27 lines
914 B
Perl
27 lines
914 B
Perl
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A format defines how data will appear.
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The format command defines a format.
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The basic syntax follows:
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format NAME = formatdata
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The format definition ends with a single period on its own on a line.
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The format data come in pairs of lines.
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In each pair, the first line, called the picture line, lists how the data will look;
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the second line, called the argument line, lists the global Perl variables that will hold the data.
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When the report is generated, the data values get plugged into the picture lines.
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For example,
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format NAMES=
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Last name : @<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
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$lastname
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First name: @<<<<<<<<<<<
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$firstname
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.
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The @<<<<<<<<<<< format defines a left-justified data field.
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The number of < characters defines how many spaces are allotted for the field. The lines with variables, $lastname and $firstname, aren't printed.
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Only the lines that define the format are printed.
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