I have a hold file that looks like this:

TABLE FILE HLDOTBOUT
SUM
     NET_OTB
BY CLASS_ID
BY DEPT_DESCR
BY SUBDEPT_DESCR
BY CLASS_DESCR
ACROSS MONTH_ID
ON TABLE SET PAGE-NUM OFF
ON TABLE SET BYDISPLAY ON
ON TABLE HOLD AS HLDOTBGRID FORMAT FOCUS
END

How can I programmatically get the field names of the resulting hold file so I can use a particular field name for the succeeding report? Since the field names are dynamically generated when I use across.

The result for the above code would look like this:

CLASS_ID	DEPT_DESCR	SUBDEPT_DESCR	CLASS_DESCR	NET201105	NET201106	NET201107	NET201108	NET201109	NET201110	NET201111	NET201112
40010001	FURNITURE	LIVING ROOM	SOFA/LOVESEATS	166,542	87,246	12,795	-78,164	-62,953	-37,706	-165,916	-379,959
40010002	FURNITURE	LIVING ROOM	RECLINERS	77,826	54,978	63,778	-111,756	12,180	-4,270	-41,761	-100,858
40010003	FURNITURE	LIVING ROOM	OCCASIONAL SEATING	146,669	-15,217	-70,059	93,218	115,742	227,230	284,037	284,037
40020001	FURNITURE	BARSTOOLS	BARSTOOLS	-239,542	306,490	293,763	243,381	146,812	593,524	918,981	918,981
40030001	FURNITURE	DINING CHAIRS	DINING CHAIRS	169,332	-21,146	-62,972	-102,351	-340,111	-208,737	203,167	228,644
40040001	FURNITURE	DINING TABLES	DINING TABLES	401,314	-225,209	-219,059	76,723	-157,613	-226,160	326,711	326,711
40050001	FURNITURE	BEDROOM	HEADBOARDS	296,170	107,686	39,235	175,674	-400	165,880	207,351	207,351
40050002	FURNITURE	BEDROOM	BED SETS	222,128	-35,258	-96,456	53,672	-49,257	63,736	159,667	159,667
40050003	FURNITURE	BEDROOM	MATTRESSES	-139,464	-41,901	-278,364	-133,512	-149,181	-142,233	-254,468	-233,969
40050004	FURNITURE	BEDROOM	CASE GOODS	151,133	-102,387	-52,690	-11,094	25,205	58,002	72,502	72,502
40050005	FURNITURE	BEDROOM	DAYBEDS	16,099	-57,605	13,588	-18,612	13,588	13,588	16,985	16,985
40060001	FURNITURE	ACCENTS	BEDROOM	14,339	2,793	2,793	3,492	-209,219	2,793	3,492	3,492
40060002	FURNITURE	ACCENTS	KITCHEN	-102,551	297	297	371	297	297	371	371

I would then look at a particular field let's say NET201105 and use this in my condition to generate the succeeding report.

Thanks for your help.

Joel

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Joel,

If you want to get the field names created, you can do this by using SYSCOLUM

TABLE FILE SYSCOLUM
PRINT NAME
WHERE TBNAME EQ '{master}'
END

You can use Dialogue Manager to read the HOLD master and place the field names in DM numbered variables:

TABLE FILE CAR
 SUM SALES
 BY CAR
 ACROSS COUNTRY
 ON TABLE SET ASNAMES ON
 ON TABLE HOLD AS HOLD1
END
-*
APP FILEDEF HOLDMAST DISK hold1.mas
-RUN
-*
-REPEAT ENDREPEAT1 FOR &I FROM 1 TO 500
-READ HOLDMAST, &TEXTX
-IF &IORETURN NE 0 GOTO QUITREPEAT1 ;
-IF &TEXTX OMITS 'FIELDNAME=' GOTO ENDREPEAT1 ;
-SET &NAMELEN = &TEXTX.LENGTH - 10 ;
-SET &FIELD.&I = GETTOK(&TEXTX,&TEXTX.LENGTH,2,'=',&NAMELEN,'A&NAMELEN.EVAL');
-TYPE &FIELD.&I
-ENDREPEAT1
-QUITREPEAT1

Or...if you are looking for a particular field name (containing 'JAPAN' in this example):

-SET &IORETURN = 0 ;
-*
-REPEAT ENDREPEAT1 WHILE &IORETURN EQ 0 ;
-READ HOLDMAST, &TEXTX
-IF &TEXTX OMITS 'FIELDNAME=' GOTO ENDREPEAT1 ;
-IF &TEXTX OMITS 'JAPAN' GOTO ENDREPEAT1 ;
-SET &NAMELEN = &TEXTX.LENGTH - 10 ;
-SET &FIELDX = GETTOK(&TEXTX,&TEXTX.LENGTH,2,'=',&NAMELEN,'A&NAMELEN.EVAL');
-ENDREPEAT1
-*
-TYPE &FIELDX

Thanks Dan for your input. This really helps.

?FF HLDOTBGRID

is much quicker and simpler.

You'll fine the across columns have unique alias's such as E10 E11 E12 etc.

You can use these in a report.

Or you could edit the HLDOTBGRID.MAS file and change the names to suit your needs.

OPALTOSH, the issue with ?FF is that is only shows you the columns in the master, but not access them programatically.

Another way to get the column names into a file is CHECK FILE {MASTER} HOLD {AS name}.