Before Control-D AFP Support

All reports processed by Control-D can be viewed online using the Control-D User Reports (Online Viewing) facility, that provides many tools that assist in productively viewing computer produced reports. Until now, online report viewing of AFP reports has not been an available option because of the following:

• The terminal size – Computer produced reports are usually larger than the size of the terminal screen. Computer produced reports usually contain from 132 through 255 characters in each line and from 60 through 80 lines on each page. Some reports are even larger. A standard terminal displays 80 characters in each line and 24 lines on each page. Some terminals display more characters (for example, 132 characters on each line), but the characters are very small and difficult to read.
• The use of graphical items – Many AFP reports are printed with Overlays. Overlays contain report titles, column headers, data frames (boxes) and other important graphic items. It is impossible to productively view online reports that print with overlays because of missing report titles, column headers, data frames (boxes) and other graphical items.

The problems mentioned above may be resolved by using a hardcopy report. However, there are other problems that report recipients encounter, even with printed reports. Consider the following issues:

• Partial or selective reports – Many reports include a large amount of data. Reports can be as large as hundreds of pages or even more. It is quite common for the report recipient not to need to use all of the lines of data, but only specific lines.

  Example: In a bank savings account report, the report recipient needs to check all deposits over $10,000. Out of the 100,000 deposits listed in the report, only 100 represent deposits of over $10,000.

  The problem in the example can be solved by producing an additional report for the report recipient including only deposits of over $10,000, but what happens if tomorrow the report recipient needs all deposits over $5,000? Does a new application have to be written or changed every day?

• Readability problem – At times, the combination of several factors (that are not easily discernible) determine which lines are included in the report. Even for a small report, the process of scanning these factors and manually marking relevant report lines is error-prone and time-consuming.

  Example: The report recipient needs all deposits over $10,000 but special handling is required if the over $10,000 deposit is the client’s first deposit at the bank. The report recipient has to visually search the entire report and mark all relevant deposits.

  The list of problems that report recipients experience with printed reports is very long, even without taking into consideration the costs involved in printing the reports (paper, transportation, and so on).

The more we examine this issue, the more we realize how much online computer capabilities are needed; for example, the capability to include or exclude lines of a report according to a specified string, and the capability to highlight data according to specified criteria. The following explanations and examples of the Control-D User Reports (Online Viewing) facility can be used to productively view AFP reports and solve the problems listed above.