blank space

[EHL]

Can I print a student contact sheet with no blank vertical space? This occurs when no data is entered. Example:

Mr. Joe Smith

000 Apple Lane

Los Angeles, CA 12345

I have a merge field there in case he has a partner. I also follow this with information on a second family in case the student has more than one family. If there is no second family I get 4 blank spaces before the next entry starts.

[Lee Smith]

Are you using the Slide option in Layout >> Set Sliding / Printing?

Lee

[EHL]

I think I have myself under control here. Thanks for the website help.

I have tried sliding/shrinking in every combination and it doesn't respond. I think that just works on fields which flow to more than one line...not when you hit the return button.

[Lee Smith]

I remove my earlier post, as something wasn't adding up.

I think I know what you are doing wrong, can you post a copy of your file, it might be helpful.

Lee

Edited October 26, 2007 by Guest

[EHL]

This won't let me attach the file and I made a pdf and it doesn't come up as a selection. I can't seem to locate how to change the type of file it is in fmp.

[EHL]

file attached. I think I did it with pdf.

October_24_copy_copy.pdf

[Lee Smith]

Sorry if I wasn't clear.

I meant a copy of the actual file, but if that is a problem, than screen shot of Layout, in Layout Mode, will show the actual structure of the layout, which is what I'm looking for.

Lee

Edited October 27, 2007 by Guest

[EHL]

This is the message I get when I try to attach the file. FMP gives me the choice to save as pdf or excel and neither seem right for you to work with my file. How do people attach FMP files?

There was a problem loading this page:

Invalid file extension. You may only upload files with the following extension:

zip,txt,pdf,bmp,gif,jpg,png,sit,mov

Use your browsers Back Button to return to the previous page.

[Lee Smith]

Select the file, in your Finder level, using the mouse Right button. In the list of options give, one says something like [color:blue]Create an Archive of "yourfilename"

Be sure and save your Archive file where you can find it.

Next, create or Edit your Reply here, Towards the bottom of the Edit / Reply Window, there is a

File Attachments: and [color:orange]Manage files

click the Manage files button.

You will get a dialog box. Select "[color:blue]Choose File"

the choose "[color:blue]Add File"

and then "[color:blue]Finish"

and then [color:blue]Add Post

This is also explained in the Help Section above.

Lee

Edited October 27, 2007 by Guest

[EHL]

Thank you for explaining that! Here's the file. I don't want the parents on the same line because I want them to line up with their own cell phones and emails.

October_24_Copy_Copy.fp7.zip

[Lee Smith]

The file help a lot. Now lets see if I can explain what is happening.

The sliding is based on all of the lines that you have for the merged fields. In other words, if one of the lines doesn't have any data, instead of the text box srinking, it is centering the remainder of the lines. I have adjusted your layout to show what I think is the best you can do with the Merge fields.

The object line wasnt' formatted to slide. Some of the formatting was set to all of the above, and some was set to only above., etc.

anyway, I modified your layout, and created to more. One using merge fields, and one regular.

HTH

Lee

[color:red]p.s.

I didn't take a lot of time lining things up, but you should get the idea about my points.

October_24modLee.fp7.zip

Edited October 27, 2007 by Guest
p.s.

[EHL]

Hi Lee,

Thanks for the layouts. It seems to to use just as much space. I'm going to read up on relationships or using two layouts together if there is such a thing. Then, I give up. I'll just have to live with the gaps.

Thank you,

Gwen

[LaRetta]

Hi Gwen,

The problem of course, is that you are holding the data from 5-6 people within one table when they should be 5-6 records instead. You will continue to run into problems displaying or working with the data if structured this way. I can suggest having each 'person' as a record and then specifying their relationship in a field called PersonType, ie, sibling, parent, daughter etc.

Reports would then be easily generated from this related (members) table and there would be no lineup issues with their numbers (which should be another related table).

LaRetta

[comment]

I believe the problem is caused by spaces, returns and tabs in the text object containing your merged fields. These do not disappear when the surrounding merged fields are empty, and the paragraphs that contain them are preserved.

You could use regular fields instead of merged, with sliding left - but since you want another "column" aligned right, I think your best bet is to use a calculation field to concatenate all the required fields.

EDIT:

LaRetta posted ahead of me. She's right, of course - but that's not related to the printing problem.

Edited October 28, 2007 by Guest

[Lee Smith]

I already said that