4 Understanding Print Properties at Runtime

This chapter contains the following topics:

4.1 Batch Version Submission

You must use a batch version to process a report. You can submit a batch version to run locally on a Microsoft Windows client, or you can use any client to submit the batch version to a server.

When you submit a batch version locally, the Microsoft Windows client immediately launches the batch engine process. You have the option to view the output on screen or send it to a printer. This method is used primarily by UBE developers.

The server handles batch processing more efficiently than the workstation. When the batch version is submitted to the server for processing, a message is sent to the server with the defined data selection, data sequencing, and other information necessary to run the report, such as report interconnect values and printer information.

You can submit batch versions to the server using these methods:

  • The JD Edwards EnterpriseOne Batch Versions (P98305) application on the Microsoft Windows client.

  • Another report or interactive application using a report interconnect.

    You must define the report interconnect in JD Edwards EnterpriseOne Report Design Aid (RDA). The system launches the child batch version from a batch application or interactive application submitted from either the Microsoft Windows client or the web client.

  • The JD Edwards EnterpriseOne Batch Versions - Web Version (P98305W) application on the web client.

    On the web client, batch versions are submitted only to the server.

  • From the JD Edwards EnterpriseOne Menu on the web client.

    For easy access, you can add a report as a task on the JD Edwards EnterpriseOne Menu.

  • From the command line on the server.

See "Submitting Batch Versions" in the JD Edwards EnterpriseOne Tools Batch Versions Guide.

4.2 Jobs Submitted from the Microsoft Windows Client

On the Microsoft Windows client, you can select from these options when submitting batch jobs:

Output Option Description
On Screen. Enables you to generate a PDF file that is displayed through Adobe Reader. Adobe Reader is launched by the system when the processing of the batch version is complete.
To Printer. Enables you to modify output options from the Printer Selection form.
Export to CSV. Enables you to generate both a CSV and a PDF file. The report is displayed through a CSV viewer, such as Microsoft Excel. The CSV viewer is launched automatically by the system when processing of the batch version is complete.
Export using output stream access (OSA). Enables you to export the report to a third-party software application. The location of the output is determined by the OSA interface. For example, the JD Edwards EnterpriseOne Extended Markup Language (XML) interface creates an XML file in the same location where the PDF and CSV outputs are stored. An OSA library created by the vendor of the third-party software to which you are exporting the report might store the OSA output in a different location.

See "Submitting Batch Versions" in the JD Edwards EnterpriseOne Tools Batch Versions Guide.

Note:

For advanced version prompting options that apply to BI Publisher for JD Edwards EnterpriseOne functionality, see "Accessing Batch Version Advanced Option Overrides" in the JD Edwards EnterpriseOne Tools BI Publisher for JD Edwards EnterpriseOne Guide.

4.3 Printer Information

When you submit a UBE from batch versions to a server, a data structure that contains the printer information is passed to the batch engine. Printer information is stored as a binary large object (BLOB) in the Job Control Status Master (F986110) table.

When batch jobs are submitted using report interconnects, the printer definition for the child report is inherited from the parent report. The values that are inherited are:

  • Printer name

    Unless the child report specification has a printer name or uses the system function to override the printer name.

  • Print immediate

  • Save Printer Definition Language file

  • Paper type

    Unless the child report specification has a custom override.

  • Printer settings

  • Number of copies

  • Paper source

  • OSA

Export to CSV is not an inherited functionality. If the child report has a printer name defined in its specifications or a custom paper type defined, then these properties override the inherited values.

4.4 Customizing the Location of Report Output

When you run a batch version on a server, the resulting report is saved to the PrintQueue directory as a PDF.

The default PrintQueue directory is located under the install directory on the server. If you want to customize the PrintQueue directory location, you must define the PrintQueue location in the initialization file using a valid directory name.

This example illustrates how the JDE.INI should be modified:

[NETWORK QUEUE SETTINGS]
OutputDirectory = /system

Where system is the location of the PrintQueue directory; for example, c:\system\.

Note:

Any platform can use this setting to customize the PrintQueue directory location.

4.5 Printer Selections at Runtime

When you submit batch versions to a printer, the system looks first for the printer defined in RDA. If no printer is defined in RDA, the system uses the default printer defined in the JD Edwards EnterpriseOne Printer Application (P98616.) The system determines a printer based on this hierarchical structure:

  1. System function.

    Do_Initialize_Printer called in the Report Event Rule.

  2. Printer defined in RDA.

    The printer definition becomes part of the report specifications.

  3. Printer defined in the JD Edwards EnterpriseOne Printer Application (P98616) using this hierarchy:

    1. Specific report defined for the user.

    2. Specific report defined for a user role.

    3. Specific report defined for *PUBLIC.

    4. All reports defined for the user.

    5. All reports defined for a user role.

    6. All reports defined for *PUBLIC.

  4. User override of defined printer at submission time.

    See Customizing the Location of Report Output.

Depending on the printer that is selected, the system selects the corresponding Printer Definition Language on the Advanced tab of the Printer Selection form at runtime.

When batch jobs are submitted using report interconnects, the child report inherits the printer definitions from the parent report. At print time, once the job has completed processing, you can override the printer for the child report from the JD Edwards EnterpriseOne Work With Servers (P986116) application.

When you submit a job using RUNUBE, if you do not indicate a printer name through the command line parameters, the printer name stored in the specifications is used at print time; otherwise, the default printer is used. At print time, you can override the printer from P986116 when the job has completed processing.

See "Submitting at the Command Line" in the JD Edwards EnterpriseOne Tools Batch Versions Guide.

4.6 Paper Type Selections at Runtime

The paper type that you define for the selected printer is used when the job is submitted unless the report has a custom paper type defined in RDA. If a custom paper type is defined in RDA, the custom paper type is used when the job is submitted. From the Print Property tab on the Printer Selection form, you can change the paper type. Depending on the printer that you select, the Paper Type field is automatically populated by the system with the paper type that is defined for that printer.

When you define a custom paper type in RDA, you cannot change the paper type at runtime.

4.7 Print Orientation Selections at Runtime

The paper orientation that you select in RDA is stored in the report specifications. Orientation from the specifications is displayed on the Print Property tab of the Printer Selection form at runtime. However, you can change the orientation at runtime.

When you define a custom paper size in RDA, the orientation option is unavailable for selection on the Printer Selection form. In the case of line printers, the Characters per Inch (CPI), Characters per Page (CPP), Lines per Inch (LPI), and Lines per Page (LPP) options that you define for the line printer determine the orientation.

4.8 Export to CSV at Runtime

When you select the Export to CSV option in RDA, the definition is stored in the report specifications. This option is displayed in the Report Output Destination form at runtime.

When you submit the batch version to the printer, you have the option of overriding the Export to CSV option on the Document Setup tab of the Printer Selection form. Both a CSV file and a PDF file are created in the PrintQueue directory when the Export to CSV option is selected.

When batch jobs are submitted using report interconnects, the child report does not inherit the Export to CSV option from the parent. Therefore, you must select the CSV option in RDA to enable this option for both the child and parent reports.

4.9 Print Settings in the Initialization Files

The Print Immediate option and the SavePDL setting are defined in the initialization files. A Printer Definition Language (PDL) file is a file that was created from a reports PDF output after being converted to a printer-specific format, such as postscript, PCL, or line printer text output.

4.9.1 The Print Immediate Setting

You can define batch jobs to print immediately by modifying the Print Immediate setting in the initialization file. For the Microsoft Windows client, the Print Immediate setting is located in the jde.ini file. For the web client, the Print Immediate setting is located in the jas.ini file.

4.9.1.1 Print Immediate--Microsoft Windows Client

Modify the following setting in the jde.ini to specify the Print Immediate functionality for batch jobs:

[NETWORK QUEUE SETTINGS]
PrintImmediate=TRUE

The value of TRUE sends the report output to the printer immediately after processing. FALSE holds the report output in a queue until you select Print from the Row menu on the Submitted Job Search form on the Microsoft Windows client.

When the Print Immediate setting in the initialization file is set to TRUE, all batch versions print immediately upon processing. When you want specific batch versions to print immediately, use the Print Immediate option on the Version Details form for the individual batch version. The Print Immediate option can be overridden at runtime.

See "Modifying Properties of Batch Versions" in the JD Edwards EnterpriseOne Tools Batch Versions Guide.

4.9.1.2 Print Immediate--HTML Client

Modify the following setting in the jas.ini to specify the Print Immediate functionality for batch jobs:

[OWWEB]
PrintImmediate=TRUE

When the Print Immediate setting in the initialization file is set to TRUE, all users submit all reports with Print Immediate selected. The value of TRUE sends the report output to the printer immediately after processing.

When the Print Immediate setting is set to FALSE, only reports submitted by users in the Print Immediate override section of the jas.ini file are submitted with Print Immediate. Reports submitted by users not included in the Print Immediate override section are held in a queue until you select Print from the Row menu on the Submit Job - Submitted Job Search form on the web client. You can add Print Immediate Override to specific EnterpriseOne users and reports by adding a new section in the jas.ini file as follows:

[PRINTIMMEDIATE]
userid1=Report1,Report2,Report3,Report4
userid2=Report1,Report2,Report3,Report4
userid3=Report1,Report2,Report3,Report4

4.9.1.3 Print Immediate--Interconnected Reports

A child report inherits the definition from the parent report when batch jobs are submitted using report interconnects. In this case, you cannot override the Print Immediate option at runtime.

4.9.1.4 Print Immediate--Microsoft Windows Server

You can pass the Print Immediate option as an argument when using RUNUBE from the command line. In this case, the job automatically prints when the PrintImmediate setting in the jde.ini is set to TRUE.

Note:

The Print Immediate argument for RUNUBE is supported on the Microsoft Windows Server only; this is not supported on other platforms.

4.9.2 The SavePDL Setting

You can modify the following setting in the jde.ini to specify the SavePDL functionality on the enterprise server:

[NETWORK QUEUE SETTINGS]
SavePDL=TRUE/FALSE

When you modify the SavePDL setting in the jde.ini to TRUE, both a PDF file and a Printer Definition Language (PDL) file are created in the PrintQueue directory. By default, at runtime, the Printer Definition Language File option on the Document Setup tab of the Printer Selection form is selected. However, you can override this option at runtime.

When you modify the SavePDL setting to FALSE, you can select the option at runtime to save the intermediate temporary file. The PDL file resides in the PrintQueue directory. When batch jobs are submitted using report interconnects, the child report inherits the PDL definition from the parent report.

You have the option of modifying the Printer Definition Language File option at runtime. Depending on whether the option is selected or cleared, a PDF and a PDL file are created for that batch job only.