Printing HTML reports

January 30, 2008, 09:45 AM

mitch goudy

I have a requirement to provide a very specificly formated report that can be printed landscape 8.5 x 11 or similarly PDF output.

I have created a HTML report with 3 other embedded html tables (IBI.FIL.xxx). The problem I am having, is that once the embedded tables are inserted the HTML format is lost, as far was page width.

If I just put the HTML code into a web browser, eveything works like I'd like it to. But once the results of my fex are inserted as HTML tables, the format seems fixed, expanding and contracting the windows does not reformat the data.

Here is the HTML:

 <head>
    <title>MULTI-PART GRIDDED PARTS LIST</title>
</head>
<body>
    <table >
        <tr>
            <td colspan="4" style="height: 21px; text-align: center">
                MULTI-PART GRIDDED PARTS LIST &STITLE</td>
        </tr>
        <tr >
            <td style=" border-left-color: black; border-bottom-color: black; border-top-style: solid; border-top-color: black; border-right-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; border-right-color: black; border-bottom-style: solid;">
                <span style="font-size: 7pt">CONTRACT: </span><br />
				<span style="font-size: 9pt">&FIFTH</span>
                <br />
                <br />
                <span style="font-size: 7pt">[Project Code: &&PF.&COUNT ]</span></td>
            <td style="border-left-color: black; border-bottom-color: black; border-top-style: solid; border-top-color: black; border-right-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; border-right-color: black; border-bottom-style: solid;">
                <span style="font-size: 9pt; ">
                CAGE CODE:xxxxx<br />
                    <br />
                        xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx<br />
                        xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx<br />
                        ORLANDO, FLORIDA</span></td>
            <td style=" font-size: 9pt;text-align: center;border-left-color: black; border-bottom-color: black; border-top-style: solid; border-top-color: black; border-right-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; border-right-color: black; border-bottom-style: solid;">
             <span style="font-size: 7pt;"> DRAWING NUMBER: </span><br />
                <br />
                PL &&PART1 &PLTITLE<br />
                Rev &DREV<br />
                <span style="font-size: 7pt">Title :</span>&&DOC_NAME_ENG1<br />
				&HDR</td>
            <td style=" border-left-color: black; border-bottom-color: black; border-top-style: solid; border-top-color: black; border-right-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; border-right-color: black; border-bottom-style: solid;">
                <span style="font-size: 7pt; vertical-align: top;">&FOURTH</span><br /><br />
				</td>
        </tr>
				 <tr style="font-size: 9pt; text-align:center; ">
         <td colspan="4"  style="height: 21px; text-align: center" >
!IBI.FIL.DSTMT;
		 </td>
  	        </tr>
	    <tr style="font-size: 9pt">
			&PLPROP
		        </tr>
        <tr style="font-size: 9pt">
            <td colspan="4">
			!IBI.FIL.HOLD1;<br>
            </td>
        </tr>
        <tr style="font-size: 9pt">
            <td colspan="4">
			!IBI.FIL.HOLD2;<br>
            </td>
        </tr>
        <tr style="font-size: 7pt">
            <td>
                <span style="font-size: 9pt">LEGEND:</span><br />
                    ALT = ALTERNATE PART<br />
                    AS REQ = AS REQUIRED<br />
                    MTL = RAW MATERIAL<br />
                    P = PROCESS SPECIFICATION<br />
                    REF = REFERENCE DOCUMENT<br />
                    SCHEM = SCHEMATIC DIAGRAM<br />
                    SQAP = SUPPLIER QUALITY ASSURANCE PROVISION<br />
                    TEST = TEST REQUIREMENT<br />
            </td>
            <td colspan="2">
                <span style="font-size: 9pt">FIND NUMBERS FOR ALTERNATE PARTS ARE DESIGNATED BY THE
                    FIND NUMBER OF THE PRIMARY PART AND A DECIMAL SUFFIX.<br />
                    <br />
                    <br />
                    <br />
                      INFORMATION CONTAINED IN SQUARE BRACKETS IS CONSIDERED TO BE INTERNAL TO XXXXXXXXXXXXX. IT IS NOT TO BE CONSIDERED PART OF THE DATA PACKAGE OF THE PRODUCT.
                    <br />
                </span>
            </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td colspan="3">
                <span style="font-size: 9pt">XXXXXXXXXXXXX APPROVALS ARE CAPTURED AND RETAINED ELECTRONICALLY.
                    SEE ENGINEERING RECORDS FOR SPECIFIC NAMES AND DATES.</span></td>
        </tr>
			<tr>
            <td colspan="3">
                <p>
                    <span style="font-size: 9pt"><b>WARNING - XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
                        XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
                        XXXXXXXXXXXXX.</b> </span>
                </p>
            </td>
        </tr>
    </table>
</body>
</html>

any help would be appreciated, I am wondering if PDF format would give me better control.

January 30, 2008, 11:07 AM

Tony A

Mitch,

My suggestion would be to always use PDF when you want the output printed.

HTML will flex with the screen size depending on how the HTMLis coded, but PDF is set fast being delivered to the end user as a completely formatted, non changeable (within the browser plug-in anyway) document in WYSIWYG.

T

January 30, 2008, 11:45 AM

Darin Lee

My thought exactly, Tony.

As you have three reports, use the compound PDF layout tool and forget about all that HTML coding. As Tony mentioned, you always get the same layout with PDF (and consistent output when printing.) HTML will vary with browser, screen size, etc. Good luck trying to get consistent printed output using HTML only.

Stick with PDF.

January 31, 2008, 02:41 PM

mitch goudy

Thanks for the help.

OK, sounds like PDF is the way to go. I will post questions on a different thread on question of PDF formating since my requirements are quite specific on the format.

January 31, 2008, 02:48 PM

susannah

Mitch
first, read the article in the 'focus on developers' section written by mickey grackin on formatting pdf output, its a 2 part article.
second, when i skim your code, it looks as though you have an -htmlform construct, and you are parking tables and variables into that construct. Thata a very viable way to do things, but for pdf, you'll have to drop all the -htmlform stuff, all the layout and formatting and dropping-in-of-parms-into-comments will have to be accomplished between the TABLE and the END statements. Ok?

January 31, 2008, 03:07 PM

mitch goudy

Susannah,
I used his article WebFOCUS HTML and PDF Report Design under Tips and Techniques as I was formating my HTML (columns especially). Very, very helpful.
I am now reading again for the PDF help.
thanks Mickey!

January 31, 2008, 05:07 PM

susannah

good Mitch, and just as a shameless plug....Mickey will be doing a session at Summit on this topic... its this year's hot session to attend for all hearty Focal Pointers ..

February 01, 2008, 10:00 AM

Tony A

That'll be no pressure then Mickey

lol

T

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