Example of how to run tables using multiple banners

Attached is a spec MULTIPLEBANNERS.SPX that shows how to run 3 Banners by 13 tables to replace using COLUMN_REPEAT.

Advantages of this setup over COLUMN_REPEAT:


  1. Have complete control over which table elements print with each banner and each table. No ambiguity about what will be printed for each table.
  2. Can number the tables in any of the following ways: 101,201,301 or 1001,2001,3001 or 001,001,001 or 0001,0001,0001.
  3. Can also number them sequentially as with COLUMN_REPEAT by using the PRINTNAME command.
  4. Can define all the banners together, rather than the first one at the top and the others at the bottom.

Disadvantages of this setup:


  1. The placement of the ~SPECFILE command is no longer at the top and must be placed after all the banner definitions.
  2. The execute block is no longer a single command, but a series of commands.

Both disadvantages can easily be dealt with by using this file as a shell for all such runs

The first Tabset defined should be a global tabset that includes any items like a HEADER and FOOTER which will not change from banner to banner.

Be sure to include all table elements that change from banner to banner in each banner’s tabset. This should include at least COLUMN, BANNER, and EDIT and may also include things like STATISTICS.

By changing the SET TABLENAME command you can change the way the tables are numbered. For 3 digit table names use Set Tablename=T101. For Tables all named the same use Set Tablename=T001, Set Tablename=U001, etc.

Set your Study name on the following Define

>Define @Study MultipleBanners

Set the number of banners you have here. If you have more than 9 banners, you will have to change the sort variables at the end of the run.

>Define @NumBanners 3

You can actually use this for runs where you want to print all the tables by each banner as well, by commenting out the following define.

>Define @InterWeaveBan

>PurgeSame~Input @Study>Printfile @Study~Set Auto_Tab Drop_Local_Edit Drop_Base Drop_T5 Drop_T2~Define Tabset= Global:Header=:=THIS HEADER IS CENTERED }Footer=:>PAGE #PGNUM# }Stub_Preface=:Total[Suppress] No answer }}Tabset= Ban1:Edit=: Cwid=10 Swid=20 -T4_Base PgWid=80 -ColTNA RankIfIndicated }Set Tablename= T1001Banner=: