User-Defined Reports - File Output Options

One of the uses for User-Defined Reports (UDRs) in addition to creating reports is to create file outputs for updates to another system typically in CSV or delimited formats.

When outputting to a file it is typical to suppress trailing or leading spaces around the text/data output. If using a standard file delimiter of a comma or pipe character, then existing options allow you to suppress spaces but if using a non-standard delimiter then this option was not available.

Omit Spaces around X in file – if set then will suppress leading/trailing spaces in the output file. If X left blank, then presumes suppressing around commas or pipe delimiters but you can set to another character as required.

You might use a ‘non-standard’ delimiter where the receiving program of the output file needs an alternative delimiter or if the delimiter is used within the text generally and you can’t use quote marks to protect the use within descriptive text.