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📄 Understanding Uniface's printbreak Statement: A Developer's Guide

#uniface #reporting #development #programming

As a developer working with Uniface, I've encountered many powerful features for report generation. Today, I want to share insights about the printbreak statement - a crucial tool for creating sophisticated reports with break frames. 🚀

This article is based on the official Uniface Documentation 10.4, and I had assistance from AI to structure this content effectively.

🎯 What is printbreak?

The printbreak statement is a specialized report-writing command in Uniface that allows you to print break frames at strategic points in your reports. Think of it as a way to insert summaries, totals, or section breaks exactly where you need them.

📝 Basic Syntax 

printbreak BreakFrameName
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Example:

printbreak "DAY_TOTAL"
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🔧 Parameters and Return Values

Parameters

Parameter Data Type Description
BreakFrameName String Name of the break frame whose getFocus trigger is to be activated

📊 Return Values ($status)

  • < 0: ❌ An error occurred ($procerror contains details)
  • 0: ⚠️ getFocus trigger returned a negative value
  • 1: ✅ getFocus trigger returned a positive value

🚨 Common Error Scenarios

When $procerror returns -401 (UMISERR_PRINT_BREAK), it typically means:

  • 🚫 Uniface is not in printing mode ($printing != 1)
  • 🚫 printbreak was called from a header or footer frame

💡 Key Usage Guidelines

✅ Where to Use

  • Components: Form and Report components
  • Triggers: Only in getFocus and leavePrinted triggers of an entity

🎯 What It Does

  • Prints break frames instead of regular entity frames
  • Inserts break frames immediately after printed occurrences
  • Enables interactive forms without compilation issues

📈 Real-World Example: Invoice Day Totals

Here's a practical example showing how to use printbreak with page management:

trigger leavePrinted ; entity : INVOICE
; compare date of next occurrence
 compare (DATE) from "INVOICE"

; if next date different
 if ($result = 0)
   ; if less than 5 lines left, start printing on new page
   if ($lines < 5)
     eject
   endif

   ; set date in Break Frame
   DATE.DAYTOT = DATE.INVOICE

   ; print break frame for day total
   printbreak "DAYTOT"

   ; reset to zero for new day
   AMOUNT.DAYTOT = 0

   ; if less than 10 lines left, eject after printing break frame
   if ($lines < 10)
     eject
   endif
 endif
 return(0)
end; leavePrinted
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🔍 Best Practices

1. Always Check $printing Status 🧪

Before using printbreak, verify that Uniface is actually in printing mode:

if ($printing = 1)
    printbreak "MY_BREAK_FRAME"
endif
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2. Smart Page Management 📄

Use $lines to manage page breaks intelligently, as shown in the invoice example above.

3. Error Handling 🛡️

Always check $status after calling printbreak to handle potential errors gracefully.

🏁 Conclusion

The printbreak statement is a powerful tool for creating professional reports in Uniface. By understanding its parameters, return values, and best practices, you can create sophisticated reporting solutions that handle complex business requirements. Remember to always test your printing logic and handle edge cases appropriately! 💪

Happy coding! 👨‍💻✨

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