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).
| INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THIS DOCUMENT AND ANY SOFTWARE THAT MAY | | ACCOMPANY THIS DOCUMENT (collectively referred to as an Application| | Note) IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER | | EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE IMPLIED | | WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND/OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR | | PURPOSE. The user assumes the entire risk as to the accuracy and | | the use of this Application Note. This Application Note may be | | copied and distributed subject to the following conditions: 1) All | | text must be copied without modification and all pages must be | | included; 2) If software is included, all files on the disk(s) must| | be copied without modification (the MS-DOS(R) utility diskcopy is | | appropriate for this purpose); 3) All components of this | | Application Note must be distributed together; and 4) This | | Application Note may not be distributed for profit. | | | | Copyright (C) 1993 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved. | | Microsoft, FoxPro, and MS-DOS are registered trademarks and Windows| | is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation. | | Macintosh is a registered trademark and Finder is a trademark of | | Apple Computer, Inc. |
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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
