Printing forms correctly

[bdhughes]

Aloha.

As stated, I have no skills with FMPro. We setup a really lame, flat-file form just for data entry to track boxes that are then sent to a storage company.

It has Client Name, Box Number, Date and then a description of contents. The problem is that the last column, left to right is the dexcription of details, which may have 5 or 6 lines of information in there.

The problem is that when we print this form, each row seems to be single spaced based on the first column which is the client id, instead of waiting until the last row, where there might be 5 or 6 lines of info.

So, if there are several lines in the last column, and the next row is only one space below the row above, all the data gets over written by the next row in the last column.

I can't figure out what to do to make this right, but I would have thought that the next row would be placed AFTER the last line in the last column.

Thank you in advance.

Brian

[Vaughan]

The way FMP prints forms is this: it only prints inside the space you allow for it on the layout. That is, it does not automatically make the field areas bigger to accommodate text.

FMP can, however, make fields areas *smaller* so the trick is that you make a "printing"layout with field objects big enough to fit the largest amount of text you expect in each field. Then format the fields with the "sliding/printing" option to reduce the size of the field and the size of the part. To make the solution easy to use, create a "Print" script that changes to the print layout, performs the print, then returns to the original layout. Make a button on the data entry layout for people to click on and it'll be a winner.

Before you make any changes, back up your database.

[bdhughes]

Thanks for your great and quick response.

I am heading to the site today to try and resolve this using your suggestions.

Aloha from Hawaii!

Brian