Q165638: HOWTO: Print Two Reports in One Duplexed Report
Article: Q165638
Product(s): Microsoft FoxPro
Version(s):
Operating System(s):
Keyword(s): kbprint kbvfp300 kbvfp500
Last Modified: 07-SEP-2001
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The information in this article applies to:
- Microsoft Visual FoxPro for Windows, versions 3.0, 3.0b, 5.0, 5.0a
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SUMMARY
=======
Because FoxPro reports are sent as separate print jobs, they are also printed on
separate pages. So, if you have two one-page reports and you want to have them
printed as one duplex report, you would have to combine the reports into one, or
combine the output of the two reports--as the program code in this article
illustrates.
NOTE: The COPY FILE command used at the end of this program may not work under
Windows NT. This is another issue being researched at this time.
MORE INFORMATION
================
There are some cases where extra characters may be printed at the top of the two
pages, but adjustments can be made to the code to prevent this. Specifically,
you need to change the adjustment on the lines using the FSEEK() function so
that the file pointer is moved by fewer characters.
Please note the assumptions that this code makes:
- You have a printer connected to a local printer port (LPT1 for this code to
work without modification), or you have captured a network printer to LPT1.
- You have only two reports to be printed together, and they print one page
each.
One additional note is that this program creates several files as temporary files
in the default directory. Please take note of the names of the files so as not
to overwrite any files you may already have (since SAFETY is turned OFF). These
temporary files are not deleted, but could be with only a few additional lines
of code.
**=========================================**
** Begin program **
**=========================================**
******* Environment Settings
** Printer Settings... this allows the user to
** choose which printer settings will be used in
** creating the file. But remember, the file
** will still be sent to the port indicated in
** the COPY FILE command at the end of the program.
SET PRINTER TO GETPRINTER()
** Safety should be off in case we have
** already run this procedure before
tmpsafe = SET("SAFETY")
SET SAFETY OFF
******* End environment settings
******* Create template file
** Create blank report
IF FILE("blank.frx")
DELETE FILE blank.frx
ENDIF
DEFINE WINDOW test FROM 0,0 TO 10,10
KEYBOARD "{CTRL+W}"
CREATE REPORT blank
RELEASE WINDOW blank
RELEASE WINDOW test
** Change the printer settings to ensure duplex printing is
** turned on and use selected settings. Please note that
** duplex printing will work only on printers that support it.
USE blank.frx
REPLACE expr WITH "DUPLEX=2" && turn duplex on
USE
** Create blank table to cover two pages
SELECT 0
IF USED("blank")
USE IN blank
ENDIF
IF FILE("blank.dbf")
DELETE FILE blank.dbf
ENDIF
CREATE TABLE BLANK (test C)
FOR nCnt = 1 TO 25
APPEND BLANK
ENDFOR
** Create template print file from blank report
REPORT FORM blank TO template.prn
USE IN blank
** Create variables for each line of the template file
htemplate = FOPEN("template.prn")
linecnt = 0
DO WHILE !FEOF(htemplate)
linecnt = linecnt + 1
lnvar = "line" + ALLTRIM(STR(linecnt))
STORE FGETS(htemplate) TO &lnvar
ENDDO
=FCLOSE(htemplate)
******* End create
******* Process the individual reports
** Remove printer settings from the reports
** so they use the selected settings
&& First report
report1 = GETFILE("FRX","Please select first report")
IF EMPTY(report1)
=MESSAGEBOX("You did not specify a file for the first report," + ;
CHR(13) + "so this program cannot continue.")
RETURN
ENDIF
USE (report1) IN 0 ALIAS one
SELECT one
onetmp = one.expr
REPLACE expr WITH ""
USE IN one
&& Second report
report2 = GETFILE("FRX","Please select second report")
IF EMPTY(report2)
=MESSAGEBOX("You did not specify a file for the second report," + ;
CHR(13) + "so this program cannot continue.")
RETURN
ENDIF
USE (report2) IN 0 ALIAS two
SELECT two
rtmp = two.expr
REPLACE expr WITH ""
USE IN two
** Send reports to files
REPORT FORM (report1) TO one.txt NOCONSOLE
REPORT FORM (report2) TO two.txt NOCONSOLE
** Restore printer settings to the reports
&& First report
USE (report1) IN 0 ALIAS one
SELECT one
REPLACE expr WITH rtmp
USE IN one
&& Second report
USE (report2) IN 0 ALIAS two
SELECT two
REPLACE expr WITH rtmp
USE IN two
** Determine the size of the input files
tmpdb4 = SET("COMPATIBLE")
SET COMPATIBLE ON
onesz = FSIZE("one.txt")
twosz = FSIZE("two.txt")
SET COMPATIBLE &tmpdb4
******* End process
******* Create final print file
** Delete the file, if it exists, and create
** a new file to contain the reports
IF FILE("final.prn")
DELETE FILE final.prn
ENDIF
hFinal = FCREATE("final.prn")
** Write header codes
totchar = 0 && this will contain the length of the header
FOR nCnt = 1 TO linecnt-2
lnvar = "line" + ALLTRIM(STR(nCnt))
totchar = totchar + FPUTS(hFinal,EVAL(lnvar))
ENDFOR
pgvar = "line" + ALLTRIM(STR(linecnt-1)) && page break line
ejvar = "line" + ALLTRIM(STR(linecnt)) && end of job line
** Write body of first report file
hOne = FOPEN("one.txt")
=FSEEK(hOne,totchar-(linecnt-2))
=FWRITE(hFinal,FREAD(hOne,onesz-totchar-LEN(EVAL(ejvar))))
** Write pagebreak codes
=FPUTS(hFinal,EVAL(pgvar))
** Write body of second report file
hTwo = FOPEN("two.txt")
=FSEEK(hTwo,totchar-(linecnt-2))
=FWRITE(hFinal,FREAD(hTwo,twosz-totchar-LEN(EVAL(ejvar))))
** Write end-of-job codes
=FPUTS(hFinal,EVAL(ejvar))
** Close all files
=FCLOSE(hFinal)
=FCLOSE(hOne)
=FCLOSE(hTwo)
******* End create
******* Send the final file to the printer
** This line copies the file to the printer
** connected to LPT1: in Windows. You may also
** specify LPT1 or LPT2 instead of PRN.
COPY FILE final.prn TO PRN
******* End send
******* Restore Environment Settings
SET SAFETY &tmpsafe
******* End restore
**=========================================**
** End program **
**=========================================**
Additional query words:
======================================================================
Keywords : kbprint kbvfp300 kbvfp500
Technology : kbVFPsearch kbAudDeveloper kbVFP300 kbVFP300b kbVFP500 kbVFP500a
Issue type : kbhowto
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