Hi all,

I am tasked with preparing a report that generates a largely empty spreadsheet file for importing into another system. I obtain the data that is to be filled in from our systems and then use virtual fields to create the mandatory empty or default columns. The version that obtains data from a relational database works great. Another version of this report pulls data from a CSV file. This version will not recognize the DEFINE FILE actions.

I have created the synonym for the CSV file. My WF code reads the synonym and prints selected fields into a hold file. I use essentially the same DEFINE FILE statements from the working report to add the mandatory columns. If I run a simple TABLE FILE {hold file} PRINT * report, all that is returned are the initial columns put into the hold file. None of the virtual columns show up and there are no errors in the output.

Is this a known issue? Is there some setting that I need to add?

Thanks in advance for any assistance.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: <Emily McAllister>,

I think only real fields are included in PRINT *. What happens if you PRINT fieldname?

PRINT * does not display DEFINE FILE fields. You have to reference them.

Does not work:

DEFINE FILE CAR
HAHA/A4 WITH COUNTRY = 'HAHA';
END

works:

TABLE FILE CAR
PRINT
HAHA
SEG.COUNTRY
SEG.CAR
SEG.MODEL
END

Thank you. This explains a lot.

Wazzah's Suggestions

PRINT * is a big No No, unless you have a very good reason to use it.

Its the sign of a lazy programmer

quote:

Its the sign of a lazy programmer

Or a programmer trying to confirm the VERY LONG set of defines actually worked.

Good thing I have Sublime Text and Slickedit to do the excessive retyping.