Update Special Forms Definition - ARSPSF

The Accounts Receivable (AR) module contains a Special Forms (ARSPSF) page that allows for custom development for invoices, billing statements, late notices, and cash receipt formats. The same page is used to define each of these types of formats, using a unique Report ID to identify each specific definition.

The Report ID is the common element that ties all three tabs of this page together. Along with the report Description, the Report ID is displayed at the top of the page, sub-dividing the various elements of the definition into three components: Global Information, Page Layout, and Overflow Action.

Header

Report ID: Enter up to eight-characters that will uniquely identify the form. Generally, there are requirements to the naming convention of the Report ID depending on the nature of the form, which are as follows:
Billing Statements: SPFMxxBL, where xx is the two-character billing stock ID (i.e., SPFMARBL).
Invoices: SPFMARxx, where xx is the two-character invoice stock ID (i.e., SPFMARIN).
Cash Receipts: SPFMCRxx, where xx is the two-character cash receipt format (i.e., SPFMCR01). These Cash Receipt formats are not used in the AR Interactive Cash Receipts (ARBTCRIC) page.
Description: Enter a special form description.

Global Information Tab

Each special form has a single record of Global Information. This tab contains information related to the special form definition as a whole, as well as definition elements that may be used in the Page Layout section.

Forms Message: A one-line message that displays on the page.
Mount Message: The message that can be presented at the system console when mounting forms on a line printer.
Control Number: Reserved for future use.
Row: Reserved for future use.
Col: Reserved for future use.
Void Starters: The number of void starters to print before printing actual data on the forms. This is used to help with alignment issues when using a line printer.
Page Length: A vertical measurement that indicates the number of rows from the top to the bottom of the page.
Page Width: A horizontal measurement that indicates the number of columns that span the width of the page.
Region: A Region is a user-defined range of rows or lines that will be dedicated to a "Type" of data. There can be up to four regions defined in the special form. Each region indicates an area of the form where data will be repeated, for example, detailed transactional activity or text. An alphabetic character that will describe this particular region (i.e., A, B, T, etc.).
Row Range: The starting and ending rows (vertically) on the page where the specified region will display information.
Column: The column on the page where the region information will begin to print.
Type: The region type. There are two primary region types, "TR" (for Transaction) and "TX" (for Text information).
Space: A numerical value to indicate the spacing between detail lines within the region. For example, the value "1" will insert a single blank line between the detail lines. The default (blank) is zero.
Open: Reserved for future use.

Page Layout Tab

The Page Layout information defines the actual body of the special form being created.

Sequence Number: This value is used to sort and order the various elements that are part of the Page Layout. In most cases, the sequence does not matter, but there are situations where this can be valuable.
Item Name: Enter a specific attribute that denotes an element of a database record or a reserved word. A complete list of these attributes and reserved words is listed at the end of this document.
Constant: Use this field to print literal text on the special form in a particular location. Each Page Layout record must have either an Item Name or Constant. The tilde (~) character in this field is interpreted as an Escape character (ASCII 027), which is useful with specific printer directives, such as initiating an ELF form. Additionally, unprintable HEX characters can also be entered in this field by using the format nnn, where nnn is the HEX value.
Page: The value in this field indicates the page on which this row of information is to be printed. Along with entering any specific page number, the following values are available: F – First page only, L – Last page only, and E – Every page. If left blank, the default is "E".
Row: Enter the specific Row number to print the Item or Constant, or specify a Region, as defined in the Global Info tab.
Column: Enter the Column to begin printing the Item or Constant.
Length: Enter the desired Length for the printed data.
Just: Used to specify the data justification: R – Right, L – Left, C – Center, A - All.
Sign: Specifies if the amount sign should be flipped. Code values are restricted to static system codes: N – Do not flip sign, D – Flip sign on transactions, T – Flip sign on totals, B – Flip sign on both.
Round: For item amounts, enter the number of decimals (1-5) for rounding.
Zero: If checked, item amounts with the value of zero will print a zero; otherwise, a blank will be displayed.
Total: Designate the amount tied to this item to be added into a specific accumulated total (1-9).
IF Code: This value sets conditions for when/if the data will print. Valid options are AR, CR, POS, NEG, ARSUM, ARPOS, ARNEG, CRSUM, CRSUMINV, CRPOS, CRNET, GZERO, NZERO, ZERO, and PPINDX1.
Clear: When processing this item, the specified Total will be cleared (reset).

Overflow Action Tab

The purpose of the Overflow Action information is to allocate both an area and the actual text that will print whenever multiple pages are necessary to print a particular Invoice, Statement, or Receipt.

Sequence Number: This value is used to sort and order the various elements that are part of the Overflow Action.
Text: Enter up to 40 characters defining the explicit text to print should an overflow occur. Separate text can be set up for the three different overflow conditions: First page overflow, Middle page overflow, and Last page overflow, as denoted in the check box fields.
Row Start: Used to specify the page Row in which to start printing the overflow text.
Row End: Used to specify the page Row in which to stop printing the overflow text. Typically, there is just a single row of overflow text, in which case the Row Start and Row End values are identical.
Column: Enter the column in which to begin printing the overflow text.
First: If checked, the associated text on the First page of the Invoice, Statement, or Receipt.
Middle: If checked, the associated text will print on all Middle pages. This, of course, only applies to Invoices, Statements, or Receipts where more than two pages per customer are printed.
Last: If checked, the associated text will print on the Last page of the Invoice, Statement, or Receipt.

Item Attributes and Reserved Words

The following is a list of Attributes and Reserved Words that can be used when entering an ITEM in the Page Layout tab. These attributes map to specific database elements that are part of either the Accounts Receivable or Person/Entity information database.