I'm trying to move data from several portal rows of 4 fields into a printable invoice layout.

Using the portal in the invoice layout doesn't work, because Print Sliding is too limited.

So I thought why not collect the data in one large field using tabs. But Is it possible to place a tab command in a calculation?

Collecting data from 4 fields and placing a space or a line-end twixt each is easy, but I'd really like to have the collected data on one line at specified distances apart. (I can set up the tab positions.)

I have tried typing opt+tab between quote marks in the calc field, but all I get is highlightable blocks of nothing.

If I can't do this, I'll just have to transfer the data into multiple rows of 4 fields (with print sliding). It'll just take a more complex calc to set this up.

Any thoughts gratefully received.

You can use the Char function, for a tab it would be Char ( 9 ). But I would recommend you take a look at some examples of invoice solutions here. It sounds to me like your trying to print the invoice from the header table, and it is normally printed from the line items table.

I'm trying to move data from several portal rows of 4 fields into a printable invoice layout.

Using the portal in the invoice layout doesn't work, because Print Sliding is too limited.

As Rod suggests, it is better to print from your LineItems table. You have a LineItems table, right? Printing from LineItems as Report layout will allow for unlimited numbers of items and allows grouping and sub-summaries (so you can even print several invoices at a time). It is sure easier than combining 4 fields of several items into concatenated calculation in the Invoices table. :^)

OK - yet another learning curve here then - many thanks to both for the swift advice.