Bizarre font size behavior

[Wickerman]

Okay, this one is a baffler. I have a simple sub-summary layout set up and on one part I have places a text string that includes a couple of merge fields and some intervening text. I've created the string in Layout by starting from scratch, Inserting a merge fields, typing some characters, inserting another merge field and finishing with a little more text. Everything's in Helvetica 12 point. THis displays fine. Ok.

BUT . . . if I select the *entire* text block with the arrow tool and increase the font size to 18, I find the first merge field stays small while everything after it is properly enlarged! How can this be? EHY would this be? This is maddening! See my attached screen shots of the text block in both Layout and Browse modes.

I've entered my cursor in the text string in layout and used the arrow key to step all the way through the field, with my eye on the Inspector Font section -- it's all identical.

What the heck?

[Wickerman]

Better yet -- look what's happening when I increase the font size of just the first merge field dramatically - - - the *rest* of the text gets enlarged.

. . . but only sometimes!

[Vaughan]

FMP might think the text is a field label and over-ride the formatting. Change the text to something else -- type an "a" in the middle to make it different form the field name and see what happens.

[Wickerman]

Vaughn -- okay, if I stick a random character in the midst of the Merge Field, then sure enough, the whole string displays in the proper font size. But then of course I have garbage on the screen and not data . . . .

I'm not really understanding what you're saying -- what do you mean by "Field Label"? I think of a Field Label as just a bit of text I put above a field on a layout to say what the field is. But it's just a text string? Could you clarify how I can address the problem? Are you saying I can't use a merge field along with simple text in the same text object and expect them to share the formatting?

[Vaughan]

OK I misunderstood the original problem.

Both the label and the value are in fields, and there is a merge code for each.

I'd say that the data that is displayed by the first merge field -- Collections::Name -- has retained character formatting, and this is over-riding the layout formatting.

TextFormatRemove() can be used to strip the formatting.