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Report Builder
Tutorial


Report Overview and Output

Report Builder generates form letters by extracting the specified text from an unformatted text file and merging the text with the other fields defined in the report layout. A memo file is an unformatted text file that contains the text for the letter. For the Recall form letter, you will prepare the text in the Formlet1.txt memo file, then merge the text into the report definition.

To create form letters, you must prepare the memo file before you create the report definition. This means that you will perform the following steps:

  1. Prepare the memo file.
  2. Create the initial report layout.
  3. Access and order the data.
  4. Define new fields.
  5. Design the report layout.
  6. Preview and save the report definition.

After you complete all the above tasks, you will generate the form letter shown in Figure 6–1. The Recall Form Letter report definition in the Tutorial.prl report library also produces this letter. However, you should create the report definition following the instructions in this chapter so that you learn how to perform each task.

Figure 6–1: Recall Form Letter

To perform the tasks in this chapter, you must:


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