Multi column printing with a header

[jeffshap]

I am trying to print a report with a header and two columns that are essentially in a "yellow pages" telephone book format. The column data is from a long list of contacts and I want to print it alphabetically something like this:

---------------------

[ Header ] Page 1

A....... | D....... |

A....... | E....... |

B....... | F....... |

B....... | F....... |

C....... | G....... |

C....... | G....... |

---------------------

---------------------

[ Header ] Page 2

G....... | J....... |

H....... | J....... |

H....... | L....... |

I....... | M....... |

I....... | M....... |

I....... | N....... |

------------------------

Each contact is in a unique record and the data in the contact record can vary in length.

I was hoping I could take all the contact data and stuff it into one field then create a layout with a header , 2 column printing and "print down first" but this didn't seem to work.

Any ideas would be appreciated.

[comment]

Where exactly do you encounter a problem? If you define your layout to print in columns, and put some merge fields on it (no need for a calculation), you should be set.

[jeffshap]

I want one header to fill the width of the entire page and under it to have to the two colums.

Header

-----------------

....1...|...2.....

....1...|...2....

....1...|...2....

....1...|...2....

....1...|...2....

instead what prints is this

Header | Header

........|........

........|........

........|........

........|........

........|........

[comment]

I don't know how what you describe is possible. The header belongs to the entire page, not to the columns. Could you perhaps attach a small demo file?

[jeffshap]

I can't attach a small file as this is a report in a larger application.

Doesn't sound like theer is a simpler way than building a variable to hold everything, calculating the line count and spliting the lines into columns accross multiple records

[comment]

I meant can you replicate the problem in a demo file? Because I sure can't, and I have no problem producing a report in the format you have described (assuming I understood your description correctly).