Look Sidewards - Reports DataPro / Standard Protocols

[Richard Gaskin]

Jan Schenkel wrote:

> Since you offered so nicely :-)
> 
> One of the most common reports in an accountancy
> program is the general accounts balance.
> In the Belgian standardised Minimal General Account
> System, the general accounts have number ranging from
> 100000 to 799999 (six digits).
> 
> What we need to print is:
> 1) the account number
> 2) the account name
> 3) current period's total debit bookings
> 4) current period's total credit bookings
> 5) current period's balance (column 4 - 3)
> 6) current financial year's total debit bookings
> 7) current financial year's total credit bookings
> 8) current financial year's balance (column 7 - 6)
> 
> Subtotals would be required on digits 1 through 5.
> Headers on every page, containing the company data.
> Summary page with the parameters that were set in the
> selection screen.
> 
> All the data comes from a *SQL database and is ready
> in a revdb_cursor.
> 
> What I can see as an answer is:
> 
> 1) clone an empty stack ;
> 
> 2) set size to A4-landscape :
> 2.1) 27.3 x 21 centimeters ;
> 2.2) ~ 774 x 595 picles ;
> 
> 3) make the headers :
> 3.1) clone the fields ;
> 3.2) populate with company data ;
> 
> 4) go to the first element in the cursor ;
> 
> 5) loop through the detail lines :
> 5.1) see if a subtotal needs to be printed,
> -> if so clone fields for subtotal line, populate with
> subtotals, reset subtotal counters
> -> check if another subtotal needs to be printed for a
> 'higher' level
> 5.2) clone 8 fields per detail line ;
> 5.3) populate fields with data from cursor ;
> 5.4) revdb_movenext ;
> 5.5) if the distance between the bottom of the field
> and the bottom of the card is too small to squeeze in
> an extra line,, create new card and print header,
> reset detail_counter_for_page
> 
> 6) when we've reached the end of the cursor, clone a
> bigger field, and put the parameters in there.
> 
> The resulting stack could be used both for viewing
> on-screen, and for printing to paper.
> 
> Now for more technical depth, I'd say we could
> implement the headers as a group with background
> property, so that whenever we create a new card it's
> there.
> Cloning the other fields in the correct position is
> feasible, if we keep track of the next 'top' to place
> the fields at.
> Printing subtotals means check from inside to outside
> (digits 5 through 1) which has changed, and if it has
> changed, clone the necessary fields for a subtotal
> line; add the height of this line so we know the new
> 'top' for the next line.
> 
> This still needs work on number formatting and such,
> but it's a basic framework on how a printinglib can be
> accomplished.
> I'm willing to admit that there are a few weaknesses
> in the reasoning (eg new-page determination), and that
> this could be accomplished by writing line after line
> to a text field and using revPrintField.
> But hard-coding such reports seldom guarantees
> portability, and automated data grouping and subtotal
> calculation takes away a lot of the headaches and
> mistakes in such data processing.
> 
> Hmm, I guess I'll stop rambling here and let other
> people post their suggestions/remarks :-)

How would you do all that in the HyperCard report engine?

-- 
 Richard Gaskin 
 Fourth World Media Corporation
 Custom Software and Web Development for All Major Platforms
 Developer of WebMerge 2.0: Publish any database on any site
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