Producing CSV output without .PDF

[Zoltan_Gyimesi]

Hi List,

This issue arised today at one of our guy.

He have to modify an existing UBE producing a CSV output but to suppress the .PDF output at the same time is also a requirement.

Any hint, tip will greatly appreciatd.

Thanks in advance,

Zoltán

 

[zuke]

Did you try the "Suppress Output" setting in the RDA? I've have some success with this...although it seems a bit flakey.

- Scott

 

[Zoltan_Gyimesi]

Hi Scott,

First of all thanks for the hint.

Of course it was my first advise to our guy and he tried it.
He told me later that this method unfortunately suppress the CSV output too.


Regards,

Zoltán

 

[harveyk]

The CSV is produced afdter the PDF so therefore you need the PDF. If you have .NET Framework installed you can use the FileWatch monitor to write a utility to monitor a the folder for a file with extension .CSV and then delete the same file name with the .PDF extension. If you don't have .NET Framework then you have to do a bit more work to write the utility.

Xe, Update 6, SP20, Oracle, NT and AS400

 

[Zoltan_Gyimesi]

Harvey,

First of all, welcome aboard!

Thanks for your suggetion, but I am affraid that this is not a real solution for us.

I hoped, there is some simplier solution.

Regards,

Zoltán

 

[Segfault]

Zoltan, the PDF and CSV are produced in parallel. Unfortunately, you always get a PDF with OW, it isn't an option to only do CSV unless you do suppress output and write your own BSFNs to generate it, etc. -- Extremely messey, in other words.

 

[Zoltan_Gyimesi]

Hi Seg,

It seems so that we have to give up producing CSV without .PDF


Regards,

Zoltán

 

[harveyk]

Since you said at the start that you were modifying a UBE, and once you don't require Report Headings and Column Headings, then can you use database output at the relevant Section to produce your .csv file therefore allowing you to suppress your pdf output without the loss of the csv

 

[Zoltan_Gyimesi]

Harvey,

Thanks for your reply!
It sounds interesting but I am affraid, it isn't clear enough for me.
Would you please to describe your suggestion a bit detailed?
It will be greatly appreciated.

Regards,

Zoltán

 

[Segfault]

Harvey is right, database output can to something similar. I have seen it done, but haven't implemented it - perhaps he can enlighten us!

 

[TRathjen]

The problem we have with database output is that you have to set up the name and location of the output file in the report specs. This would cause the file to be overwritten or appended to each time the report is run unless the file is moved or renamed first.

 

[Zoltan_Gyimesi]

Tim,

This is not too hard problem.

Please, check the
Re: Table Conversion from multiple text files ag_cjc 10/11/02 04:14 PM
post and/or the entire
Table Conversion from multiple text files Sef 10/11/02 04:54 AM
thread for the solution.

Regards,

Zoltán

 

[harveyk]

Within RDA, if you go choose Section...Database Output you are presented with a screen where you can choose your operation (Insert only in this case), your Type ( Comma-delimited file ), Name ( your desired output file - c:\temp\test.csv). Tabbing on allows you to add additional descriptions - so we could output more than one file if we wanted. Clicking Next brings you to a 'mapping' screen, where you can choose from the dropdown which output file you are mapping. For a text or csv file the Target Column is prefilled with dummy field names. Starting with the first if you double click in the Source Object you can choose from the BC fields available in the Sections and also any RV controls you may have added to the section. The Source Section will default to the section that you are in. Carry on selecting each item that you want included in the output. Now when you run your UBE for each pass of the Do Event in that section, a record will be written to you destination file. You can then suppress the PDF output, but once the event runs - records are produced. If you are trying to pull fields from multiple sections into your csv record then you may have to make some RV variable global in order to see them. If you want this to run on an AS/400 then we are talking about a different issue - this approach won't work. We just do it differently for that case. If you are talking about a Financial Report instead of a 'normal' UBE - whatever that is, then you have to be careful about when the value is available for output - I have had challenges doing database output from Financial Reports - but these are not insurmountable either. Have a go at this to see if helps you.

 

[harveyk]

In most instances that I have come across the csv file is produced in order to be processed immediately or prior to the next run, so there is no issue there. I see you use Optio -which gives you another option to do this very thing - send the pdf to Optio and it can strip out the information and produce the csv.

 

[Zoltan_Gyimesi]

Harvey,

Thanks a lot for your detailed reply!

After your first post I examined a bit the Database Output feature (don't tried, just in RDA). This feature enables only fixed field length and comma delimited text output while, if I am right, CSV is tab delimited.

Let me a final question: Have you ever tried, how outputs this feature string fields, containing coma in its content?

I will forward your post (asI did with your previous too) to my colleauge, who faced with this challange.

Thanks again,

Zoltán