#DEFINE

Syntax

#DEFINE substitution_variable value

Description

Declares a value for a substitution variable within the body of the report (rather than using the ASK command).

#DEFINE is useful for specifying constants such as column locations, printer fonts, or any number or string that is used in several locations in the program. When the value of the number or string must be changed, you need only change the #DEFINE command. All references to that variable change automatically, which makes modifying programs much simpler.

If the ASK command is used to obtain the value of a substitution variable that has already been defined, ASK uses the previous value and the user is not prompted. This enables you to predefine some variables and not others. When the report runs, ASK requests values for only those variables that have not had a value assigned.

You can use #DEFINE commands inside an include file. This is a method of gathering commonly used declarations into one place, and reusing them for more than one report.

The value in the #DEFINE command can have embedded spaces and does not need to be enclosed within quotes. The entire string is used as is.

The #DEFINE command cannot be broken across program lines.

Parameters

Parameter	Description
substitution_variable	The variable to be used as the substitution variable. The substitution variable is used to substitute any command, argument, or part of a SQL statement at compile time.
Value	The value to be substituted.

Example

This code example defines several constants:

#define  page_width  8.5
#define  page_depth  11
#define  light LS^10027
#define  bold  LS^03112
#define  col1  1
#define  col2  27
#define  col3  54
#define  order_by  state, county, city, co_name

This code example from a report uses the definitions from the preceding example:

   begin-setup

declare-printer contacts

   type=hp

   paper-size=({page_width}, {page_depth})

end-declare
end-setup
begin-heading 5
  print 'Company Contacts'     (1,1)  center
  print 'Sort:  {order_by}'    (2,1)  center
  print 'Company'              (4,{col1})
  print 'Contact'              (4,{col2})
  print 'Phone'                (4,{col3})
end-heading
begin-procedure main
begin-select
company      (1,{col1})
  print '{bold}'      (0,{col2})         ! Print contact in boldface.
contact         ()
  print '{light}'         ()             ! Back to lightface.
phone         (0,{col3})                 ! Note: There must be enough
  next-listing                           ! space between col2
from customers                           ! and col3 for both
order by  {order_by}                     ! font changes and the
end-select                               ! contact field.
end-procedure

See ASK