Abstract: A system for retrieving reports and for extracting selected fields from print data streams that may be modified by a non-technical user to provide for revisions in format and additions of new report formats without any need for programming or knowledge of printer code. An extraction database is provided that contains report format information for each of the report formats in use. The report format information includes one or more extraction fields for each report format and a print position associated with the extraction field indicating the position at which the extraction field is printed in the corresponding report format. A print data stream containing a number of reports is analyzed for the presence of a first report, and the report format information associated with the first report format is retrieved from the extraction database.