Command Reference Guide > Command Reference Guide > Using Actian X Commands > rbf Command--Start Report-By-Forms
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rbf Command--Start Report-By-Forms
The rbf command invokes Report-By-Forms (RBF), a forms-based interface that lets you build new reports or edit existing reports. For a complete description of RBF, see the Character-based Querying and Reporting Tools User Guide.
The rbf command has the following format:
rbf dbname |vnode::dbname[/server_class] [-r|-m[style]]
report_target [-lpagewidth] [-e] [-s] [-uusername] [-Ggroupid]
dbname
Specifies the name of the database containing the report data, and if required, the vnode and server_class, as described in Standard Flags and Parameters.
-r
Indicates that the report_target is a report. If the report is found, RBF allows you to edit the report specifications. An error is returned if the named report is not found.
-m[style]
Indicates that the report_target is a table. RBF formats a default report for the specified table and then lets you edit that default report.
The optional style parameter specifies the style of your report. Accepted values are: wrap, tabular (same as column), block, labels, and indented. If you do not specify a style, RBF selects either tabular or block, depending on the width of your report. RBF chooses tabular if all of the columns fit on one page; otherwise RBF selects block. The default report width is 132 characters.
report_target
Specifies the name of the object that you want to access in RBF. The report_target can be an existing report (created in a previous RBF session), a table, view, or synonym in your database on which you want to base the report.
The table, view, or synonym name can be qualified with a valid schema name in the format schema.name, as described in Schema Qualifier--Specify Ownership.
You can specify the type of report_target to RBF by using the –r or –m flag. If neither flag is specified, RBF looks first for a report having the specified name. If a report is not found, but a table with the same name exists, RBF sets up a default report for that table.
-lpagewidth
Directs RBF to use the line length specified by pagewidth when generating default reports. By default, RBF uses a line length of 132 characters for the label style, 80 characters for block, and 100 characters for the wrap style. All other styles, that is, tabular, indented and master-detail (a report run on a JoinDef) have no default line length. If you do not specify one for these, RBF makes the report as wide as necessary to accommodate the data.
-e
Invokes RBF in empty mode. The RBF Reports Catalog frame appears without data in its table field. This flag accelerates the process of selecting a report definition for editing, for users who are familiar with the contents of a database’s reports catalog. To use this flag with a particular report definition, move the cursor to the Name column, enter the desired report name, and select the appropriate operation.
-s
Suppresses status messages.
-uusername
Specifies the effective user for the session, as described in Standard Flags and Parameters.
-Ggroupid
Specifies a group identifier, as described in Standard Flags and Parameters.
Last modified date: 08/14/2024