EGL text reports

EGL text reports offer a simplified alternative to more complex reporting tools.
Text reports require two EGL logic parts:
EGL uses ExternalType parts to perform the work of generating the report (see ExternalType part). These external types are designed to correspond to Java™ classes in Java environments and to COBOL programs in a COBOL environment. Typically you work with no more than three of these external types:
TextReports
You create a variable based on this external type in the handler. That variable becomes the report engine. The handler passes control to the engine and calls functions from the engine. Create your report layout (headers, margins, and so on) when you declare this variable. For more information, see Creating a TextReport variable.
Remember: For z/OS, the format of the output report should be: RECFM=VB,LRECL=255. For example,
//REPORT1     DD SYSOUT=*,DCB=(RECFM=VB,LRECL=255,BLKSIZE=2550)
TextReportEvent
Use this type only when declaring handler functions that you associate with events in the report generation process. See Text report variables.
TextReportDriver
Use this type only if you need to interact with the generated report file, or if you require a report file with a unique name. See The text report driver.
Remember: COBOL generation does not support the TextReportDriver external type.

After you create the report engine variable, you can call functions from that variable to create the body of the report. For information about those functions, see Text report functions.


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