Printing text inside objects, only certain fields

[TaiChi56]

I am a newbie learning this system. I really enjoy Filemaker Pro. I have developed an interface for a database I will use at school. Right now I am trying to teach myself how to print just what I want.

I have went to sliding/printing to keep the objects from printing. I just want the text to print. When I printed the layout it did not print any text that was in the boxes, it did not print the box either (I wanted that to happen), but I need the text inside the box. It did print my check boxes with the check mark in it.

1. How do I get just the text to print without the object box printing with it?

2. Also, how can I get just the checkboxes that are checked to print with the layout and not the ones that are not checked?

Thank you for all of you out there that have the patience for newbies.

[ESpringer]

TaiChi56,

The "do not print" option in sliding/printing should be used only if you don't want the item to print at all.

So, if you don't want the field's border to print, the easiest thing to do is to remove the border from the field. (In Layout Mode, use Format menu: Field Borders to change whether field has a border, what color border if so, etc.)

If you don't want the outline to print, but DO want to SEE the outline on screen (besides the dotted outline that will show up around fields once you start entering data anyway), then you have a few workarounds. For example, you can "stack" two copies of the field, one exactly on top of the other. Make ONE of them have a border and NOT print; make the other NOT have a border, but let it print. (In simple cases, you could also just "draw" a box around the field with a layout tool, but that might lead to trouble later if you set items to "shrink" to avoid extra space in a field.)

(Also, if you're concerned to see where the field-edges are, you can draw one huge slightly-tinted box behind the body of your record, and send it to the back of the layout, make it non-printing and "lock it" in place (under "arrange"). Now, it shows up to contrast against your fields when you're browsing records, but doesn't print.)

Now, the checkboxes question is more difficult. The empty box will always print (without the X in it) UNLESS the item is marked non-printing altogether, which you don't want.

However, there are workarounds here, too. You could make the check-box non-printing, and use a separate CALCULATION field which would yield the value 1 if the check-box is checked. Then, you can put this calculation field right where the relevant check-box is. Now, the thing about numeric calculation results is that you can use the "Format Number" command to make a 1 show up as any text (including dingbats from funny fonts) up to 7 characters long. So, if you have a "symbols" font or something like that, you can browse through it (MS Word is good for that, if nothing else ) and choose a good-looking checkmark. Now, have non-zero values show up as [x] (or whatever your dingbat is) and zero values show NOTHING (just delete the "no" that's in there by default).

A more complicated fun solution involves creating your own graphic of a check mark, or a thums-up, or whatever, to show up whenever a certain value is present.

Let me send this for now -- since I should be grading -- and feel free to follow up with questions about setting up the calculation to show whether or not a certain check-box is checked...

[TaiChi56]

Thank you. I will work with this and see how it comes out. I will have more questions. I am going to experiment and see how far I can get. It is hard to find books here in town about Filemaker. Our Barnes and Nobles only has one book on the shelf. What would be a good book for me to order? What do you recommend. Thank you.

[TaiChi56]

Ok, I have the text printing out now. But I still get the outline of my embossed box. I went in and removed field border (so I think). I did what you suggested and made two identical boxes and made one with borders and not print and the other without borders and print. It prints the text but leaves the box. What am I doing wrong?

One other question. I orginally started this db in Filemaker Pro 5, I now have 6. How do I convert the file to 6. Do I just add the extension .fp6. Because when I save in 6 I still get the .fp5 extension. Thank you for all of your help.

[kenneth2k1]

Hi:

FM6 still uses the .fp5 extension.

[TaiChi56]

Thank you.

[ESpringer]

Ah, it's the embossing that's getting you in trouble. Just go into layout mode and remove that using the third of the three option-pop-up boxes for determining the fill style of a box. Choose "none".