Printing Multiple Layouts

[RHSM]

I am collecting related records from multiple tables and defining different layouts which I would like to print as one continuous report. The layouts are quite complex and using portals doesn't give the flexibility I need.

Does anyone know how to disable the form feed that happens on each print step and currently produces one page for each layout. Alternatively, is there another approach?

I am sure that this is a common problem but I have searched everywhere for an answer without success. Thanks

[ptr88l]

I am unclear as to what you mean by 'form feed as at present'. would it be possible to clarify ? Do you intend printing say one record from table A then related record from table B and loop thru a found set?

[RHSM]

Thanks, but "form feed" is code to the printer to eject a page. What I want to do is print a report using layout 1 and follow immediately with layout 2 and then layout 3 etc to produce one report. I hope this makes sense.

..best Richard

[Genx]

... so whats the problem? Just do a script

Go to related records show using layout 1...

print

go to layout 2

print

go to layout 3

print

...etc.

The records on layout 2 and 3... assuming they are connected to the same table as layout 1 will still be only the valid related records...

if this isnt wat you wanted... try make yourself a bit clearer otherwise its just guess work on our part...

Genx

[RHSM]

Thanks for your help but it still doesn't solve the problem. To clarify: I have a Contact Management application and I want to produce a single consolidated report pulling together everthing we know about a customer from multiple tables e.g. customers, contacts, addresses etc.

I have tried your script as follows:

Go to related records show using layout 1...

print

go to layout 2

print

go to layout 3

print

Each of the reports print OK and show the correct data but in your example above I have three pieces of paper. What I am trying to do is to produce all three reports on one peice of paper (assuming the data fits on one page of course). So I somehow need to stop the printer ejecting a page once a report is finished or find another way of achieving the same result.

I hope this now makes sense and it would be great if you could suggest an answer.

[Genx]

oh right i get what your saying... no clue in that case though sorry ..

[RHSM]

Thanks anyway. Does anybody else have any bright ideas?

[SteveB]

Each layout begins a new page, and there is no way to stop that from happening. And what would you want the system to do when everything doesn't fit on 1 page???

With some work, you could put information from multiple tables on the same layout using related fields, and formatting multiple fields into one global. Generally, this is not a good idea.

Steve

[RHSM]

My original work-around was to have three sub reports making one complete report

Part 1 - header only and a body - no footer

Part 2 - body no footer

Part 3 - body with footer to eject page

So start with a header, then as many body parts as I need, and finally a footer to finish it all off. I wonder if it could be achieved by send the parts to a file?

Thanks for your thoughts anyway.

What I need is a mechanism to halt the print, or amke it wait in some way.