View Text Files

** This utility is under development and is not yet available. **

Printing to a Text File:
When a report is created, it may be printed out at printer or to saved as a text file.
When the report is sent to a text file, the report is temporarily saved by the software, and can be printed later or just viewed on the screen.
The text file is re-used over and over again, with each new report copying over the previous one.
This saves paper if you are not interested in keeping the report, and need just a the bottom line report total, or to view its basic layout etc.

A output method can be confirmed or re-selected from the Printer option located on the menu bar at the top of the screen.
To select the text file option click on Other in the Printer Selection window, and in the drop-down box on the Printer field select REPORT.TXT.

The text file can be shared by any user on the system. If two or more people have selected the same text file, then they will be copying over the last report printed with their latest report.
Multiple text files may be setup. e.g. each user can select their own text file.

Note: Until the printer selection is changed in the printer option window, all reports will go to the Text File selected.

After selecting REPORT.TXT as the text file for printing, now generate any report desired.
Use View Text Files to look at the report.
The prompts are:

ENTER FILE NAME TO VIEW

Accept REPORT.TXT or if blank, type in REPORT.TXT, or the appropriate file name.

Alternatively, a window is provided to view and select from other saved Text Files.

Note: For W95 and Windows-NT systems, when entering a device name for a text file, the FULL pathname of the file must be entered.
e.g. C:\PRO4DATA\REPORT.TXT

DATE/TIME FILE WAS LAST READ

The software maintains this statistic.

PRINT THE FILE

This prompt only displays in the GUI environment screen.

A output method can be confirmed or re-selected from the Printer option located on the menu bar at the top of the screen.
Type Y (YES) to output the report to the selected printer.

Type N (NO) to view the text file on the screen.

Finished?

Click ACCEPT to proceed to the detail screen.
The software converts the text file into viewable information.

OTHER HALF OF THE SCREEN

On "Green Screen" terminals, only the left half or the right half of the report will fit on the screen at one time.
To see the other half of the screen, press <F9> Expand key.
Press <F9> Expand key again to return to the first half.

PAGE UP/PAGE DOWN

Use the Page Up and Page Down keys to view more of the report.

EXIT

When finished, press Escape key.

Printing the Text File from "Green Screen" & Calculator Option:
The following two options are NOT available in the GUI environment and can only be used with LINUX "Green Screen".
Press Right Arrow key to be prompted:

CALCULATOR

At the > symbol, enter the formula and press <ENTER>.
Brackets and + and - are respected in the calculation.
Use * to indicate multiplication rather than X.
Use / to indicate division.

The solution is displayed at the = sign.

PRINT

After reviewing the text file, the report can be printed out without re-running the program which produced the report.
A output method can be confirmed or re-selected from the Printer option located on the menu bar at the top of the screen.
Type Y (YES) to print the report to the selected printer.

Type N (NO) to view the text file on the screen.

Saving to a Text File other than REPORT.TXT
Instead of having just one text file, you may want two or more text files available for storage of reports, or setup individual text files for different operators.

These text files must be setup in System-Wide Printers .

LINUX Examples:
==============

Seq Report Device Description       Device Name           Type
--- -------------------------       -----------           ----
001 print to a text file            REPORT.TXT              8
    PRINTER TYPE:                   Print To A File Name
002 print to a 2nd text file        REPORT2.TXT             8
    PRINTER TYPE:                   Print To A File Name
003 print to Bill's text file       /usr/bill/report.txt    8
    PRINTER TYPE:                   Print To A File Name
004 print to Anne's text file       /usr/anne/report.txt    8
    PRINTER TYPE:                   Print To A File Name

Note: For W95 and Windows-NT systems, when entering a device name for a text file, the FULL pathname of the file must be entered.
e.g. C:\PRO4DATA\REPORT.TXT

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Topic Keyword: VIEW