From version 6.2.88 - ADVPREPAGE is a Cobwebb Exit program to pre-process the pagination for detail lines (*DET call) being passed to the Advanced Reformatting Utility (ADVRFMT). This can be useful if you have a varying number of lines for each specific Item in your spooled file and you want to keep / group them on the same page.

In the Cobwebb Design (PPD) where you wish to use this Exit program you must first have called the ADVRFMT Exit program with an *FIRST call to set up the configuration and open the files. Note: The Lines Per Page in the *FIRST call to the ADVRFMT in your design MUST be the same as the Lines Per Page in the *FIRST call to ADVPREPAGE.

This Exit program will try to write up to the maximum number of lines per page depending upon where the Page Throw parameter is Blank or *NOW. Note: If there are more consecutive Page Throw = *NO lines than the Maximum LPP then a page throw will be forced at the point where the limit has been reached.

*FIRST Call

This is a call passing the Number of lines per page and the Maximum number of lines per page. This must be called in the PAGE = *FIRST Condition in your Cobwebb Design as this is per document in the spooled file.

*DET Call

This is a call to store all of the information for the *DET lines into arrays for re-pagination. Note: You can only pass in a maximum number of 99,999 *DET lines into this program. If you pass in more then ‘*ERROR’ will be passed back in PARM1.

*LAST Call

This call will pre-paginate all the supplied *DET lines and alter the Page Throw entry for a line if required (PARM5 from the *DET call). Once the data has been paginated it is passed to the Advanced Reformatting Utility as a *DET call. This must be called in the PAGE = *LAST Condition in your Cobwebb Design as this is per document in the spooled file.