Creating Reports

This documentation describes FOCUS Reporting environments and features for FOCUS Version 7.3. It is intended for any FOCUS user who will access corporate data to produce reports. This manual is part of the FOCUS documentation set.

References to MVS apply to all supported versions of the OS/390, z/OS, and MVS operating environments. References to VM apply to all supported versions of the VM/ESA and z/VM operating environments.

The documentation set consists of the following components:

• The Creating Reports manual describes FOCUS Reporting environments and features.
• The Describing Data manual explains how to create the metadata for the data sources that your FOCUS procedures will access.
• The Developing Applications manual describes FOCUS Application Development tools and environments.
• The Maintaining Databases manual describes FOCUS data management facilities and environments.
• The Using Functions manual describes internal functions and user-written subroutines.
• The Overview and Operating Environments manual contains an introduction to FOCUS and FOCUS tools and describes how to use FOCUS in the VM/CMS and MVS (OS/390) environments.

The users' documentation for FOCUS Version 7.3 is organized to provide you with a useful, comprehensive guide to FOCUS.

Chapters need not be read in the order in which they appear. Though FOCUS facilities and concepts are related, each chapter fully covers its respective topic. To enhance your understanding of a given topic, references to related topics throughout the documentation set are provided. The following pages detail documentation organization and conventions.

How This Manual Is Organized

This manual includes the following chapters:

Chapter/Appendix		Contents
1	Creating Tabular Reports	Provides an introduction to the TABLE command, a powerful tool for analyzing data.
2	Displaying Report Data	Describes ways to retrieve field values from a database and display them.
3	Viewing and Printing Report Output	Describes the HotScreen facility for viewing report output.
4	Sorting Tabular Reports	Describes how to display report information grouped in a particular order by sorting.
5	Selecting Records for Your Report	Describes how to use and specify selection criteria to display only the field values that meet your needs.
6	Creating Temporary Fields	Describes how to use the DEFINE and COMPUTE commands to create temporary fields.
7	Including Totals and Subtotals	Describes how to use subtotals and grand totals to summarize numeric information and aid in interpreting detailed information in a report.
8	Using Expressions	Describes how to combine operators, field names, and constants in an expression to derive new values.
9	Customizing Tabular Reports	Describes how to override the default report formats to meet your individual presentation needs.
10	Styling Reports	Describes how to visually style your reports with StyleSheets, used to control report output to be printed on a PostScript printer.
11	Cascading Style Sheets	Describes how Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) provide a standardized method for styling HTML documents. To use an existing Cascading Style Sheet, you can link it to your report and, optionally, apply additional CSS classes to specific report components.
12	Saving and Reusing Your Report Output	Describes how to save report output in a wide variety of formats.
13	Handling Records With Missing Field Values	Describes how missing data affects report results and how to treat and represent it.
14	Joining Data Sources	Describes how to join two or more related data sources to create a larger integrated data structure from which you can report.
15	Merging Data Sources	Describes how to merge and concatenate two or more data sources into a new permanent data file.
16	Improving Report Processing	Describes methods of increasing data retrieval and reporting efficiency.
17	Creating Financial Reports	Describes Financial Modeling Language (FML), used to create and present financially oriented data, using inter-row calculations.
18	Creating a Free-Form Report	Describes how to present data in an unrestricted (non-tabular) format.
19	Creating Graphs: GRAPH	Describes the FOCUS GRAPH facility, which you can use to display data in graph format instead of tabular format.
20	Using SQL to Create Reports	Describes how to use SQL to retrieve and analyze FOCUS and RDBMS data.
A	Master Files and Diagrams	Contains Master Files and diagrams of sample databases used in the documentation examples.
B	Error Messages	Describes how to access FOCUS error messages.
C	Table Syntax Summary	Summarizes FOCUS Table commands and options.
D	Writing User-Coded Programs to Create HOLD Files	Describes how to write programs that get records retrieved by FOCUS so you can write them to files in a custom format.
E	Character Charts	Lists EBCDIC codes and their corresponding character representations.

Summary of New Features

The FOCUS for Mainframe documentation describes the following new features and enhancements:

New Feature	Manual	Chapter
Increased ACROSS values (from 95)	Creating Reports	Chapter 4, Sorting Tabular Reports
IN-RANGES-OF	Creating Reports	Chapter 4, Sorting Tabular Reports
SET BYDISPLAY	Creating Reports	Chapter 4, Sorting Tabular Reports
Extensions to FORECAST	Creating Reports	Chapter 6, Creating Temporary Fields
Multivariate Regress	Creating Reports	Chapter 6, Creating Temporary Fields
Summary Prefix Operators	Creating Reports	Chapter 7, Including Totals and Subtotals
AnV (VARCHAR) support	Creating Reports	Chapter 8, Using Expressions
	Describing Data	Chapter 4, Describing an Individual Field
	Using Functions	Chapter 4, Character Functions
Increased IF-THEN-ELSE	Creating Reports	Chapter 8, Using Expressions
FOCFIRSTPAGE/&FOCNEXTPAGE	Creating Reports	Chapter 9, Customizing Tabular Reports
Increased Number of sort headings/footings	Creating Reports	Chapter 9, Customizing Tabular Reports
Increased column title space	Creating Reports	Chapter 9, Customizing Tabular Reports
Multiple FOLD-LINE	Creating Reports	Chapter 9, Customizing Tabular Reports
NEWPAGE	Creating Reports	Chapter 9, Customizing Tabular Reports
TABLASTPAGE	Creating Reports	Chapter 10, Styling Reports
Stylesheet enhancements	Creating Reports	Chapter 10, Styling Reports
Multiple reports in one PDF file	Creating Reports	Chapter 10, Styling Reports
Decimal Alignment of Headings	Creating Reports	Chapter 10, Styling Reports
Cascading Style Sheets	Creating Reports	Chapter 11, Cascading Style Sheets
Excel 2000	Creating Reports	Chapter 12, Saving and Reusing Report Output Chapter 10, Styling Reports
SET HOLDFORMAT	Creating Reports	Chapter 12, Saving and Reusing Report Output
Excel 97	Creating Reports	Chapter 12, Saving and Reusing Report Output Chapter 10, Styling Reports
Holding Missing values	Creating Reports	Chapter 13, Handling Records With Missing Field Values
Compiled Defines	Creating Reports	Chapter 16, Improving Report Processing
FML Hierarchy	Creating Reports	Chapter 17, Creating Financial Reports
FORMULTIPLE	Creating Reports	Chapter 17, Creating Financial Reports
Indenting FML Reports	Creating Reports	Chapter 17, Creating Financial Reports
SET BLANKINDENT	Creating Reports	Chapter 17, Creating Financial Reports
FML Hierarchy	Describing Data	Chapter 4, Describing an Individual Field
Long qualified field names	Describing Data	Chapter 4, Describing an Individual Field
Minus edit format option	Describing Data	Chapter 4, Describing an Individual Field
SUFFIX=TAB	Describing Data	Chapter 5, Describing a Sequential, VSAM, or ISAM Data Source
MDI	Describing Data	Chapter 6, Describing a FOCUS Data Source
GROUPS in FOCUS Files	Describing Data	Chapter 6, Describing a FOCUS Data Source
DATASET for a segment in MFD	Describing Data	Chapter 6, Describing a FOCUS Data Source
XFOCUS Database	Describing Data	Chapter 6, Describing a FOCUS Data Source
Long Segment Names, Long Index Names	Describing Data	Chapter 6, Describing a FOCUS Data Source
SET HNODATA	Developing Applications	Chapter 1, Customizing Your Environment
SET HOLDMISS	Developing Applications	Chapter 1, Customizing Your Environment
SET NULL=ON	Developing Applications	Chapter 1, Customizing Your Environment
SET SAVEDMASTERS	Developing Applications	Chapter 5, Enhancing Application Performance
Wide lines	Developing Applications	Chapter 3, Managing Flow of Control in an Application
	Overview and Operating Environments	Chapter 5, CMS Guide to Operations Chapter 6, OS/390 and MVS Guide to Operations
&FOCUSER	Developing Applications	Chapter 3, Managing Flow of Control in an Application
Long Amper variables	Developing Applications	Chapter 3, Managing Flow of Control in an Application
MAINTAIN FILETYPE Extension	Maintaining Databases	Chapter 2, Maintain Concepts
Enhanced screening conditions for Maintain	Maintaining Databases	Chapter 7, Command Reference
COMBINE 63 files	Maintaining Databases	Chapter 9, Modifying Data Sources With MODIFY
FOCUS SETs from Maintain	Maintaining Databases	Chapter 9, Modifying Data Sources With MODIFY
Raised Number of Partitions for External Index	Maintaining Databases	Chapter 11, Creating and Rebuilding Databases
IEDIT	Overview and Operating Environments	Chapter 3, Invoking Your System Editor With IEDIT
Relative GDG Number +1	Overview and Operating Environments	Chapter 6, OS/390 and MVS Guide to Operations
SET USERFCHK and SET USERFNS	Using Functions	Chapter 3, Accessing and Calling a Function
FMLINFO	Using Functions	Chapter 10, Numeric Functions
Subroutine NORMSINV and NORMSDST	Using Functions	Chapter 10, Numeric Functions

Documentation Conventions

The following conventions apply throughout this manual:

Convention	Description
THIS TYPEFACE or this typeface	Denotes syntax that you must enter exactly as shown.
this typeface	Represents a placeholder (or variable) in syntax for a value that you or the system must supply.
underscore	Indicates a default setting.
this typeface	Represents a placeholder (or variable), a cross-reference, or an important term.
this typeface	Highlights a file name or command. It may also indicate a button, menu item, or dialog box option you can click or select.
Key + Key	Indicates keys that you must press simultaneously.
{ }	Indicates two or three choices; type one of them, not the braces.
[ ]	Indicates a group of optional parameters. None are required, but you may select one of them. Type only the parameter in the brackets, not the brackets.
|	Separates mutually exclusive choices in syntax. Type one of them, not the symbol.
...	Indicates that you can enter a parameter multiple times. Type only the parameter, not the ellipsis points (...).
. . .	Indicates that there are (or could be) intervening or additional commands.

Related Publications

To view a current listing of our publications and to place an order, visit our World Wide Web site, http://www.informationbuilders.com. You can also contact the Publications Order Department at (800) 969‑4636.

Customer Support

Do you have questions about FOCUS?

Call Information Builders Customer Support Service (CSS) at (800) 736‑6130 or (212) 736‑6130. Customer Support Consultants are available Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. EST to address all your FOCUS questions. Information Builders consultants can also give you general guidance regarding product capabilities and documentation. Please be ready to provide your six-digit site code (xxxx.xx) when you call.

You can also access support services electronically, 24 hours a day, with InfoResponse Online. InfoResponse Online is accessible through our World Wide Web site, http://www.informationbuilders.com. It connects you to the tracking system and known-problem database at the Information Builders support center. Registered users can open, update, and view the status of cases in the tracking system and read descriptions of reported software issues. New users can register immediately for this service. The technical support section of www.informationbuilders.com also provides usage techniques, diagnostic tips, and answers to frequently asked questions.

To learn about the full range of available support services, ask your Information Builders representative about InfoResponse Online, or call (800) 969-INFO.

Information You Should Have

To help our consultants answer your questions most effectively, be ready to provide the following information when you call:

• Your six‑digit site code (xxxx.xx).
• The FOCEXEC procedure (preferably with line numbers).
• Master file with picture (provided by CHECK FILE).
• Run sheet (beginning at login, including call to FOCUS), containing the following information:
• ? RELEASE
• ? FDT
• ? LET
• ? LOAD
• ? COMBINE
• ? JOIN
• ? DEFINE
• ? STAT
• ? SET/? SET GRAPH
• ? USE
• ? TSO DDNAME OR CMS FILEDEF

• The exact nature of the problem:
• Are the results or the format incorrect? Are the text or calculations missing or misplaced?
• The error message and code, if applicable.
• Is this related to any other problem?

• Has the procedure or query ever worked in its present form? Has it been changed recently? How often does the problem occur?
• What release of the operating system are you using? Has it, FOCUS, your security system, or an interface system changed?
• Is this problem reproducible? If so, how?
• Have you tried to reproduce your problem in the simplest form possible? For example, if you are having problems joining two data sources, have you tried executing a query containing just the code to access the data source?
• Do you have a trace file?
• How is the problem affecting your business? Is it halting development or production? Do you just have questions about functionality or documentation?

User Feedback

In an effort to produce effective documentation, the Documentation Services staff welcomes your opinions regarding this manual. Please use the Reader Comments form at the end of this manual to relay suggestions for improving the publication or to alert us to corrections. You can also use the Documentation Feedback form on our Web site, http://www.informationbuilders.com.

Thank you, in advance, for your comments.

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For information on course descriptions, locations, and dates, or to register for classes, visit our World Wide Web site (http://www.informationbuilders.com) or call (800) 969‑INFO to speak to an Education Representative.