Hi All,

 newbie question # 4

 I'm a newbie to OI. Just purchased OI 9.1 and have some questions that I generated going thru documentation, the website and just trying some things.

 I will post each as a new topic, so that they can be treated individually.

 TIA for helping with your ideas, suggestions and comments.

 Running OI 9.1, on a win xp client. The server is a windows 2000 server box, running Unidata, and an application called Manage 2000.

 I see many discussions regarding the use of Word and merging data from an export from the database to a word mail merge document. This requires Word to be installed for each user, and, it means working with all the limitations of MS Word mail merge commands. (The more complicated a document, the harder it becomes, seems to me)

 Does anyone use other methods of producing merged documents?

 For example, my current application has a 'form builder'. In it, you determine the header, body and footer of a document. In each section, you tell the builder that you want to print a particular field of data, in a particular location, applying output formatting, etc. In the body, you can specify multiple records (i.e. sales order detail records), and within- multi-valued fields. The result is a short document that, when printed, automatically fills in the fields, handles paging, etc.

 Are there any third party add-ons or special functions within OI that would work in a similar manner? Am I limited to using a merge functions with a 3rd party application or to writing my own 'from designer' and printing subroutines?

thanx,

ron

Ron,

I would look into the OIPI (OpenInsight Printer Interface). This would give you the most flexibility, the ability to design completely custom forms, as well as merging data into them at any location and in any fashion.

This is all accomplished through code, so the trade off for complete customization is that it can be a complex and tough to start out - especially from scratch.

ftomeo@srpcs.com SRP Computer Solutions, Inc.

Frank is of course right .. with OIPI you can do just about anything on a form you want.

There are two routines in sysprog OIPI_EXAMPLE1 and OIPI_EXAMPLE2 i believe they are called. Show most of the features of the printer interface .. although it has expanded since they were written.

I forgot to mention, you might check out The Sprezzatura Group. I believe at one time they were working on a *merge* processor for forms. Their site would have more information.

Thanx to both of you. I have begun to look at OIPI, and it truely is packed with many of the capabilities I would like, including many that are not availabe in my current environment.

I might have to create my own 'form builder' definitions screen, that would then be used by a custom program to take advantage of some of these features.

thanx again,

ron

Regretfuly whilst we have both a fully functional MERGE and a fully functional FORM they are not yet on the web site… we're slowly reinstating content after the site rewrite and have been working more on the blog than on product info. We'll try and rectify this over the coming months.

The Sprezzatura Group

The Sprezzatura Blog

World leaders in all things RevSoft

I Look forward to seeing what you have to offer in regard to this topic. I don't want to have to recreate the wheel, if someone has a solution already.

thanx,

ron

There's always "MERGE" in ARev32…

OK, I'll look. I thought that Arev32 was the Advanced Revelation 32 bit database, and would not apply to my front ending Unidata with OI. More to learn

thanx,

ron

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