Re: Fancy Report Output in 4GL

You can also use the "old" way via UNIX, and use <ahem> TROFF, or some variant of a TROFF, PRINTing the TROFF codes with the report. While this may raise some eyebrows at first, you will be amazed at how simple the basic commands are, and with a little practice, you can produce some nice graphics, which by the way are finished in PostScript before actually going to the printer. If you have a logo or other graphic, you can set up TROFF to suck in the file, as an EPS ( Encapsulated Post Script ) Image, and you're off--er I mean TROFF and running. Of course in the tradition of UNIX, most of the TROFF commands and tutorials are very hard to find, but the "UNIX Text Formatting" paper back book available at most book stores can get you started. TROFF is not as bad as you think, and creating boxes with TROFF, pic, and tbl can give your reports a surprisingly NEW look. Another BIG benefit is the ability to choose fonts and get more of your report on a page, thus conserving paper, and being a good citizen. You might get quite creative once you get the hang of it. I have TROFF set up for mostly AWK scripts, but use it in 4GL reports quite often. If you're interested in a sample script let me know. And for the folks on a budget, there are public-domain TROFFs out there. You don't need a high-powered TROFF to get a nice report by the way, so if there's a low-cost 'ROFF with lots of features, get it. Master the basics, then jump to the advanced. Tim Schaefer The Computer Business Company Inxutil@aol.com