). One of our larger reports that uses overlays has 14 overlays initialised at once, although the average output for one entity only uses 6 or 7 of the 14 depending on what is required. (If using forms electric use the command line to create overlays, not the gui as that doesn't work well). There may be other software that creates overlays, forms electric was the first one we found that did the job. It lets us do letter head graphics and persons signatures along with standard form letters personalised at the top. If printing text in midst of overlay text then alignment can get a bit fiddly (using pcl increment cursor position commands) depending on font being used and line spacing. Regards, Bryce Stenberg.