Chuck’s Academy of

Function Anatomy

An ACEware Webinar

Part 2

Function Academy – Part 2

• Formatting Functions• Function Categories• Especially Cool!• Advanced and

Specialized

Formatting Functions

NAMER – formats name

namer(rgid);nmfirm;nmaddr1;nmaddr2;nmcity,nmstate,nmzip

Formatting Functions

NICEDATE – formats datenicedate(cobegdate,coenddate) nicedate(cobegdate,coenddate,3)

Formatting Functions

SHOWPHON – formats phone numbershowphon(indphone,"Day: ");showphon(inhphone,"Eve: ")

Formatting Functions

CSZR – concatenates city, state and zip (frequently combined with other functions)namer(nmid);nmtitle;nmaddr1;nmaddr2;cszr(nmid);nmcntry

Other Function Categories

Especially cool!

AGE – Calculates the number of years between two datesAGE(nmbirth)

Especially cool!

GETDATA – Opens a message box in which you can enter a temporary message to be used in a report. (Used in a JUSTDOIT)

Required Parameters:

Character title expression (i.e. text that will display at the top of the message box)

Input variable. Variable can be a date, (e.g. ctod('//') ), a number (e.g. 0.00), or character. If character, use the SPACE() function to specify desired length (i.e. SPACE(50) creates a data entry field 50 characters in length). Note: if you wish to enter a large text block (i.e. a memo), enter a space value 251- SPACE(251). This will let you enter large blocks of text in a scrolling data window.

Especially cool!

GETDATA (continued)

Especially cool!

JUSTDOIT with GetData Function

GetData Function

Especially cool!

WHAZZIS – Displays query used on reportwhazzis(.t.)

Optional Parameters:"A" = Query Name, Query Field and Query Value"Q" = Query Name Only"V" = Query Value Only"QV" = Query Name and Value"+" = Query Name and Report Name"++" = Query Name, Report Name and Report Title

 

Especially cool!

QuikCode – shows code description (instead of code)iif(empt(rgtrack),'NO CODE',quikcode(RGTRACK))

Chuck’s Favorites

Sometimes we have to humour the boss!

SHOWEXP

Don’t forget to add your formatting!

SHOWEXP

ADDOMNI

When it absolutely, positively has to be there!Returns any field from any table in the system (key value must be in cursor).

Required Parameters:Table you want to return a field from in quotes (i.e. "NAMES", "COURSE",

"REGISTER")

Key from above table in quotes (i.e. "nmid" or "nmid+rgcrse")

Key from report cursor, NO quotes (i.e. nmid or nmid+cocrse)

Field from specified table to return (i.e. "nmsalut", "cosubcode", "rggrade")

FINDINST

FINDINST can display more than a name!1= Name and SSN2= Name only3= Name, day phone, and eve phone4= Name-Last Name, First Name5= Name and Address in block form6= Name, Address and Phone #'s in block form7= Name and user defined char string (enter char string as parameter 3)8= Name, SSN, and Pay description

Justdoit

JUSTDOIT is a specialized report function that uses SQL to request and manipulate information from the data tables.

What can a JUSTDOIT do?• change the sort order of data in a report• filter out unwanted data• execute specialized report functions

– gradspec– getdata

Writing a Justdoit

All JUSTDOIT’s that change the output order, eliminate duplicates or filter begin the same:

justdoit(‘select *,0 as marker from (cursor5)

And continue with Order, Group, or Where

Writing a Justdoit

Where States a conditional clause that data must meet to be included in the report (e.g. where due-paid > 0.00)

Group by Groups data in the cursor by the field you specify, then removes all but one record for each group

Order by Changes the sort order of data in the cursor

Into cursor (cursor?) Tells the system to place the data back into the cursor once it has finished executing all the select statements,

And finishes with . . .

Justdoit Examples

Change the Sort Order of Report with "Order By" Statement justdoit(‘select *,0 as marker from (cursor5) order by

nmname3,nmname1 into cursor(cursor5)’) 

Eliminating Duplicate records with the "Group By" Statement JUSTDOIT(‘select *,0 as marker from (cursor5) group by

nmid,nmname3 into cursor(cursor5)’) 

Filter the report with "Where" Statement JUSTDOIT(‘select *,0 as marker from (cursor5) where due-paid>0.00

into cursor(cursor5)’) 

Justdoit

The JUSTDOIT expression box may be placed anywhere on the report template but we recommend placing it in the header band of the report.  It's a non-printing element and will not display on the report itself.

Adding a field with a JUSTDOIT

Add a field to the Cursor and then Sort by it JUSTDOIT(‘select *,addcrse(cocrse,"cobegdate") as date, 0 as marker

from (cursor5) order by date into cursor(cursor5)’)

Use the ADDCRSE function & add “as date” which identifies the new field for the cursor and continue

with the justdoit

Additional Help

A plethora of additional information on all functions is available in the online help

or . . .

Call your tech!

Questions???

Our next webinar . . .

Wednesday, June 30th

1:00 Central

When we unveil the all new 7.2!