URL: http://www.firstbasesoftware.com/man/man1/dbvform.htm
Last modified: 12 September 1995
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A logical page is generated for each record of the database or index, as well as for each page within the view dictionary, as denoted by the $PAGE lines (view(5)).
Without an index, dbvform(1) will process the entire database. Using an index, a very select portion of a database can be formatted.
The -B flag will enable the fastest throughput of records from the database. If this flag can be used, the dbvform generation is speeded up a great deal by internal record buffering. Note that no index can be used with record buffering, and that record locking is disabled.
The length and width of the output can be specified using the -l and -w flags -- with the default being 24 lines by 80 columns, and the maximum being 66 lines by 132 columns.
Adjusting the page lengths and widths can create some very desirable effects. For example, a page length of 1 (one) with a proper view dictionary that maps a few fields to line one will create a tabular listing of the specified data. Or, using a length and width of 9 and 40, badges or labels could be generated.
Dbvform will normally generate page-length lines for each record processed, even if the lines are empty. Using the -f flag will cause formfeeds to be used instead.
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