FMP 11 Page Break problem

[newtothegame]

I'm creating a report layout in a staff roster file which is often updated, necessitating the deletion and import of records from another FMP database. The layout contains fields: staff member name; day of week; date, (the layout is grouped by staff member name and date); concatenated start and finish time field; client name, (these last two fields are in the body of the layout).

I need a page break inserted with each change to the staff member name only. When I first create this report, the page break works fine, separate page in each preview. However, as soon as I make changes to the records, including deleting and importing, the page break ceases to function, despite the part still showing up in the layout and part setup. The page break never functions again unless I create a whole new layout and then it only works until the first change in record entry and not again after that.

I have recreated the report several times and with several variations, including grouping by just the staff member name and not the date as well. The same situation still exists no matter what I try. Given that the page break works on creation and first use of the layout but subsequently and irreversibly stops working, the only conclusion I can come to is that the issue is a bug in the FM program itself. Am I correct in my assumption or is there something I’m missing or doing wrong?

Edited November 29, 2010 by Guest

[bcooney]

There is something missing in what you're doing. My guess is that you're not sorting by the subsummary break field.

[newtothegame]

I wish it were that simple, bcooney. Unfortunately I HAVE both grouped the Staff Member Name so that it appears in the sub-summary and sorted it by the Staff Member Name field.

What makes me suspicious that it's a bug is that the page break works perfectly when I first create the layout, showing the data in the layout exactly as I intend it to. As soon as I do nothing more than exit the file and reenter it, or even just delete records and reimport them while still in the file, the page break permanently ceases to function within that layout, (even though the part still shows in the layout setup and the sub-summary by Staff Member Name in the part setup still shows the page break as once for each occurrence as it should).

Given the fact that it works, then it doesn't, if it's not a bug, it's at best very inconsistent performance.

[bcooney]

Or..being "newtothegame" you've missed something.

btw, exiting an re-entering requires you to resort.

Can you post the file?

[newtothegame]

Yes I freely admit that I'm "newtothegame" and I might have missed something but it has to be pretty obscure if I have.

Thanks for the resort suggestion, bclooney, but I already had that included in the script that auto deletes and re-imports the records. I had a feeling that might have been required, so I included it.

Unfortunately, it doesn't solve the problem and sorry, I can't post the file to a public forum.

Yet again I ask: Why does something work perfectly and then just stop working for no apparent reason?

[newtothegame]

OK well it WAS me messing up. One of the fields I inputted into the sort spec was wrong (similar name to the correct field but the wrong one). :

Good news is the problem is solved. It still may have been worth bringing the thread up because a very good point has been made to let people know to perform the relevant sort every time they delete and reimport records for the page breaks to work properly.

Edited November 29, 2010 by Guest