(SOLUTION ENCLOSED) Re: SQL*Reportwriter last page eject

dewey_at_centerline.com (Devan F. Dewey) writes:

>In article <fragante.712263892_at_unixg.ubc.ca>, fragante_at_unixg.ubc.ca (Gv
>Fragante) wrote:
>>
>> Our SQL*Report always prints a blank last page on every report. How can we
>> get rid of this ?
>>
>> Thanks.
 

>Make SURE this answer gets to the net!!! I feel like we kill about 18 trees
>a day due to this little gremlin.

Actually, it is the print spooler that prints that extra blank page at the end. Print to "File" sometime in SRW and you will notice that the last character in the file is the form-feed character. (This only applies to ascii print definitions, the postscript definitions do not suffer from this problem with the right filter.)

Now look at the Unix print spooler in (your mileage may vary)

• /usr/spool/lp/admins/lp/interfaces/{printername}

One of the last lines inside the print_copies loop is "echo "\014\c", which says output a form feed.

There are three possible changes that will fix this problem!

One:

	Change the Oracle PRINTDEF.DAT file for your printer definition(s)
	to include the "fs" option.  To wit:  there is currently a setting
	for ff=(Control-L) and no fs setting for the ascii printers.  There
	is an 'fs' for the postscript printers that does "erasepage 
	initgraphics" which prevents the extra-page problem.  Add an "fs=:"
	(ie: nothing) to the 'wide' and 'dflt' definitions (if that's all
	you use).

Two:

	Change the printer script to NOT emit that form feed.
	Side effect: OTHER printings from programs that don't do their
	own pagination and form feeding won't start at the beginning
	of a page.

Three:

	Write a custom filter in your favorite language that removes
	blank pages at the end of a file.  This is certainly the hardest
	of any changes.

My permission granted to include this in any materials with proper attribution.

-Andy
 just an oracle customer

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