I'm trying to figure out how to configure a layout so that I can print a single record that may span multiple pages. One field has a vertical scroll bar in it and often the text in the field is deeper than a single page.

I've toyed with creating a new layout that displays the desired content using the merge field command, and that looks promising, but I'm stumbling a little. I really just want to enable the user to print the selected record only and have the output span as many pages as it takes. My initial attempts print all the found records, allowing them to break over multiple pages.

I don't want to omit the records that aren't being printed, because then the user will have to re-enter his search criteria for every record he wants to print.

Can anyone offer a pointer or two?

A couple of things. First, definitely use another layout to print. You don't need to change the found set to print the current record. The print dialog includes choices for "current record" and "records being browsed". These choices can be "remembered" in a script by using a "Page Setup [restore]" script step.

-bd

Script the print process. Make it something like this:

Freeze Window

Go to Layout [the print layout]

Print []

Go to Layout [original layout]

Or if you want the users to see the page as it will print, make the script thus:

Freeze Window

Go to Layout [the print layout]

Enter Preview Mode [pause]

Print []

Freeze Window

Enter Browse Mode []

Go to Layout [original layout]

The "pause" on the Enter Preview Mode step is optional, play around and see which interface you like.

Filemaker had (maybe still has) a problem when one field spanned more than one page. The page didn't always break between lines, causing a partial text line slice at the bottom of the page and another at the top of the next page. FMI came out with a secret option in version 3 or 4 where you held down the option key when you called up the Layout Setup dialog. It then gave you an additional checkbox option that fixed this. In version 5 they took this out claiming that they had fixed the problem. Not according to my testing they didn't. Maybe they have now with version 6. If not, there is still a way around it. I posted a detailed article on this way back.....here:

http://www.fmforums.com/threads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=UBB8&Number=1518&page=1&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=all&fpart=1