Looking for a way in ReportCaster to print multiple copies of the same document.
I'm setting up a job that prints a schedule to a printer, but I need to print for 40 people.
I don't really want it to run the job 40 times, just once then print 40 times.
Also, is there a way to control or pass other printer parameters such as double-sided, staple, etc.?

You really have to send it to a printer, e-mail won't do?

Anyway you can set up a printer distribution list.

Good suggestion Prarie. Thank you.
But email won't work completely. People can't carry around an email and the supervisors need to hand out many copies for their personnel. The Distribution List solves the Quantity issue (albeit not to elegant) but it does not solve the printer options issue for a 20 page schedule that I want to print double-sided and stapled.

Where I was able to control or have influence on this sort of thing, we sent and emailed report to the individuals concerned then if they needed to print it they did it themselves. This way they the printing is diverted to the appropriate departments budget for the paper, ink and equipment costs associated.

We save trees by creating Shared Drives on the network for each department and FTPing 1 copy to a folder on that departments shared drive.
Then, each person within the department that has access to the folder now has access to the report.

They then can do with it what they wish....

Unfortunately Tom, they wish it to be printed... for them... lots and lots of copies.

Here is an idea, loop on your last HOLD file creating many sets of the same data. Index with a seq field, output to PDF for print page breaking on the seq field.

I hope this doesn't make me the bad guy.

  


SET BYDISPLAY = ON

DEFINE FILE CAR
SEQ/I4 = 1;
END
TABLE FILE CAR
PRINT COUNTRY MODEL CAR
BY SEQ
ON TABLE HOLD AS CARTEST1
END
-RUN

-REPEAT :LOOPING FOR &N FROM 2 TO 5;
-SET &FSEQ = &N - 1;

DEFINE FILE CAR
SEQ/I4 = &N;
END
TABLE FILE CAR
PRINT COUNTRY MODEL CAR
BY SEQ
ON TABLE HOLD AS CARTEST&N
MORE
FILE CARTEST&FSEQ
END
-RUN
-:XXXIT
-:LOOPING


TABLE FILE CARTEST5
PRINT 
     'CARTEST5.CARTEST5.COUNTRY'
     'CARTEST5.CARTEST5.MODEL'
     'CARTEST5.CARTEST5.CAR'
BY 'CARTEST5.CARTEST5.SEQ' NOPRINT
     
ON CARTEST5.CARTEST5.SEQ PAGE-BREAK
HEADING
"Multiple Page Report "
" "
ON TABLE SET PAGE-NUM OFF 
ON TABLE NOTOTAL
ON TABLE PCHOLD FORMAT PDF
ON TABLE SET STYLE *
     UNITS=IN,
     SQUEEZE=ON,
     ORIENTATION=PORTRAIT,
$
TYPE=REPORT,
     GRID=OFF,
     FONT='TIMES NEW ROMAN',
     SIZE=10,
$
TYPE=DATA,
     COLUMN=N1,
     FONT='ARIAL',
$
TYPE=DATA,
     COLUMN=N2,
     FONT='ARIAL',
$
TYPE=DATA,
     COLUMN=N4,
     FONT='ARIAL',
$
TYPE=DATA,
     COLUMN=N3,
     FONT='ARIAL',
$
TYPE=TITLE,
     COLUMN=N1,
     FONT='ARIAL',
$
TYPE=TITLE,
     COLUMN=N2,
     FONT='ARIAL',
$
TYPE=TITLE,
     COLUMN=N4,
     FONT='ARIAL',
$
TYPE=TITLE,
     COLUMN=N3,
     FONT='ARIAL',
$
TYPE=HEADING,
     LINE=1,
     OBJECT=TEXT,
     ITEM=1,
     SIZE=14,
     STYLE=BOLD,
$
TYPE=HEADING,
     LINE=2,
     OBJECT=TEXT,
     ITEM=1,
     SIZE=14,
     STYLE=BOLD,
$
ENDSTYLE
END
-RUN

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Don Garland,

Don, thanks for the suggestions and sample code. That looks very plausible. Can ReportCaster handle that?
I guess I'll test and find out.

Another way that we resolved a similar issue was to set up a specific print queue on the printer where the defaults woudl be the special instructions needed. Most high-capacity printers now have the ability to handle multiple queues. So if you set up a new queue where all documents would be printed double-side with staples, you could just specify the print queue along with the printer address in ReportCaster and the printer would just take care of everything. In fact you could probably also specify for the queue that you always wanted 40 copies and then you wouldn't even need the distribution list.

Just a thought-

Great info Darin. In talking with our Printer Queue guy, that is exactly what I'm working on right now. I'm just trying to get the PS output to be passed correctly to the new queue. One printer supports PS, the other doesn't, which is hampering progress.