• The Four Hundred
  • Subscribe
  • Media Kit
  • Contributors
  • About Us
  • Contact
Menu
  • The Four Hundred
  • Subscribe
  • Media Kit
  • Contributors
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • DRV Cleans Up i OS Spool Files with ReportFlex

    June 24, 2008 Alex Woodie

    Making sense of i OS spooled file output can be an exercise in technical aptitude and patience. Lines wrap, words overlap, and obscure abbreviations can make trying to read a report a challenge. To address this situation, DRV Technologies, a developer of electronic forms and spool file distribution tools for i system, recently introduced a new product called ReportFlex that acts as a converter to make native spooled file output more readable to the average person.

    You probably know DRV Technologies best for SpoolFlex, the spool file distribution tool used by hundreds of i, i5/OS, and OS/400 shops. SpoolFlex reduces their dependency on printers by automatically grabbing spool files off their systems, converting them into popular formats like PDF, HTML, or Excel, and distributing them electronically, via e-mail, fax, or posting them to a central server. In 2005, the Georgia software company introduced a forms overlay product called FormFlex to spruce up customers’ business correspondence with charts, logos, and other graphical elements.

    While pictures and PDFs are nice, DRV recognized those options don’t go far enough in making reports easier to read. When the underlying data and formatting of the SCS spool file output isn’t clear, converting the reports into PDF or Excel or applying a forms overlay, is not necessarily going to give the customer the results they were expecting.

    This is why DRV developed ReportFlex. The software, which was introduced earlier this month, functions as a report re-formatter that transforms the layout and content of spooled file output to better prepare the underlying content for conversion into other formats like Excel or PDF, or in preparation for a graphical forms overlay. The software also trims the 132-column width of reports to make the output look better on modern laser printers.

    ReportFlex does this by giving users low-level control over their reports, but without programming. It allows them to move lines or fields, to perform calculations on spooled data, and to remove unnecessary data or add new data. Users can change column headings, insert spaces between columns, and insert page breaks. It lets customers find and replace text strings (such as converting “CUST” with “customer”), or use the “repeat values” function, which is very useful for sorting through reports after they have been converted to Excel, DRV says.

    Multi-line records can be reformatted into single-line records. Subtotal and total lines can be added where none existed before. Detail lines can be moved up a line and placed between two columns, pushing the columns to the right, or appended to the previous lines. Fields can be masked to protect data such as social security numbers.

    System i shops should realize they no longer must live with the rigid output of their legacy systems, says DRV Technologies CEO and president Richard Voss. “With ReportFlex, those organizations now have the ability to assemble their System i (i5, iSeries, AS/400) reports in any format they choose, including the masking of certain data, making reading, converting, merging, and distributing reports so much easier,” he says.

    ReportFlex functions as a standalone product, or it can be used with DRV Technologies’ SpoolFlex to convert the spooled output and then distribute it electronically.

    ReportFlex is available now. Licenses cost between $995 and $2,995. For more information, visit www.drvtech.com.

    RELATED STORIES

    DRV Technologies Gets Hip to Forms

    DRV Technologies Expands Output Options with SpoolFlex 3.0



                         Post this story to del.icio.us
                   Post this story to Digg
        Post this story to Slashdot

    Share this:

    • Reddit
    • Facebook
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter
    • Email

    Tags:

    Sponsored by
    Krengeltech

    When it comes to consuming web APIs on your IBM i, your options often boil down to one of two things:

    First, you end up having to rely on a variety of open source and non-RPG solutions. This adds developer complexity, taking away time that could have been better spent invested in other projects. Of course, open source software is free, but generally comes at the cost of no professional support, which adds an element of risk in your production environment. RXS is completely professionally supported, and is complemented by a staff of trained IBM i developers who can address your nuanced development challenges, head on.

    Second, if you choose not to pursue an open-source solution, you’re often left having to shake up your current program architecture with proprietary software, external dependencies, and partial RPG implementations – many of which are sub-par compared to RPG-XML Suite’s wide range of features. RXS aims to simplify the efforts of developers with tools like code generators, useful commands, and subprocedures written in 100% RPG – no Java. Because they are entirely RPG, the RXS subprocedures are easy to add to new or existing ILE programs and architecture, helping to cut your development time. RPG-XML Suite offers powerful capabilities in an accessible, easy-to-implement format.

    With RPG-XML Suite, you can accomplish a variety of complex tasks, such as:

    • Calling REST and SOAP web services from your IBM i
    • Offering APIs from your IBM i
    • Creating JSON & XML
    • Parsing JSON & XML
    • Text manipulation, Base64 encoding/decoding, CCSID handling, hashing and encryption functions, and more.

    To try RXS for yourself, we recommend a free proof of concept, which not only gives you access to all of RPG-XML Suite’s subprocedures and utilities but also includes a tailor-made software demonstration that can be used as a starting point for your future API implementations.

    For a free proof of concept, contact us at sales@krengeltech.com, or visit our website for more information.

    Share this:

    • Reddit
    • Facebook
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter
    • Email

    Sponsored Links

    OCEAN:  Technical conference, June 30, 2008, Irvine, CA
    COMMON:  Join us at the Focus 2008 workshop conference, October 5 - 8, in San Francisco, California
    Vision Solutions:  System i Management Tips Blog - Free i5/OS Tips Each Week!

    IT Jungle Store Top Book Picks

    Easy Steps to Internet Programming for AS/400, iSeries, and System i: List Price, $49.95
    Getting Started with PHP for i5/OS: List Price, $59.95
    The System i RPG & RPG IV Tutorial and Lab Exercises: List Price, $59.95
    The System i Pocket RPG & RPG IV Guide: List Price, $69.95
    The iSeries Pocket Database Guide: List Price, $59.00
    The iSeries Pocket Developers' Guide: List Price, $59.00
    The iSeries Pocket SQL Guide: List Price, $59.00
    The iSeries Pocket Query Guide: List Price, $49.00
    The iSeries Pocket WebFacing Primer: List Price, $39.00
    Migrating to WebSphere Express for iSeries: List Price, $49.00
    iSeries Express Web Implementer's Guide: List Price, $59.00
    Getting Started with WebSphere Development Studio for iSeries: List Price, $79.95
    Getting Started With WebSphere Development Studio Client for iSeries: List Price, $89.00
    Getting Started with WebSphere Express for iSeries: List Price, $49.00
    WebFacing Application Design and Development Guide: List Price, $55.00
    Can the AS/400 Survive IBM?: List Price, $49.00
    The All-Everything Machine: List Price, $29.95
    Chip Wars: List Price, $29.95

    Ex-IBM Exec Takes Over as Bsafe CEO Keeping Time with NTP

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Volume 8, Number 25 -- June 24, 2008
THIS ISSUE SPONSORED BY:

PowerTech
Aldon
Seagull Software
Safedata
COMMON

Table of Contents

  • DRV Cleans Up i OS Spool Files with ReportFlex
  • Agilysys Introduces New Software for Hotels
  • Subversion SCM Tool Becomes More Robust with Version 1.5
  • Cast Iron Simplifies NetSuite Integration with Appliance
  • Virtual Servers Keep On A Rollin’, Thanks to uptime software
  • Quadrant Supports i 6.1 with FastFax
  • Inovis Gains SAP Certification for EDI Software
  • A.O. Smith Wins Award for Service Management Software
  • SolarWinds Improves Network Management for British Insurer
  • LTO Tape Drive Sales Increased 15 Percent in 2007

Content archive

  • The Four Hundred
  • Four Hundred Stuff
  • Four Hundred Guru

Recent Posts

  • Guild Mortgage Takes The 20-Year Option For Modernization
  • IBM i Licensing, Part 3: Can The Hardware Bundle Be Cheaper Than A Smartphone?
  • Guru: The Finer Points of Exit Points
  • Big Blue Tweaks IBM i Pricing Ahead Of Subscription Model
  • We Still Want IBM i On The Impending Power E1050
  • DRV Brings More Automation to IBM i Message Monitoring
  • Managed Cloud Saves Money By Cutting System And People Overprovisioning
  • Multiple Security Vulnerabilities Patched on IBM i
  • Four Hundred Monitor, June 22
  • IBM i PTF Guide, Volume 24, Number 25

Subscribe

To get news from IT Jungle sent to your inbox every week, subscribe to our newsletter.

Pages

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Contributors
  • Four Hundred Monitor
  • IBM i PTF Guide
  • Media Kit
  • Subscribe

Search

Copyright © 2022 IT Jungle

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.