Printing Using Tilde (i.e. Path, Field and Time) Variables

Embedded tilde variables allow reports to refer to common folders, field values and date/times without specifying the actual folder path, field contents or time function, just the variable name.  These variables are inserted where a path, time or value would normally be specified in the filename. (NOTE: The path variables already have a trailing backslash included.) Here is a table of the variable names with the corresponding folder or time function.

CUR_COMPATH	Folder path of current company
CUR_SYSUSER	Folder path of active BarScan SYSUSER folder
CUR_MYDOCUMENTS	Windows default ‘My Documents’ folder
CUR_MYDESKTOP	Windows ‘Desktop’ folder
CUR_DATETIME	Current Date+Time file created (yyyy-MM-ddThh-mm-ss)
CUR_DATE	Current Date file created (yyyy-MM-dd)
CUR_TIME	Current Time file created (hh-mm-ss)
RPTNAMEASFILENAME	Specifies a cleaned up report name

 

To use these variables, they must be surrounded by a tilde (~). For example, to send an Excel spreadsheet report named “Jon’s Inventory Report” to your desktop, you might specify in the Output File field.

Output File: ~CUR_MYDESKTOP~TODAYS INVENTORY REPORT.XLSX

You can change this to your Windows Documents folder.

Output File: ~CUR_MYDOCUMENTS~TODAYS INVENTORY REPORT.XLSX

You can also include references to the Date and Time tilde variables to give the report a new name based on when it is printed. For example, if you change the above report to

Output File: ~CUR_MYDOCUMENTS~TODAYS INVENTORY REPORT ~CUR_DATETIME~.XLSX

every time you print the report it will have a new filename with the time of printing embedded. The format of the Date and Time is specified in the table above. For example, here is a sample printing of this report printed three times in a row, one minute apart. It goes to the Windows Documents (~CUR_MYDOCUMENTS~) folder:

TODAYS INVENTORY REPORT 2025-06-01T11_33_18.XLSX

TODAYS INVENTORY REPORT 2025-06-01T11_34_18.XLSX

TODAYS INVENTORY REPORT 2025-06-01T11_35_18.XLSX

You can also use a form of the Report Name as the filename. For example, if you changed the above filename to

~CUR_MYDOCUMENTS~~RPTNAMEASFILENAME~ ~CUR_DATETIME~.XLSX

This will send the report to the Windows Document folder with the name

JONS INVENTORY REPORT 2025-06-01T11_44_18.XLSX

(Note that JON’S INVENTORY REPORT is the name of the report. BarScan cleans up the report name by removing any illegal filename characters.)

These make it easier to design a single ‘file export’ report across multiple companies.  This is typically needed when interfacing with third party software systems.  Here is a sample screen of a typical use of CUR_COMPATH within the DEMOCO company.  The CUR_SYSUSER variable is used similarly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The DEMOCO is typically installed in folder

C:\BARSCANW\Democo

Since this report is printing from the DEMOCO, this report will be sent to the file:

C:\BARSCANW\DEMOCO\BARSCAN.XLSX

Here is a sample screen of a typical use of ~CUR_MYDESKTOP~ with the DEMOCO database.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In this case the report will go to the user’s desktop. A typical desktop path for user JACKIE would be

C:\Users\jackie\Desktop

In this case the report would go to

C:\Users\jackie\Desktop\LOCATION_BAR_CODE_MENU.XLSX