Microsoft KB Archive/109072

= FastTips for FoxPro for Mac: Report Writer Q&A =

ID: Q109072

The information in this article applies to:


 * Microsoft FoxPro for Macintosh, version 2.5b

Microsoft(R) Technical Support Application Note (Text File) FC0960: REPORT WRITER QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Revision Date: 12/93 No Disk Included The following information applies to Microsoft FoxPro(R) version 2.5 for Macintosh(R).

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1. Q. Should I convert all of my FoxPro for MS-DOS and Windows

reports to FoxPro for Macintosh format?

A. You may not need to. Your existing character-based reports created in FoxPro for MS-DOS will run, preview, and print unchanged in FoxPro for Macintosh. The engine for printing character-based reports is included in FoxPro for Macintosh. If      you want to include graphical elements such as fonts and pictures, you can either convert the reports to FoxPro for Macintosh format or create new graphical reports from scratch. Reports created in FoxPro for Windows will also run, preview, and print unchanged in FoxPro for Macintosh, or you can transport them to FoxPro for Macintosh format. 2. Q. I used the Quick Report option to create my initial

report. Now I want to add another field. In FoxPro for MS-DOS, the Report menu contained a command called Field that allowed me to add a single field. How do I do this in FoxPro for Macintosh?

A. You can add new fields with the Field tool located in the toolbox on the left side of the Report Layout window. For additional information about the Report Writer toolbox, see the FoxPro for Macintosh "User's Guide." 3. Q. Only the first line of a memo field in my report prints.

How can I correct this?

A. To display the entire contents of the memo field, you must make the field stretch vertically to fit its contents. Double-click the report field and select the Top - Field Can Stretch option under Position Relative To. This field will now enlarge, depending on the length of the memo field contents. Choose Page Preview to view the result. 4. Q. When I place a "stretched" memo field in the Detail band,

I find that the fields that display below the memo field are overwritten by some of the longer memo fields. How do I avoid this?

A. Fields or objects positioned below the memo field are still displayed in a fixed position, even though the memo field is      now stretchable. To avoid being overwritten, all objects below the memo field should be positioned relative to the bottom of      the Detail band. To accomplish this, double-click each of the fields and select the Bottom option under Position Relative To. Choose Page Preview to view the result. If your report contains side-by-side memo fields, fields with the Bottom option specified will display below the longer of the two memo fields.

NOTE: This procedure applies to nonstretching fields and other objects, such as lines and text. If you have stretching fields placed below other stretching fields, you should not position them relative to bottom. Stretching fields automatically float below other stretching fields. 5. Q. I have placed boxes around several fields in my report.

One of these fields is a memo field. How do I make the box stretch to fit the memo field?

A. Double-click the box and select the Stretch With Band option under Position Relative To. Rectangles (boxes) and vertical lines can optionally stretch according to the length of the Detail band.

NOTE: You won't be able to place a stretching box around a       field if the field is not positioned relative to the top or        the bottom of the band. 6. Q. When I attempt to move a text object to a specific

location in the Report Layout window, the field keeps aligning itself with the nearest gridline. Why is this happening?

A. By default, objects are automatically aligned to the nearest invisible gridlines within the Report Layout window. This feature is called Snap To Grid. To disable this feature, choose Snap To Grid from the Report menu. 7. Q. How do I design and print multicolumn reports in FoxPro

2.5 for Macintosh?

A. From the Report menu, choose Page Layout and use the Columns spinner to select the number of columns. Clicking the up arrow increases the counter value, and clicking the down arrow decreases the counter value. The size of the Report Layout window reflects the new column width. You may need to modify existing field positions.

Hint: When you are creating a new report that will have columns, set the layout before you add any fields. 8. Q. When I enlarge the font of objects in my report and print

the report, some of the information in the fields is obscured. How can I correct this?

A. You may need to stretch the Detail lines and/or the objects themselves to accommodate the larger font. 9. Q. When I print my report, the same record repeats over and

over. What's wrong?

A. The report refers to the alias of the database open when the report was originally created, and you're now trying to run the report with a different database. The report can't advance the pointer in the original database, so it displays the same record repeatedly.

To create a report that can be used to display output from another database with the same structure, the report should not make reference to a specific alias. One method of removing the alias name from an existing report is to double-click each field and delete the alias name and period from the report expression. The alias name should also be removed from any data grouping expressions and report variables. Additional reference words: FoxMac 2.50b ivrfax fasttips KBCategory: kbprint kbprg kbfasttip kbappnote KBSubcategory:

Last Reviewed: December 12, 1996