I want to customize my reports more than the standard Bar|Scan report allows. How can I change the look of my report?

This can be done by using a report Format File.  Bar|Scan uses these files internally.  They are dynamically generated and removed automatically each time a report is printed.  These files control all aspects of the look and flow of the report, including placement of data on the page, field and header alignment (such as left, right or centered), report titles and footers, colorization, images, etc.  They are closely integrated with the other temporary report files generated by Bar|Scan.  This other file is actually a temporary table called a cursor.  It hold all of the data that appears in the report.  The formatting instructions held in the Format file set are applied to the data held in the cursor to create the report.

Bar|Scan allows you to override this automatic generation of the Format file.  You do so by supplying your own Format file set in the ‘Optional Format File’ field within the report Layout tab.  Here you specify the fully qualified path to the ‘.frx’ file of the file set.  The format file set consists of two files with extensions .frx and .frt.  Bar|Scan then infers the location of the .frt file (which must be in the same folder with the same base name).  If you are referencing a file set with the Bar|Scan Reports folder, then BarScan will automatically remove the path portion of the filename.  Here is an example of a format file override that is one of the Catalog System reports.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can see the contents of this or any other format file by inserting three exclamation point as the first three characters of the ‘Optional Format File’ field then selecting the ‘Print Preview’ button.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is what this particular system supplied format file looks like:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can modify the contents of format files as you wish.  However, there are some important rules that you must remember and follow:

1. The field names in the data cursor and the field names referenced in the format file must always match exactly. Do not change any of the field names listed in any of the field expressions unless you have made a corresponding change in the list of columns.
2. You can delete items from the Format file and the report will run fine, but of course the deleted items will no longer show up in the report.
3. You can add items to the format file as long as any expressions used reference valid fields specified in the ‘Columns’ tab of your report. Some report fields are given new names.  The new names should be used.
4. Be careful adding and subtracting columns in the list of columns that you specify in the ‘Columns’ tab of the report.  BarScan auto generates field names when there are potential field name conflicts or overrides and this may invalidate the format files.
5. You can use the Format files automatically generated for each report as the basis of a custom format file.  To do this you must first view the format file then be sure to save the format file (File/Save As) to a safe location (such as the Bar|Scan Reports folder) and give it a valid name that you will remember.  Then after you have saved it you must specify the name of the just save Format file in the ‘Optional Format File’ field.

There are more details, but they are outside the scope of this simple summary.  The most important thing to remember is that once the format file is specified, all further format adjustments on the Report screen will no longer work, since the format file is taking over generating the appearance of the report.  For example, if you already have a format file and you want to center a column, centering done within Bar|Scan will be ignored.  The centering must be done within the format file.