I need to create a calculation field that contains a TAB character. The calculation field takes text data from three fields and concastenates it.

The need is to be able to drag and drop the calculation field contents into Excel and have the contents placed into adjoining row cells. Exporting the three fields creates a file with TAB characters but I do not want to solve the problem this way.

Can anyone advise me as to the correct text string that creates a TAB character?

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Originally posted by John Browning:

I need to create a calculation field that contains a TAB character. The calculation field takes text data from three fields and concastenates it.

The need is to be able to drag and drop the calculation field contents into Excel and have the contents placed into adjoining row cells. Exporting the three fields creates a file with TAB characters but I do not want to solve the problem this way.

Can anyone advise me as to the correct text string that creates a TAB character?

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In Layout mode, select the text tool and click, then type a tab character. Select all, which copies the invisible tab character to the clipboard, and go to define fields, open the calc field you are going to export and paste the tab character in the correct place in your text string or concatenation. I works like a charm, but the disadvantage is that if you forget that the tab character is there you will probably mistake it for a single space later.

By the way, if the tab character is to be inserted between two field names in you calculation, be sure to enclose it between quote marks.

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Originally posted by Moon Mullins:

In Layout mode, select the text tool and click, then type a tab character. Select all, which copies the invisible tab character to the clipboard, and go to define fields, open the calc field you are going to export and paste the tab character in the correct place in your text string or concatenation. I works like a charm, but the disadvantage is that if you forget that the tab character is there you will probably mistake it for a single space later.

By the way, if the tab character is to be inserted between two field names in you calculation, be sure to enclose it between quote marks.

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A way around both of these problems is to create a calculated field called Tab and make it equal to the tab character. This way you can simply insert this field into your text and you will be able to see that it is a tab.

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Originally posted by CaptKurt:

A way around both of these problems is to create a calculated field called Tab and make it equal to the tab character. This way you can simply insert this field into your text and you will be able to see that it is a tab.

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Capt Kurt,

Great technique. Why didn't I think of that?

Moon

quote:

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Originally posted by CaptKurt:

A way around both of these problems is to create a calculated field called Tab and make it equal to the tab character. This way you can simply insert this field into your text and you will be able to see that it is a tab.

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Thanks guys for the resolution of the problem. I also had a problem with inserting manual line breaks into exported FMP documents. I tried this approach and it worked a treat as well.

Cheers,

JOHN