Understanding report formats

[jtwilber]

I am working on getting my first db to output invoices, Orders etc all with portal lines. I'm use Filemaker solution framework sample invoices to get an idea of how to setup layouts. I notice that all these sample reports have colored rectangles with text reading "Header 118px""Body 28px""footer 29px".

What is the "px" notation?

Why don't they print on report?

Are they only for helping to show the parts?

Also I don't see portals used to show line items like I would use on the regular invoice layout for the screen?

As a newbie I'm having a hard time finding good basics on report writing and the script work needed to run them. I'm using Schwartz Bible and it has less than 10 pages devoted to this topic.

[danjacoby]

px = pixels

Don't print portals -- print from the line items file using subsummary parts (now you have to look up "subsummary").

[jtwilber]

Thank you... these days I have to look up everyting. But what are those color blocks for and why notate pixels. Are they controling the printout in any way?

JW

[danjacoby]

Forget the "samples".

I've never used any of the templates, samples or examples; I prefer to create my own layouts from scratch to suit my needs & aesthetics, and not be locked in by something created by someone who has no idea what I'm doing.

The "Header" part prints at the top of every page.

The "Body" part contains the line item.

The "Footer" part prints at the bottom of every page.

The "px" number represents the suggested height of each part, figuring at 72 pixels/inch.

The problem with colored parts in printing is that they use up a lot of ink.

***********************

For printing a layout that contains a portal:

You'll want to utilize two scripts. One is in the "LineItems" file, and gives orders to go to the print layout and print. The other is in the file with the portal, and starts with a "GoToRelatedRecord[showOnlyRelated]" step, then runs the subscript from the LineItems file.

Clear as mud? Good! You're about to figure out in days the kind of stuff that took most of the rest of us weeks, or even months, to understand.

Don't fret; you'll get it.