sql print statement

[desertmaster]

How do I direct output to the local printer with an informix sql statement? Neither the Sql Tutorial nor the
Reference Book give any hint.

 

[vpshriyan]

Hi,

Informix supports an extended ANSI syntax as follows for SELECT:

1. OUTPUT TO filename [WITHOUT HEADINGS] SELECT <statement>
2. OUTPUT TO PIPE <program> [WITHOUT HEADINGS] SELECT <statement>

The first syntax can be used for dumping mode; and the second for the offline/online printing mode.

Here is a Unix script file which can be used for this purpose.Please make sure that is file has a executable permission. To do this issue: chmod 755 lprn

example:

OUTPUT TO PIPE lprn SELECT * FROM customer;

listing of lprn

#!/bin/sh

#script to print file to the local printer port

echo &quot;&quot;
#you may use cat, more, pr, lp etc.
pr $*
echo &quot;&quot;

Regards
Shriyan

 

[MizzGail]

This helped me tremendously for something I am doing. One additional question.
When I use this to suppress column labels, I get 2 blank lines in the beginning of my file. How do I suppress blank lines?

Thanks!

 

[vpshriyan]

MizzGail,

You may use the following syntax of UNLOAD for your purpose:

UNLOAD TO &quot;cust.unl&quot; DELIMITER &quot;|&quot; SELECT * FROM customer;

The dump file will be a data file; does not contain the field labels and the fileds delimited by pipe symbols contains no blank spaces in between.

Regards,
Shriyan