You can select from a wide range of output formats to preserve your report output for use in any of the following ways:
For details on each of the supported formats, including the commands that support them (HOLD, PCHOLD, SAVE) and the operating environments in which they are available, see the reference topics for the following formats.
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AHTML ALPHA BINARY COMMA COM COMT DATREC DB2 |
DFIX DHTML DIF DOC EXL2K EXL2K FORMULA EXL2K PIVOT EXL97 FOCUS |
HTML HTMTABLE INGRES INTERNAL JSCHART JSON LOTUS |
POSTSCRIPT (PS) PPT PPTX REDBRICK SQL SQL_SCRIPT SQLDBC SQLINF SQLMSS SQLODBC |
SQLORA SQLPSTGR SQLSYB SYLK TAB TABT WP XFOCUS XLSX XML |
Description: Saves report output as an active report (HTML file that can be used for offline analysis and interactive functions without any connection to a server). All of the data and JavaScript code are stored within the HTML file, which also makes the output highly compressible for email and transparent to security systems.
Use: For offline analysis of data.
Supported with the commands: HOLD, PCHOLD, SAVE.
Available in: WebFOCUS, FOCUS, App Studio.
Description: Saves report output as fixed-format character data and can be created as a HOLD file.
ALPHA is the default SAVE format. The output file contains data only.
Text fields are supported in ALPHA-formatted files. See Using Text Fields in Output Files.
To control missing data characters that are propagated to fields with the MISSING=ON attribute, use the SET HNODATA command. For more information, see the Developing Applications manual.
Use: For display in a text document. For further reporting in FOCUS, WebFOCUS, or App Studio. As a transaction file for modifying a data source.
Supported with the commands: HOLD, PCHOLD, SAVE.
Available in: WebFOCUS, App Studio, FOCUS.
Description: Saves report data and stores numeric fields as binary numbers. When created as a HOLD file, also creates a Master File.
BINARY is the default format for HOLD files. When created in BINARY format:
Every data field in the sequential extract record is aligned on the start of a full four-byte word. Therefore, if the format is A1, the field is padded with three bytes of blanks on the right. This alignment makes it easier for user-coded subroutines to process these data fields. (Under some circumstances, you may wish to prevent the padding of integer and packed decimal fields. Do so with HOLD FORMAT INTERNAL. See Saving Report Output in INTERNAL Format.)
The output file contains data only.
Use: For further reporting in FOCUS, WebFOCUS, or App Studio. As a transaction file for modifying a data source.
Supported with the commands: HOLD, SAVE.
Available in: WebFOCUS, App Studio, FOCUS.
Description: Saves the data values as a variable-length text file, with fields separated by commas and with character values enclosed in double quotation marks. All blanks within fields are retained. This format is the industry standard comma-delimited format.
This format does not have the safety feature of the double quote added within a text field containing a double quote.
The extension for this format is PRN. This format type does not create a Master File.
Note:
The output file contains data only.
Use: For further processing in a database application. This format type can be imported into applications such as Excel or Lotus.
Supported with the commands: HOLD, SAVE.
Available in: WebFOCUS, App Studio, FOCUS.
Description: Saves the data values as a variable-length text file with fields separated by commas and with character values enclosed in double quotation marks. Leading blanks are removed from numeric fields, and trailing blanks are removed from character fields. To issue a request against this data source, the setting PCOMMA=ON is required.
This format also includes a built-in safety feature, which allows embedded quotes within character fields. A second double quote (") is inserted adjacent to the existing one. For example, if you input Joe "Smitty" Smith, the output is Joe ""Smitty"" Smith.
The extension for this format is CSV. A Master File is created for this format type when the command used to create the output file is HOLD. The SUFFIX in the generated Master File is COM.
Note:
Use: For further processing in a database application. This format type can be imported into applications such as Excel or Lotus.
Supported with the commands: HOLD, SAVE, PCHOLD.
Available in: WebFOCUS, App Studio, FOCUS.
Description: Saves the column headings in the first row of the output file. It produces a variable-length text file with fields separated by commas, and with character values enclosed in double quotation marks. Leading blanks are removed from numeric fields, and trailing blanks are removed from character fields. This format is required by certain software packages such as Microsoft Access.
This format also includes a built-in safety feature, which allows embedded quotes within character fields. A second double quote (") is inserted adjacent to the existing one. For example, if you input Joe "Smitty" Smith, the output is Joe ""Smitty"" Smith.
The extension for this format is CSV. A Master File is created for this format type when the command used to create the output file is HOLD. The SUFFIX in the generated Master File is COMT.
Note:
Use: For further processing in a database application. This format type can be imported into applications such as Excel or Lotus.
Supported with the commands: HOLD, SAVE, PCHOLD.
Available in: FOCUS, App Studio, WebFOCUS.
Description: Saves report output as a sequential file with a Master File, and stores numeric fields as binary numbers without aligning them on fullword boundaries. The last field consists of one byte for each of the other fields in the Master File that indicates whether the corresponding field is missing.
Use: For further reporting in FOCUS, WebFOCUS, or App Studio. As a transaction file for modifying a data source.
Supported with the command: HOLD.
Available in: WebFOCUS, App Studio, FOCUS.
Description: Creates a Db2 table, if you have the Adapter for Db2 and permission to create tables.
Use: For further processing in a database application.
Supported with the command: HOLD.
Available in: WebFOCUS, App Studio, FOCUS.
Description: Creates a delimited output file. You can specify the delimiter, whether alphanumeric fields should be enclosed within a special character such as a double quotation mark, and whether the file should be generated with a header record containing the field names.
For more information, see Creating a Delimited Sequential File.
Use: For importing data to Windows-based applications such as MS Access and Excel.
Supported with the command: HOLD, PCHOLD.
Available in: WebFOCUS, App Studio, FOCUS.
Description: Provides HTML output that has most of the features normally associated with output formatted for printing such as PDF or PostScript output. You can create an HTML file (.htm) or a Web Archive file (.mht). The type of output file produced is controlled by the value of the HTMLARCHIVE parameter. HTMLARCHIVE=ON creates a Web Archive file.
Some of the features supported by format DHTML are:
Note:
Use: For display as a webpage.
Supported with the commands: HOLD, PCHOLD, SAVE.
Available in: WebFOCUS, App Studio, FOCUS.
Description: Captures the entire report output, excluding headings, footings, subheads, and subfoots, and creates a character file that can be easily incorporated into most spreadsheet packages.
For example, running a TABLE request with HEADING/FOOTING and ON TABLE HOLD FORMAT DIF does not display the report output with headings and footings. As a workaround, use another format (such as HTML, PDF, or EXL2K).
Note: Microsoft Excel SR-1 is no longer supported for HOLD FORMAT DIF. To open these reports, use either Microsoft Excel SR-2 or Microsoft Excel 2000.
Use: For display or processing in a spreadsheet application.
Supported with the commands: HOLD, PCHOLD, SAVE.
Available in: WebFOCUS, App Studio, FOCUS.
Description: Captures the entire report output, including headings, footings, and subtotals, and creates a text file with layout and line breaks that can be easily incorporated into most word processing packages. DOC format uses a form-feed character to indicate page control information.
Note: A request that contains ON TABLE HOLD FORMAT DOC results in a blank first page in the report when displayed in Microsoft XP Office. To eliminate this, include SET PAGE=NOPAGE in your request.
Use: For display in a text document.
Supported with the commands: HOLD, PCHOLD, SAVE.
The PCHOLD variation transfers the data from a web server to a browser.
Available in: WebFOCUS, App Studio, FOCUS.
Description: Generates fully styled reports in Excel 2000 HTML format. You must have Excel 2000 installed to use this output format.
ACROSS column titles are supported for EXL2K output format.
For EXL2K output format, a report can include 65,536 rows and/or 256 columns. Rows and columns in excess of these limits are truncated from the worksheet when opened in Excel.
Use: For display or processing in a spreadsheet application.
Supported with the commands: HOLD, PCHOLD, SAVE.
For details, and for information about working with EXL2K files, see Choosing a Styled Display Format.
Available in: WebFOCUS, App Studio.
Description: Specifies that the report will be displayed as an Excel 2000 spreadsheet, with FOCUS totals and other calculated values translated to active Excel formulas. For details, see Choosing a Styled Display Format.
Use: For display or processing in a spreadsheet application.
Supported with the commands: HOLD, PCHOLD, SAVE.
Available in: WebFOCUS, FOCUS, App Studio.
Description: Generates fully styled reports in Excel 2000 HTML format, with added pivoting capabilities. Requires Excel 2000 on your PC.
Use: For display or processing in a spreadsheet application.
Supported with the commands: HOLD, PCHOLD, SAVE.
Available in: WebFOCUS, FOCUS, App Studio.
Description: Enables you to view and save reports in Excel 97 that include full styling. For details on working with Excel formats, see Choosing a Styled Display Format.
Leading zeros do not display for FORMAT EXL97.
Use: For display or processing in a spreadsheet application.
Supported with the command: HOLD, PCHOLD, SAVE.
Available in: FOCUS, WebFOCUS, App Studio.
Description: Creates a FOCUS data source. Four files result: a HOLD data file, a HOLD Master File, and two work files. See Holding Report Output in FOCUS Format.
Text fields are supported for FOCUS output files. See Using Text Fields in Output Files.
Use: For further processing in a database application.
Supported with the command: HOLD.
Available in: WebFOCUS, App Studio, FOCUS.
Description: Creates a complete HTML document that can be viewed in a web browser.
For more information, see Chapter 10, Styling Reports.
Use: For display as a webpage.
Supported with the commands: HOLD, PCHOLD, SAVE.
Available in: WebFOCUS, App Studio, FOCUS.
Description: Creates an output file that contains only an HTML table. The output produced is not a complete HTML document.
Internal cascading style sheets (CSS) are supported for FORMAT HTMTABLE. The CSS code is placed immediately before the TABLE command.
Use: For embedding reports and graphs in an existing HTML document.
Supported with the commands: HOLD, PCHOLD, SAVE.
Available in: WebFOCUS, App Studio, FOCUS.
Description: Creates an Ingres table, if you have the Adapter for Ingres and permission to create tables.
Use: For further processing in a database application.
Supported with the command: HOLD.
Available in: WebFOCUS, App Studio, FOCUS when used as a client to the WebFOCUS Reporting Server.
Description: Saves report output without padding the values of integer and packed fields. See Saving Report Output in INTERNAL Format.
Use: For accurate processing by 3GL programs.
Supported with the command: HOLD, SAVB.
Available in: WebFOCUS, App Studio, FOCUS.
Description: Saves the output of a graph request as an HTML5 graph.
Use: The charts are rendered in the browser as high quality interactive vector graphics using a built-in JavaScript engine. Note that older browsers do not support all of the features of the HTML5 standard. You must include the following command to create an HTML5 graph:
ON GRAPH PCHOLD FORMAT JSCHART
Supported with the commands: ON GRAPH PCHOLD, ON GRAPH HOLD.
Available in: WebFOCUS, App Studio.
For details, see Creating an HTML5 Graph.
Description: JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is a plain text format that consists of name: value pairs and is based on JavaScript. It can be parsed by many types of software and it often used for storing and exchanging data. The field names and values in a report request can be held in a FORMAT JSON file. Subtotals, headings, footings, and ACROSS fields are not propagated to the HOLD file. A synonym is generated for the HOLD file. Adding the syntax STRUCTURE HIERARCHY to the HOLD command generates a JSON output file that identifies the sort fields and display fields in the request.
Use: For data interchange between systems and applications.
Supported with the commands: HOLD, PCHOLD
Available in: WebFOCUS, FOCUS
Description: Captures all the columns of the report in a character file that LOTUS 1-2-3 can then import. All alphanumeric fields are enclosed in quotation marks. Columns are separated by commas.
Use: For display and processing in a spreadsheet application.
Supported with the commands: HOLD, PCHOLD, SAVE (WebFOCUS only).
Available in: WebFOCUS, App Studio, FOCUS.
Description: Saves the report output in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF), which enables precise placement of output (all formatting options such as headings, footings, and titles) correctly aligned on the physical page, so the report looks exactly as it does when printed.
If you have a wide PDF report, it is automatically paneled. However, the PANEL parameter has no effect on FORMAT PDF.
A PDF object is a page, hyperlink, or image. The Portable Document Format (PDF) limits the number of objects that a PDF document can contain. FOCUS imposes the following object limits for each PDF report:
|
Object |
Limit |
|---|---|
|
Pages |
10,000 |
|
Images |
900 |
|
Hyperlinks per page |
500 |
|
Total pages with hyperlinks |
100 |
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Total hyperlinks |
44,500 |
PDF format retains all formatting options, such as a headings, footings, and titles.
The following fonts are supported: Courier (fixed width), Times (proportional width), and Helvetica (proportional width). PDF format maps all fonts to Courier, Helvetica, or Times. The font styles that can be used are Normal (default), Bold, Italic, Underline, and combinations of these.
The following StyleSheet features are supported with PDF: PAGESIZE, ORIENTATION, UNITS, TOPMARGIN, BOTTOMMARGIN, LEFTMARGIN, RIGHTMARGIN, POSITION, SQUEEZE, HGRID, VGRID, BACKCOLOR. Note when you use BACKCOLOR with PDF reports, extra space is added to the top, bottom, right, and left of each cell of data in the report. This is for readability and to prevent data truncation.
Use: For display as a printed document. For information about compound reports and styling options, see Choosing a Styled Display Format.
Supported with the commands: HOLD, PCHOLD, SAVE (WebFOCUS only).
Available in: WebFOCUS, App Studio, FOCUS.
Description: Saves multiple reports into one PDF report.
Use: For combining multiple reports into a single PDF file, also known as a compound report.
Supported with the command: PCHOLD.
Available in: WebFOCUS, App Studio, FOCUS
Description: Creates an output file in PostScript format, which supports headings, footings, and totals.
PS is an abbreviation for POSTSCRIPT.
PostScript format supports headings, footings, and totals. PS supports ISO Latin font encoding.
Use: For display as a printed document. For information about compound reports and styling options, see Chapter 10, Styling Reports.
Supported with the command: HOLD, PCHOLD.
Available in: WebFOCUS, App Studio, FOCUS.
Description: Creates an output file in PowerPoint® format in which each page of report output becomes a separate slide in the file with all styling applied.
Use: For use in a slide presentation.
Supported with the command: HOLD, SAVE.
Available in: WebFOCUS, App Studio, FOCUS.
Description: Creates an output file in PowerPoint format in which each page of report output becomes a separate slide in the file with all styling applied.
Use: For use in a slide presentation.
Supported with the command: HOLD, SAVE.
Available in: WebFOCUS, App Studio, FOCUS.
Description: Creates a Red Brick table, if you have the Adapter for Red Brick and permission to create tables.
Use: For further processing in a database application.
Supported with the command: HOLD.
Available in: WebFOCUS, App Studio, FOCUS when used as a client to the WebFOCUS Reporting Server.
Description: Creates an SQL subquery file or a file of data values with a corresponding synonym.
When used in a request against a relational data source, the HOLD FORMAT SQL_SCRIPT command generates the SQL SELECT statement needed to execute the current query. It then stores it in the application folder as a file with a .sql extension, along with the Master and Access File pair that describes the SQL answer set.
When used in a request against any other type of data source, the HOLD FORMAT SQL_SCRIPT command executes the current query and stores the retrieved values in the application folder as a sequential file with a .ftm extension, along with the Master File that describes the retrieved data.
Use: You can use the output from HOLD FORMAT SQL_SCRIPT as the target file for the DB_INFILE function. For information about the DB_INFILE function, see the Using Functions manual.
Supported with the command: HOLD.
Available in: WebFOCUS, App Studio, FOCUS.
Description: Creates a Teradata table, if you have the Adapter for Teradata and permission to create tables.
Use: For processing in a database application.
Supported with the command: HOLD.
Available in: WebFOCUS, App Studio, FOCUS.
Description: Creates an Informix table, if you have the Adapter for Informix and permission to create tables.
Use: For processing in a database application.
Supported with the command: HOLD.
Available in: WebFOCUS, App Studio, FOCUS when used as a client to the WebFOCUS Reporting Server.
Description: Creates a Microsoft SQL Server table, if you have the Adapter for Microsoft SQL and permission to create tables.
Use: For processing in a database application.
Supported with the command: HOLD.
Available in: WebFOCUS, App Studio, FOCUS when used as a client to the WebFOCUS Reporting Server.
Description: Creates an SQLODBC table if you have the current Adapter for ODBC and permission to create tables.
Use: For processing in a database application.
Supported with the command: HOLD.
Available in: WebFOCUS, App Studio, FOCUS when used as a client to the WebFOCUS Reporting Server.
Description: Creates an Oracle table, if you have the Adapter for Oracle and permission to create tables.
Use: For processing in a database application.
Supported with the command: HOLD.
Available in: WebFOCUS, App Studio, FOCUS.
Description: Creates a PostgreSQL table, if you have the Adapter for PostgreSQL and permission to create tables.
Use: For processing in a database application.
Supported with the command: HOLD.
Available in: WebFOCUS, App Studio, FOCUS when used as a client to the WebFOCUS Reporting Server.
Description: Creates a Sybase table, if you have the Adapter for Sybase and permission to create tables.
Use: For processing in a database application.
Supported with the command: HOLD.
Available in: WebFOCUS, App Studio, FOCUS when used as a client to the WebFOCUS Reporting Server.
Description: Captures all the columns of the report request in a character file for Microsoft's spreadsheet program Multiplan. The generated file cannot have more than 9,999 rows.
Use: For display and processing in a spreadsheet application.
Supported with the command: HOLD, SAVE.
Available in: WebFOCUS, App Studio, FOCUS.
Description: Creates an output file in tab-delimited format. The TAB format includes a built-in safety feature, which allows embedded quotes within character fields. A second double quote (") is inserted adjacent to the existing one. For example, if you input Joe "Smitty" Smith, the output is Joe ""Smitty"" Smith. The TAB format also includes the following features:
Note: To create a variable-length comma- or tab-delimited HOLD file that differentiates between a missing value and a blank string or zero value, use the SET NULL=ON command. For more information, see the Developing Applications manual.
Use: For importing data to Windows-based applications such as MS Access and Excel.
Supported with the command: HOLD, SAVE, PCHOLD.
Available in: WebFOCUS, App Studio, FOCUS.
Description: Creates an output file in tab-delimited format that includes column headings in the first row. The TABT format includes a built-in safety feature, which allows embedded quotes within character fields. A second double quote (") is inserted adjacent to the existing one. For example, if you input Joe "Smitty" Smith, the output is Joe ""Smitty"" Smith. The TABT format also includes the following features:
Note:
Use: For importing data to Windows-based applications such as MS Access and Excel.
Supported with the command: HOLD, SAVE, PCHOLD.
Available in: WebFOCUS, App Studio, FOCUS.
Description: Captures the entire report output, including headings, footings, and subtotals, and creates a text file that can easily be incorporated into most word processing packages.
Text fields are supported in WP format. See Using Text Fields in Output Files.
To control whether a carriage control character is included in column 1 of each page of the report output, use:
[ON TABLE] HOLD AS filename FORMAT WP [CC|NOCC]
NOCC excludes carriage control characters. The position reserved for those characters remains in the file, but is blank. CC includes carriage control characters and creates the HOLD file with RECFM VBA. To include page control information in the WP file, you can also specify the TABPAGENO option in a heading or the SET PAGE=OFF command. The character 1 in the column 1 indicates the start of a new page.
The following rules summarize FORMAT WP carriage control options:
Tip: HOLD FORMAT WP does not change the number of lines per page. In order to do so, issue one or a combination of the commands SET PRINT=OFFLINE, SET SCREEN=PAPER, or SET SCREEN=OFF.
The WP file is created with a record format of VB when the carriage control character is omitted and with a record format of VBA when the carriage control character is inserted.
The maximum record length for HOLD FORMAT WP is 358 characters, 356 of which can represent data.
If you need the report width to remain fixed across releases for later processing of the output file, you can set the width you need using the SET WPMINWIDTH command. This parameter specifies the minimum width of the output file. It will be automatically increased if the width you set cannot accommodate the fields propagated to the output file in the request. The LRECL of the output file will be four bytes more than the report width because the file is variable length and needs an additional four bytes to hold the actual length of each record instance. In other operating environments, the length of the record is the value of WPMIDWIDTH.
FORMAT WP retains headings, footings, and subtotals.
Use: For display in a text document.
Supported with the commands: HOLD, PCHOLD, SAVE.
Available in: WebFOCUS, App Studio, FOCUS.
Description: Creates an XFOCUS data source.
Use: For further processing in a database application.
Supported with the command: HOLD.
Available in: WebFOCUS, App Studio, FOCUS.
Description: Creates an XML output file based on an internal DTD that includes the rows that are displayed in the final report output. It does not honor the HOLDLIST setting. It does not honor the ASNAMES setting. The parameter HOLDATTRS ON is automatically invoked. The XML file generated is based on the structure and layout of the report request. The metadata included in the DTD for each column is FIELDNAME, ALIAS, data type, width, FOCUS format, DESCRIPTION, ACCEPTS, HELP_MESSAGE, TITLE, WITHIN, PROPERTY, REFERENCE, VALIGN, and column title. FORMAT XML does not create a Master File.
Note: When using an HTML Autoprompt page (select Run in new Window option), BI Portal, or an HTML page created with HTML canvas, browsers running in Standards Mode displaying output in an iframe do not display XML. When running a WebFOCUS request with PCHOLD FORMAT XML, the result will display in a new window.
Use: For further processing.
Supported with the command: HOLD, PCHOLD.
Available in: WebFOCUS, FOCUS.
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Information Builders |