When To Use the PRINTER.DLL (Reporting and Printing)

The PRINTER.DLL is a dynamic link library that provides a series of printer function. The PRINTER.DLL is the best tool for creating form letters where there is variable text combined with  static  text. The word  static  is in quotation marks because there might be several variations of text that are used depending on the variables themselves.

 

The following example demonstrates why you might want to use the PRINTER.DLL for form letters, and how to generate them. The Accounts Receivable Deapartment at ABC Co. needs to send out letters to customers to update their account status. There are, however,  three versions of the letter depending on whether the balance is positive, negative or zero.  You could use the Revelation Reporter to do this; however, you would need to use calculated fields for the  static  text portion of the letter. This would clutter up your dictionary with items that are application-specificnot data-specific. As a result, you would not be able to reuse these items in any tool other than the Revelation Reporter. By using the PRINTER.DLL, you create a program that encapsulates the logic to prepare and output the information based on a defined structure and format.

 

The following elements below illustrate the example:

               The columns used in the ABC Co. Accounting Status Update Form Letter

               The Three Required Form Letters

               PRINTER.DLL Functions, Syntax and Parameters

               The Code Used to Generate the Three Form Letters

 

 

The columns used in the ABC Co. Accounting Status Update Form Letter

 

 

The Three Required Form Letters

 

 

 

 

 

PRINTER.DLL Functions, Syntax and Parameters

 

 

The Code Used to Generate the Three Form Letters

 

function example(hwnd)

 

* Declare functions to be used

declare function Print_Init, PrintSetMargins, Print_SetFont, Print_SetHeader, Print_Text, PrintLineFeed,PrintNewPage, Print_End

declare function Get_Property, Utility

 

Ctrl  = @window: ".ACCTNUM"

Table = Get_Property(Ctrl, "TABLE")

open "DICT",Table to @dict else null

@id = Get_Property(Ctrl, "INVALUE")

@record = Get_Property(@window, "RECORD")

@mv = ""

 

status=print_init(0,"test document",hwnd)

 

* Enable end user to select font at runtime from the font menu *

FontStruct=utility("CHOOSEFONT", @Window)

status=Print_SetFont(FontStruct)

 

 

* Set the margins *

status=PrintSetMargins(1,1,1,1)

 

* Set the print header to show the company name. *

status=Print_SetHeader("ABC Co. Account Status")

 

* Print the customer info. *

status=PrintLineFeed(1)

status=Print_Text({FNAME}:" ":{LNAME})

status=Print_Text({ADDRESS})

status=Print_Text({CITY}:", ":{STATE}:" ":{ZIP})

status=PrintLineFeed(1)

status=Print_Text("Account #:":{ACCTNUM})

status=PrintLineFeed(1)

 

* Print the salutation. *

status=Print_Text("Dear ":{SALUTATION}:" ":{LNAME}:",")

 

* Establish which letter body to print and print appropriate text *

BEGIN CASE

CASE {ACCBAL}=0

       status=Print_Text("Your account reflects a balance of $0 as of ":(OConv(Date(), "D4")):".")

CASE {ACCBAL}<0

status=Print_Text("Your account reflects a balance of ":trim({ACCBAL,2}):" as of ":(OConv(Date(), "D4")):". ")

       status=Print_Text("We will send you a refund check in the mail.")

CASE {ACCBAL}>0

       status=Print_Text("Your account reflects a balance of ":trim({ACCBAL,2}):" as of ":(OConv(Date(), "D4")):". ")

       status=Print_Text("Please remit payment by ":OConv({ACCDUE},"D4"):" to avoid finance charges. ")

END CASE

 

* Print rest of letter *

status=Print_Text("Please call ":{ACCREP}:" at (800) 555-1234 at ext. ":{ACCEXT}:" regarding ")

status=Print_Text("any questions about your account.")

status=PrintLineFeed(1)

status=Print_Text("Sincerely,")

status=Print_Text("Jane Smith, Manager of Accounts Receivable")

status=PrintLineFeed(1)

 

*Insert page break *

status=PrintNewPage()

 

 

status=Print_End()

 

return status