Generating Reports › Changing Output Destination › Changing the Output File Dynamically › Using a Database Table

Using a Database Table

The ASSIGN statement is executes in the program to change the output destination based on runtime conditions.

For example, assume that an application was created that writes a report CUSTRPT. This application is available to several users at different locations. To ensure that each user's request for the report prints at a location available to the user, the ASSIGN statement is used.

For this example, assume that a table named USERS is defined to contain the user identification number and the identification number of the local printer available to that user. The following is a sample of the data in the table:

When the user requests the report, the program retrieves the printer identification number based on the value of $USER‑ID (a function that returns the current user identification number) and sets a working data variable, PRINTID. The program code contains the following:

FOR FIRST USERS
     WHERE USERS.USERID EQ $USER‑ID
   SET PRINTID = USERS.PRINTID
ENDFOR
ASSIGN REPORT CUSTRPT DESTINATION NETWORK PRINTID