Creating an HTML Report

Description

It is a relatively simple task to "print" a report to an HTML file. This particular example collects all the "pages" of the report into a single file and creates a set of bookmarks that allows the user to quickly find a section of the report.

Example

The following sample prints four fields from the customer table of AlphaSports. First, a script passes report parameters to the report generator.

dim params as P
dim params.tablename as C
dim params.fieldcount as N
dim params.fieldnames[4] as C
dim params.filename as C
params.tablename = "Customer"
params.fieldcount = 4
params.fieldnames[1] = "lastname"
params.fieldnames[2] = "firstname"
params.fieldnames[3] = "company"
params.fieldnames[4] = "phone"
params.filename = "C:\html_report.htm"
html_report(params)

Second, data goes into a single HTML file. It organizes the file by the first letter of the params.fieldnames[1] field.

function html_report as V (params as P)
dim tbl as P
dim htm as P
dim letters as C
dim count as N
dim total as N
dim current_letter as C
dim i as N
tbl = table.open(params.tablename)
    ' create a query that retrieves unique first letters from the lastname field
    tbl.order("left(lastname,1)","","U")
    letters = "<A name=\"Top\"> </A>" + crlf()
    ' collect the letters and create links to their bookmarks
    tbl.fetch_first()
    while .not. tbl.fetch_eof()
        letters = letters + "<A href=" + quote("#"+left(eval("tbl." + params.fieldnames[1]),1)) + ">" + left(eval("tbl." + params.fieldnames[1]),1) + "</A>" + crlf()
        tbl.fetch_next()
    end while
    ' create a query that reorders the table using the full lastname field
    tbl.order("Lastname")
    ' prepare the variables used in the Status Bar
    total = tbl.records_get()
    count = 0
    ' create the HTML report file and get a pointer to it
    htm = file.create(params.filename, FILE_RW_EXCLUSIVE)
    ' start generating the html content
    htm.write_line("<html><body><Table>")
    htm.write_line(letters)
    'put in heading for first letter
    current_letter = left(eval("tbl." + params.fieldnames[1]),1)
    print_heading(params, local_variables())
     run through the table
    tbl.fetch_first()
    while .not. tbl.fetch_eof()
        ' keep track of progress on the Status Bar
        count = count + 1
        StatusBar.Percent(count, total)
        ' if we found a new first letter
        if (left(tbl.Lastname,1) <> current_letter) 'break
            'put in heading for first letter
            print_heading(params, local_variables())
        end if
        current_letter = left(eval("tbl." + params.fieldnames[1]),1)
        ' prepare and print the data from the current record
        line = "<TR>" + crlf()+ "<TD>" + " " + "</TD>" + crlf()
        for i = 1 to params.fieldcount
            line = line + "<TD>" + eval("tbl." + params.fieldnames[i]) + "</TD>" + crlf()
        next i
        line = line + "</TR>"
        htm.write_line(line)
        tbl.fetch_next()
    end while
    ' end the HTML file
    htm.write_line("</Table></body></html>")
    htm.close()
    ' display the file
    sys_open(params.filename)
end function

This function prints the headings for each group of records.

function print_heading as V (params as P, vars as P)
    dim line as C
    dim i as N
    with vars
        ' create first heading line for the section
        line = "<TR>" + "<TD><FONT size=+1><A name=" +\
        quote(left(eval("tbl." + params.fieldnames[1]),1)) +\
        ">" + left(eval("tbl." + params.fieldnames[1]),1) + "</A></font></TD>"+\
        "<TD colspan=" + params.fieldcount + " align=right><A href=" +\
        quote("#top") + " >Back to top</A></TD></TR>" + crlf()
        htm.write_line(line)
        ' create second heading line for the section
        line = "<TR>" + crlf()+ "<TD>" + " " + "</TD>" + crlf()
        ' print each field
        for i = 1 to params.fieldcount
            line = line + "<TD>" + "<font color=\"#ff0000\">" + params.fieldnames[i] + "</font></TD>" + crlf()
        next i
        line = line + "</TR>" + crlf()+ "<TR><TD> </TD><TD colspan=" +\
        params.fieldcount + "><HR></TD></TR>" + crlf()
        htm.write_line(line)
    end with
end function

The following is a sample of the report.