ebabc773   
   From: contact@harganonline.com   
      
   The reporting component of Paradox the program is very full-featured and   
   competent. In particular, it allows data models (tabling capabilities?) of   
   nearly limitless complexity, with just a few keystrokes. IMHO, very few   
   pure Paradox programmers find any need to use anything else.   
      
   For /really/ complex reports from Paradox tables, /all/ Paradox field types   
   (including memos) can be accurately read by WordPerfect (which is under the   
   same ownership). You can then use WP's easy and full-featured merge   
   language to make it do anything you want. This can be automated with either   
   PerfectFit or VBA. I mention this because it, too, is free; that is, you   
   get all this WordPefect stuff on the Paradox disk whether you want it or   
   not, as Paradox is not sold separately.   
      
   Third, you can textstream Paradox data into html or xhtml using its   
   built-in language OPAL. Once you know OPAL (which is a pure joy) this is a   
   very direct process, pure crank-turning.   
      
   Of course, if you are using Paradox tables in a Delphi application, none of   
   this is available to you. This is not, however, a forum for   
   Delphi-using-Paradox; it's a forum for Paradox the application.   
      
   HTH,   
      
   --   
   Jim Hargan   
   On Sun, 15 Mar 2009 07:27:42 -0700 (PDT), natalie wrote:   
      
   > After making reports for a long time, I found something strange   
   > recently. Various reporting software vendors advertise by all means to   
   > attract users' attentions; however, programmers show great interests   
   > in Jasper Report + iReport, the representatives of free and open   
   > source Java reporting software. You can find that it is discussed in   
   > full swing in almost all the forums with Java report board, and there   
   > are always a lot of questioners.   
   >   
   > Why?   
   >   
   > Jasper Report + iReport are pure Java reporting tools. I believe that   
   > the reasons for users to choose them are as follows:   
   > 1. They are free reporting tools, and this is the most important   
   > reason.   
   > 2. They are professional reporting tools.   
   > 3. They are pure Java reporting tool.   
   > It means that most people have realized that they should make reports   
   > with professional reporting tools, not coding, and this is a progress.   
   > Now, there are many pure Java reporting tools available, such as   
   > Jatools, RAQ Report, and Style report, etc. According to users'   
   > choice, you will find that free is the deciding factor.   
   >   
   > However, I have a problem. Free and chargeable, which one is better?   
   >   
   > It seems that free Jasper Report + iReport bring us a lot, reporting   
   > software with certain usability, open source code with flexible   
   > customization capability and complete control, and the most important,   
   > low cost.   
   > But is this really the case?   
   > 1. The tabling capabilities of them are not very good.   
   > 2. Written too minutely, the Help documents of them are hard to read.   
   > And more important, all of them are chargeable.   
   > 3. The tabling logicalities of them are not very strong. Sometimes,   
   > you may find it very hard to make a complex report with them. For   
   > example, if there is a report can not be made directly, you have to   
   > write SQL statements troublesomely or ask your clients change their   
   > requirements unreasonably.   
   > You can find a great number of consultation posts in forums, and the   
   > questioners usually have to wait for answers on line. However, maybe   
   > there is no answer to their questions, or there is no one to answer   
   > their questions by coincidence. You can count the time and labor cost   
   > spent on it. Then, whether it is advisable to buy a chargeable   
   > reporting tool?   
   >   
   > The advantages of buying a chargeable reporting tool:   
   > 1. The tabling capability of a chargeable reporting tool must be   
   > better than a free one.   
   > 2. The Help documents of chargeable reporting tool are free.   
   > 3. When you have a question, you can consult the technical support of   
   > your reporting tool directly; even ask them to come to help you.   
   >   
   > Judging from the social trend, labor division will becomes more and   
   > more detailed, and work will becomes more and more professional. In   
   > report industry, the optimal condition is that professional reporting   
   > tool vendor is the peripheral R&D Center of other companies. Each   
   > company gives some money to the vendor for using the reporting tool,   
   > while the vendor is dedicated to solve the report problems of all the   
   > cooperators.   
   > To sum up, making report is a professional job, and it is advisable   
   > for you to buy a chargeable reporting tool. With it, you can do your   
   > own job better.   
   >   
   > This post is from freezea's blog. You are welcomed cc it anywhere, and   
   > please indicate the source.   
   >   
   > If you would like to read more articles about reporting tool, you are   
   > also welcome to refer to his blog at http://freezea.blogspot.com/.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)