Need Sliding in Title Header!

[Pamela Zed]

I just read that title headers cannot be reduced in size. Does anyone have a suggestion on how to save space on an invoice where I need optional comments above the line items area (above the subsummary)?

Right now I have address and contact info, two optional remarks fields, and then column labels (like Qty, Item, Price) in the Title header (all of which I tried to set as sliding up and reducing the size of the enclosing part). I get all this unwanted space when the comments are empty. Any suggestions?

I just can't think of a way to make this document look the way the client wants it without that sliding and reducing capability.

pz

Edited August 1, 2007 by Guest

[comment]

Have you tried using a leading sub-summary (by Invoice) instead?

[bcooney]

Your line items are in a subsummary part?

Usually, an invoice is printed from a layout that is based on the Line Items table. It has a

-Title Header (optional),

-header (all the fields from LineItem::Invoice)

-body (the line items)

-trailing grand summary (for the subtotal, tax, shipping, grand total)

- footer

-Title Footer (optional)

So, if you put a subsummary before the body part, with the text fields for your comments and the line item column titles, set the fields to slide with reducing the part, and you're set.

[comment]

I wonder why use a header and a trailing grand summary, instead of leading and trailing sub-summary parts (with a new page for every occurrence of the leading sub-summary). A header is going to print on every page - what if the invoice runs two or more pages? With sub-summaries, you can use the same layout to print any number of invoices, and each invoice can have any number of pages.

[bcooney]

sounds good. anyway, do you put line items in a sub-summary, as the OP seems to?

[comment]

Normally I would say no, but you could - for example, if you allow the creation of multiple line items of the same product. Since this would be a sub-summary by another field, and further down in the sort order, it wouldn't interfere with the above structure.

[bcooney]

Ok. I could see that. However, that would be unusual--wouldn't Qty handle that?

I've been thinking about your previous question as to why I use a header and trailing grand summary (tgs). Here's why:

I use a Title Header, in which I put all the customer, invoice id and date, terms, etc. info.

Then I have a Header, that has the line item column titles and some of the info from the Title Header, but formatted smaller and usually top right.

I then have my TGS with the totals.

The Footer has the page # of # info.

I like to have the column titles on the second page if the line items force a next page. Your method of subsummaries only, doesn't give me column titles on the second page.

If I want to batch print several invoices, I do so from Invoices with a looping script. But, I haven't often needed this functionality.

I was hoping FM9 would have the ability to repeat a subsummary if the next part (body) breaks the page. Oh well.

[comment]

That is another valid approach. I think the choice depends on how often you need to print multiple invoices.

wouldn't Qty handle that?

It would have to be the user to handle the quantity. Now, if you think of a POS check-out counter: customer bought 2 items of X, then 3 items of y, 6 items of z, etc. and at the end she has 3 more items of x again.

[bcooney]

OK. Thank you for the POS scenario. Now I see why'd line items might be in a sub-summary by invoiceID. Wonder what happened to the OP, lol.