HP Data Entry and Forms Management System (VPLUS) Reference Manual (32209-90024)

Chapter 5 207
Reformatting Specifications
Input Forms Menu
included with the data in the batch file.) To illustrate, assume the following input forms
sequence:
FORMA (reformat identifier)
FORMB
FORMD
And assume the first three records of data in the batch file were entered on forms in the
sequence:
FORMA
FORMB
FORMC
The data entered on FORMA of this sequence will not be written to the output file. This is
because of the method used by REFORMAT to match batch file records with input forms
sequences in the reformat file.
REFORMAT:
• Reads records from the batch file in sequential order from the beginning. (Assume the
first record was entered on FORMA.)
• Checks all reformat identifiers in the reformat file until it finds FORMA. (Assume
FORMA is found as the identifier for the sequence FORMA, FORMB, FORMD.)
• Reads the next record from the batch file. (Assume the next record was entered on
FORMB.)
• Checks form names in the input forms sequence following FORMA. (Assume the next
form in the sequence is FORMB, and the check is satisfactory.)
• Reads the next record from the batch file. (Assume the next record was entered on
FORMC.)
• Checks next form name in the input forms sequence after FORMB. (Assume this form is
FORMD; the form names do not match.)
• Skip data record written on FORMA.
REFORMAT then takes the next record in the batch file, in this case, the record written on
FORMB, and searches the entire reformat file for a reformat identifier, FORMB. If such a
reformat identifier is found, it checks the rest of the input forms sequence (as described
above) to make sure that all forms in the sequence match the forms on which the batch
records following FORMB were entered.
When a match is successful, each batch record is discarded as it is processed. If the match
is unsuccessful, only the first batch record in a sequence is discarded.