We've just completed updating to FM 12 from FM 11. Some of our report layouts have a very tiny subsummary part, so that the client name (which is how the layout is sorted) appears next to the first project, instead of above it. This was just to make our reports fewer pages, as printing a report with every project can be a real tree-eater.

 

I believe I read something about how FM 12 handles this, but I can't find it now, and it looks like if I have a field on a layout which overlaps between two parts - it just doesn't appear at all.

 

Is there a way I can make that field appear in full without taking up so much space?

 

To summarize, I'd like the report to look like this, roughly:

 

Client A...........Project 1

.......................Project 2

Client B...........Project 1

.......................Project 2

 

Instead of:

 

Client A

.....................Project 1

.....................Project 2

Client B

.....................Project 1

.....................Project 2

 

Is this still possible? (Dots are just for spacing purposes and would not appear on the actual report layout. )

UPDATED!

 

This was a trick that we used to be able to use in FM 11. Unfortunately this technique no longer works now since objects do not render outside of the container they are a part of.  I suspect this was in preparation for WebDirect so that things would have mirrored behaviors between Client and WebBrowser.

 

You can accomplish this using a looping script to capture the ID of the first record for each break and store it in a global variable.  In FM12 you can then use conditional formatting to change the text color to 'hide' it.  In 13 you can actually hide the object completely.

The calc used to hide the data would be:

 

IsEmpty ( Filtervalues ( $$ListToSearch ; MyTable::RecordID ))

 

Now as for how you would accomplish this in your script:

 

Set Variable[$$ListToSearch;""]

SortRecords[Restore;NoDialog] (ClientID;Project)

Go To Record/Request/Page[First]

Loop

     If [ isempty($ClientID) or $ClientID ≠ MyTable::ClientID ]

          Set Variable [ $ClientID ; Value:MyTable::ClientID ]

          Set Variable [ $$ListToSearch; Value:List($$ListToSearch;MyTable::RecordID) ]

     End If

     Go to record/Request/Page [Next;Exit after last]

End Loop

Edited June 19, 201411 yr by Brian C

 a looping script (or a replace all) to mark the first record for each break.

 

As Wim would say: OY! NO! You never ever want to do such thing. This is a complete no-no in a multi-user scenario and bad practice in all scenarios. And it's completely unnecessary, since you can tell that a project is NOT the first in a group by client by looking at =

Projects::ClientID = GetNthRecord ( Projects::ClientID ; Get (RecordNumber) - 1 )

and format the field conditionally using this formula.

 

 

In FM12 you can use conditional formatting to change the text color to 'hide' it.  In 13 you can actually hide the object completely.

 

I believe in v.12 you can still set the font size to 500 - which will cause the text to be "rendered" outside the field's boundaries, i.e. disappear.

Your solutions are always so simple. Thanks Comment!

At least my 2nd shot at it did not mark records. LOL

Hiding the field based on whether it's the first of its group works well, however since the field is now part of the Body layout part, the part will expand if the field does. This results in a space between items:

 

 

The "1 pixel subsummary part" hack allowed the field to expand across multiple body elements, while keeping the body elements evenly spaced:

 

 

Is there any way to achieve this behavior post FM12, or are we going to need to redesign these reports?

 

Thanks for any input,

Nate