File Name: MultiPage Letters

File Submitter: Ocean West

File Submitted: 21 Apr 2013

File Category: Samples

FM Version: 13

 

 

 

 

Concept uses a large text block for data entry, the script will parse for paragraph returns and then uses the Virtual List technique to print the multi page letter.

Also will allow for a scanned image of a signature to be appended and will slide up to the bottom of the body copy.

 

Also allows for manually inserting a page break by using <break> in body of text.

 

 

 

Click here to download this file

Edited May 11, 201510 yr by Ocean West

Thank for the sample file. It solves the problem of printing large text fields over page breaks.  

 

How does it do that?

Power of the Virtual List!

 

All boils down to a utility table we call virtual list it has a number field that starts at 1 and we add as many records that are contained in

a global field or global variable by using ValueCount ( $$variable ) 

 

Then using GetValue ( $$variable ; virtualList::number ) we are able to get one paragraph at a time. 

 

I just did a test (not a typical use case ) but i put the entire text of Moby Dick into the letter field and it took a bit of time but will produce 299 pages and the text shouldn't be cut off but flow to the next page.  Because the text field on the layout is sized to accommodate the largest anticipated paragraph, then with object sliding turned on and by turning on reduce enclosing part. Things just slide up - including container fields.

 

(note all fields should be set to not have a border and be top aligned.)

Hi, Stephen:

 

Do you think that this could be used to provide counts of unique occurrences of a value, instead of the 3 methods described by FileMaker KB Answer ID 3423: 

 

Counting the Number of Unique Values in a Field How do I count the number of unique values in a field?

 

http://help.filemaker.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/3423/~/counting-the-number-of-unique-values-in-a-field

Hi, Stephan!

 

Thanks for this file!  I'm am trying it out and having a problem with the text not word-wrapping correctly. It just chops in the weirdest places. I am also trying to blend in a merge-letter feature from Ray Cologon, so that may be a part of the issue. Still looking into that, but wondered if you had heard of this problem from anyone else?

 

Thanks!

 

Pat

Just the ticket - thank you.

Nice work, Stephen !

Especially the Page Break option. ( Isn't better inserting "¶<break>¶" so it could be inserted wherever the user wishes ? )

P.S.: There are some little typos in the README script: qotes, virutal

Thanks  

 

Just updated it.