NEED QUICK HELP PLEASE! - strange page number prob

[yafreax]

I have a database with about 12,000 records right now. The print layout will be like a label layout, it will be 6 labels per page. My problem is this. I need a page number in the corner of the page but it needs to reset every 125 pages. Basically, we are going to print these labels and split them up every 125 pages, and the easiest way to do this is number 1 - 125, then restart the numbering 1- 125, restart, etc... this way when they are splitting it up they can just leaf through the pages and watch the number, when it gets close to 125, they slow down and can split it up real easily.

The solution i can think of (and am about to work on) is either a calculation field or a script that will sequientially number every 6 records... Rec 1 "Page number" field would have "1", Rec 7 would have "2", Rec 13 would have "3", and so on... records 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 , 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, etc... would be blank...

Get the picture?

Any ideas.

Thanks. you guys are geniuses and i'm just a tiny little ant with a tiny little ant brain.

Jeremy

[jasonwood]

Here's what I came up with...

The page number field is an unstored calculation:

= Status(CurrentPageNumber) - (Truncate( Status(CurrentPageNumber) / 125, 0) * 125)

eg: if the current page number is 145 (you want 20)...

= 145 - (Truncate(145/125, 0) * 125)

= 145 - (1 * 125)

= 20

eg: if the current page number is 380 (you want 5)...

= 380 - (Truncate(380/125, 0) * 125)

= 380 - (3 * 125)

= 5

... seems to work on paper.

[yafreax]

i owe you a coke or dr. pepper... or red bull...

anyway, only problem is that every 125th page returns a 0, not 125, so i add a second field that is: If(C_PageNumber = 0, 125, C_PageNumber)... unstored calculation and it works fine...

thanks for the help, it was just in time.

Jeremy

[yafreax]

i owe you a coke or dr. pepper... or red bull...

Uh oh... i have to take that back for a moment. Seeing that it's morning and all, i forgot about this line in my first post:

records 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 , 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, etc... would be blank...

The reason that is important is that i'm using a label layout... 2 columns, 3 rows, Each label is 5w x 2.5t. No gutter in the middle, left, right, top and bottom margins of .5''... Meaning i can't put the page number field on every record because it needs to print in the margin and not on the label...

so. 1.) can i even print in the margin on a label layout?

2.) can i make those interior numbers blank?

3.) if i make the labels larger (to make part of the margin areas printable) that would logically throw the second column off

i'll keep fighting with it. Let me know any thoughts... Greatly appreciated.

jeremy

[jasonwood]

You could embed your little "if" in the original calculation if you like...

= If (Status(CurrentPageNumber) - (Truncate( Status(CurrentPageNumber) / 125, 0) * 125) = 0, 125, Status(CurrentPageNumber) - (Truncate( Status(CurrentPageNumber) / 125, 0) * 125))

I don't really understand the problem about some records being blank

I must be misreading something... If you can rephrase I might be able to help...

[jasonwood]

Oh now I understand. I was confusing records with pages!

Can't you just put the page number in a header?

Right now you have your top margin fixed to .5" because that's where the label starts right?

Well if your printer is capable of printing closer to the edge, decrease the margin by a quarter inch, then make a quarter inch header to put the page number in.

Does that help?

[BobWeaver]

Simplest formula is:

Mod(Status(CurrentPageNumber),125)+1

[jasonwood]

Mod(Status(CurrentPageNumber),125)+1

lol... yup that's a little simpler

[LiveOak]

Doesn't this make page number 1 a 2? Page Number 2 a 3? And Page Number 125 a 1?

How about:

Mod(Status(CurrentPageNumber) - 1, 125) + 1

-bd

[BobWeaver]

Well, if you're going to be picky...

Um yes, a slight slip up.

Thanks Brent!

[LiveOak]

Picky? Me picky...now were did I put that nit?

-bd

[spb]

If you are using one of the pre-defined label settings in your original label layout definition (the six-up shipping label is Avery 5164, I think), then FM will create a small header part. Place your page number field here. there should be barely enough room to get your printer to print it.

I caution you against making your own header for this purpose. I've spent a lot of time wrestling with label layoujts. The relative sizes of header to body are crucial, and not intuitively obvious. Mess up by a single pixel, and your labels can start drifting, that is, each one printing slightly higher or lower than the one before.

Steve Brown