Create a Report
To create a REPORT frame for your application
1. From the Edit an Application frame, choose Create. This displays the Create a Frame or Procedure pop-up, as illustrated.
2. Select Frame. You see the pop-up menu for the type of frame.
3. Select REPORT to display the Create a REPORT Frame pop-up. This frame operates in the same way as the Create a USER frame pop-up.
4. In the Name field, type the name for the report frame, and select OK.
5. You see the Edit a REPORT Frame Definition frame, with the default frame and report names filled in, as illustrated in the example.
6. (Optional) Enter a brief remark in the Short Remark field.
7. In the RBF Report? Field, enter y (the default) to create an RBF report, or n to create a Report-Writer report.
8. In the Report Name field, either take the default name (the same name as the report frame) or enter the name of an existing or new report.
9. The next field is the Report Source File field.
• If you entered n in the RBF Report? Field, type the name of the report specification file in the Report Source File field. This filename requires an extension of .rw. Proceed to step 10.
• If you entered y in the RBF Report? Field, the Report Source File field now reads <none> as RBF reports do not require source code files. Proceed to step 11.
10. For Report-Writer reports only: When you are ready to create the report specification file, use the Edit operation to enter the system editor.
Type in the file and save it using system editor commands. Save the report specification file in the database by using the Compile operation. For a sample source code file, see the Sample Report-Writer Report File section.
Alternatively, you can create and save a Report-Writer report outside of ABF using the system editor and sreport.
11. For either the RBF or Report-Writer report, you can optionally create a form for the entry of values for variables used in the report at run time.
12. In the Report Parameters Form field, type the name of the form. For details, see the Creating Report Frames section.
When you use RBF to build reports, you can specify variables for reports in the Column Options frame of RBF. For details, see the sections on RBF in Character-based Querying and Reporting Tools user Guide.
13. Select the output type next. In the Output File field, enter a filename, type printer, or type terminal to display the report on your terminal screen (the default).
These output options are discussed in the Creating Report Frames section.
14. Use the Command Line Flags field to enter any parameters you want the report to use when running.
15. If you are creating a report with RBF, select Edit and use RBF in the normal manner. This procedure does not produce a stored report or report source file.
For additional information about creating reports, see the Character-based Querying and Reporting Tools User Guide.