Report Writer Overview:
The Report Writer Package is a very easy to use “question and answer” oriented package that has been specifically designed to allow non-programming personnel to quickly and easily generate customized reports. It builds and saves a Business BASIC Report program, based upon answers keyed in by the user, and then adds the new program to an easily accessible “menu” so that the report can be selected for printing whenever desired. Rather than asking the user for file names and data field names, which he/she may not know, the package displays descriptive (not coded) names and allows the user to select the desired files from which the data will be retrieved, as well as the data that will be contained in the report. It then builds and saves a customized report program. Although the generated program can be run as often as desired, the original “format data” need be keyed in only once. Each time a new set of report parameters is keyed into the system, the parameters are saved so that they may be recalled and modified to build another, similar report program. If desired, the program can be built so as to create an output file that can be used as a secondary merge file for a primary WordPerfect Word Processing letter file. For example, delinquent customers could be selected from your customer file and their name, address and delinquent amount could be written to a secondary file that could be merged into a dunning letter that was created by WordPerfect Word Processing. Since the created program would be saved, it could be run as often as necessary.
Report Writer Features:
- Up to 15 data columns per report
- Optional sub totals and grand totals on user designated columns
- User defined column sequence
- Up to 3 levels of sorting of column data in ascending or descending sequence (user defined)
- Column mathematical capabilities
- Automatic column headings
- Ability to print all data records in a data file or a user defined range of records (i.e. all customers in zip code 30305 to 30330)
- Up to two sets of five range select designations per report (i.e., if customer zip code is in the range of 30305 to 30330 AND if customer purchases this year are greater than $10,000 OR if the customer zip code is in the range of 40500 to 41900 AND if customer purchases this year are greater than $8,000, print the customer)
- Ability to select a record for printing based upon a non-printed data field (i.e., select all customer names for a salesperson number, but do not print the salesperson number on every line)
- Ability to select data from multiple data files. (i.e., select salesperson number from the customer file and use it to select salesperson name from the salesperson file)
- Ability to maintain and print out an existing report definition so that it may be modified and a new, similar report program may be built
- Ability to generate reports whereby the data selection criteria is entered by the User each time the report is executed.
- Ability, during report definition, to view on the screen the report output format (i.e., column headings, spacing, and data format) to see what it will look like before it prints.
- Ability to print the report either to a screen or to a printer.
- Ability to create a WordPerfect Word Processing merge file.
- Ability to rerun previously created Report programs, upon demand, simply by selecting them from a menu.
- Very easy to learn and use because of extensive on-line User guidance instructions.