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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11A report program generator is a utility that takes a description of the report you want and produces a program that processes data to create that report. The generator does not print the report itself. It builds the program that does. IBM’s own 1962 manual puts it this way: “Report Program Generator does not produce the report but generates a report program which prepares the report.” (IBM 7070 System Analysis Guide, 1962)
How a report program generator works
The process has two stages, and keeping them apart is the key to the definition.
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- Specify the report. You describe the input file, the record fields, the headings, any calculations, and which fields to print or summarize.
- Generate the program. The generator turns those specifications into a separate report program.
- Run the generated program. The program reads your data and produces the report.
The U.S. Navy’s NEETS digital-computing module describes the same pattern for detail and summary reports. Its example has the user name the input file, the report headings, the record fields, the calculations, and the fields to print or summarize. (NEETS Module 22, Digital Computing)
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Grouped summaries are a defining feature. You pick a control field, such as department or region. When its value changes from one record to the next, the program prints the accumulated totals for the group just finished. This event is called a control break. The NEETS module also notes that report program generators can produce programs that update data files, not only print reports. (NEETS Module 22)
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- Complete coverage of the program development process
- Using modern development tools
- ILE RPG instructions and operations
- Creating and using files
- Program workflow and structured design
Report program generator vs. the RPG language
The abbreviation RPG comes from the generator’s name, which is why the two meanings get mixed up. They are not the same thing:
| Term | What it is | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Report program generator (generic) | A utility that builds a report program from report specifications | IBM, 1962 |
| RPG (IBM i) | A programming language for business data processing, covering report writing, inquiry, payroll, order entry, and production planning | IBM i 7.4 glossary |
| RPG IV (ILE RPG) | The language as implemented on IBM i, with source specifications for files, data definitions, calculations, and output | ILE RPG Programmer’s Guide |
| CRTRPTPGM | An IBM i command that starts the RPG/400 compiler for automatic reports and can create an Auto Report program | IBM i 7.5 reference |
| Report Design Aid (JD Edwards World) | A design aid used with CASE tools that can help with report totals and subheadings | Oracle documentation |
The modern RPG language grew out of the report-generation purpose, but current IBM documentation treats it as a general business programming language. It should not be reduced to a generic report-builder product.
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Platform-specific examples
CRTRPTPGM is documented for IBM i 7.5, so it is a named IBM facility tied to that platform and release. It does not show that all modern reporting software works this way. Oracle’s JD Edwards World documentation is similarly specific: it says Report Design Aid is unavailable on the Java platform and describes using the green-screen platform instead.
Comparing report generators
If you are evaluating actual tools, these questions separate them:
Quick Recap
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- What does it produce: source code, an executable report program, or the report directly?
- Which input formats and output layouts does it support?
- Does it handle calculations, grouping, subtotals, and control breaks?
- Can it update data as well as print reports?
- Which platform, compiler, or runtime does it require?
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