LEGACY HTML RULE FILES

HTML OUTPUT

Notice: this format is considered legacy and no longer supported.  Consider the HTML5 format instead, which provides output that more closely resembles other document formats, and supports nearly all the standard rule set commands.  HTML5 is generated with the -p html5 command line option.

UnForm provides an optional capability to produce HTML files from reports, using a processing engine that is similar to that used for laser printer output.  Using this capability, users can convert their standard text-based reports into HTML documents, which are suitable for viewing with Web browsers such as Netscape Navigator and Communicator, and Microsoft Internet Explorer.

Reports can be converted in real-time, as part of a CGI or ASP procedure that responds to a browser request to generate a report, then format it as HTML.  Alternatively, reports can be converted with a periodic batch process, such as a nightly procedure that produces various reports, then converts them all to HTML for viewing the next day.

Even without a rule set, UnForm can streamline text reports by producing plain text pages with horizontal rules at the end of each page.  These are constructed using HTML templates, so standard company headers and footers can be applied even to reports that are not enhanced via a rule set.