Focal Point
Can Formating be done in MAS files rather than using a DEFINE

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February 22, 2008, 05:44 AM
johney
Can Formating be done in MAS files rather than using a DEFINE
Hi All,

Is there any way to fix the dollar($) format for numeric column in MAS itself because I dont want to create a DEFINE field since I am using report assistant for my reporting.

If it can be done , pleae suggest me to the same thing for date formats also. I would like to see my date fields as mm/dd/yyyy with out any time in it.

Thanks and regards,
Johney Joseph


Version 7.6.11
Webfocus installed in AIX 5.3,
desktop PC: Windows-XP based
Output: Excel, HTML, PDF
February 23, 2008, 08:20 AM
gogoly
Yes. In fact I did it just last night to QA one of our new product features called Flex Enable.
As an example, look at the ggsales.mas in ibisamp - this sample is shipped with webFocus.
I canged the format of the DOLLARS field in the mas fir from I8 to I8CM & the formatting now carried forward.

Here's the ne code in the master field...

FIELDNAME=DOLLARS, ALIAS=E11, USAGE=I8CM,
TITLE='Dollar Sales', DESCRIPTION='Total dollar amount of reported sales', $
February 24, 2008, 10:26 AM
Baillecl
Define in a Master was supported in the old Days.
An important point is to know that, since Focus, at the Master level, cannot know which path is used, you must not refer to any fields out of the Segment scope.
So Define(s) comes after the last field of the Segement as
DEFINE NEW_FIELD/DMYY = OLD_FIELD ;$ Don't forget ";$" or this Tricky Focus will do as if he didn't understand what you meant.
All the Power of the Define Definition there. But the Defines file is not Qualified (or was not in the old Days), which did not appear correct to me (Regards to the Obligation to stick to the Segment Scope)
Beware of what the Accessing Motor to Data understands. The great Power that Focus puts in 'VIRTUAL' FIELDS is not always understood by lhe low-level Accessing Motors and you can turn into poor efficiency because of Using Defined Fields.
Sorry for being too precise and too verbose, but I'm trying to prove me that I still can play in the informatics game, amidst so many lying gurus... (Out of this Forum, I mean ...)
Cordialement and Focusly


Focus Mainframe 7.6.11
Dev Studio 7.6.11 and !!!
PC Focus, Focus for OS/2, FFW Six, MSO
February 24, 2008, 10:34 AM
Baillecl
quote:
Defines file

Please Read Defines Fields, of course
Sorry for the mistake
Useless Comments :
Think we should turn back to Cicero's Latin as "Universal langage".
It would prevent me from such mistakes, and put you in a frightful mess to communicate.
A little more equity (Egalité en Français) would, thus, be welcomed


Focus Mainframe 7.6.11
Dev Studio 7.6.11 and !!!
PC Focus, Focus for OS/2, FFW Six, MSO