Data::Reporter module for Perl
----------------------

Ricardo Vazquez
rvazquez_a@yahoo.com

This module generates ascii reports from a Database or a plain ascii file.


Data::Reporter has a series of components. The user has only to define the 
contents or functions that each component will use or display. Some are 
mandatory (Header, Title, Detail) while others are optional to the user.
Here is the list of all the components:
   - Header
   - Title
   - Detail
   - Breaks
   - Final
   - Footer

Because of perl's multiple plataform availability, the same report program 
can be run in many platforms with no changes in the code. The modules have been tested on Solaris, Windows NT and Windows 95.

A visual report generator called VisRep.pl is also included. This is based
on PerlTk. This program generates perl programs, that can be executed. 
VisRep.pl can be later used to edit such generated programs.

Three examples are included:
avef5803.pl    Uses a plain ascii file ajusbena.rep as datasource.
               generates the BENAVIDES file
avef5803a.pl   The same program as avef5803.pl, but created with VisRep.pl
               generates the BENAVIDES file
avef5804.pl    Uses a Sybase datasource.
               This program has been created with VisRep.pl
               and generates the INVOICES file
avef5804a.pl   The same program as avef5804.pl, but created with VisRep.pl
               generates the INVOICES file

Files Manifest:
---------------
README.TXT                 this file
Makefile.PL                perl script to generate Makefile
bin/VisRep.pl              visual report generator
bin/Sources.cfg            available data sources for VisRep.pl 
                           (only Sybsource at this time)
examples/ajusbena.rep      data source for avef5803.pl
examples/avef5803.pl       example for a plain ascii file source
examples/avef5803a.pl      example for a plain ascii file source 
                           (same as avef5803.pl but created with VisRep.pl)
examples/avef5804.pl       example for Sybase source
examples/avef5804a.pl      example for Sybase source 
                           (same as avef5804.pl, but created with VisRep.pl)
examples/sybase.cfg        login information for sybase conexion
examples/BENAVIDES         avef5803.pl output
examples/INVOICES          avef5804.pl output
Reporter/Datasource.pm     abstract class for sources
Reporter/Filesource.pm     File source class
Reporter/Sybsource.pm      Sybase source class
Reporter/RepFormat.pm      module to manipulate text in memory
Reporter/Reporter.pm       main module to generate reports
Reporter/VisSection.pm     module to manipulate report sections (used only by VisRep.pl)

Install:
--------
Type:
perl Makefile.PL
make 
make install


Please send any comments or suggestions

Copyright (c) 1999 Ricardo Vazquez. All rights reserved. This program is free
software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as
Perl itself.

