Adding Data to the Form Data Tables

To change the application program, you need to understand the nature of the various tables that store the form data. A computer programmer typically performs the following application program steps.

1. Obtain the next available FORM_PROC_INST by incrementing the field LAST_FORM_PROCINST in table PS_INSTALLATION_FA.

2. Insert one row into the PS_FORM_INSTANCES table corresponding to a single batch of output to be collated into one output stream.

3. Insert multiple rows into the PS_FORM_COLLATEGRP table, one per unique value of the FORM_GROUP_SEQ field.

   This is the description of the FORM_GROUP_SEQ field from its property in AD: Form Group Sequence enables the sequencing of form groups within a FORM_PROC_INST. Each time a group of forms begins to print, this value is incremented and stays the same within that form group. If the same form group prints again, it is incremented again, so that it is not the same value if the same form group prints twice.

4. Insert multiple rows into the PS_FORM_DATA table, one per data value.

   If the length of the data value exceeds 40 characters, you must also insert a related row into one of these tables: PS_FORM_DATA_C128, PS_FORM_DATA_C254, or PS_FORM_DATA_LONG. Set the value of the FORM_FIELD_LTYPE accordingly. Set the appropriate value for the FORM_GROUP_SUB_SEQ field. This is the description of that field from its property in AD: Form Group Sub Sequence is a sequence number within a form group, one per form. When a new form group begins to print, this sequence number starts back at one.