Hello Spencer..

This information is from my notes:  GENERIC INSTRUCTIONS TO STOP REPEATING COLUMN VALUE
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Make a Group Header with the following elements:
Value Box bound to FirstColumn (Column value, once only at head of group)
Static Text Label for each of the remaining columns.

In the Group Body have the following elements:
Space  (Takes the place of the non-repeating, invisible column)
Value boxes for each of the remaining column elements
Value box bound to FirstColumn desired  Make this box invisible.  Set group to break on this element, value-0

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In your example, your report would look something like this:

Group Header:
Value Box bound to Table Number
Static Text boxes for Seat Number, LastName, FirstName.

Group Body:
Space
Value boxes for Seat Number, LastName, FirstName. Table Number
Make Table Number invisible, and set Group to break on Table Number for value=0
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Quote:
Add a Value element, unbound.  Name it FullName or somethining like that.
Go to Programming for the report and write the Concatenate program in there for that new element FullName.  Just like doing the programming for a form. 

You need to include the concatenated elements (Last, First, Maiden, etc.) on the report to be used in the programming, but just make them invisible like Derived Columns in Q&A.

Re the SPACE, have you added a SPACE element as the first element in the Group Body?  That will be taking up the space used by the Group Header value for the Table Number.

Hi Bob -

Thanks for all the help.  I HAVE to do this because it is essential to my application; why YOU are sticking with it is beyond me.  lol

Seriously, I can't believe that a simple report could be so much struggle ... but at least I am getting there and, hopefully, this will give me a better foundation for working on future report needs.

Before I forget thanks, especially, for pointing out about the element names vs labels.  I was surprised when I originally had problems with concatenation because that is fairly basic for me.  I had, however, overlooked the names assigned to the elements and that was causing me a problem.

As far as space between columns go, I am forming the conclusion that I just can't do it. Apparently the HTML formatting wants to "squeeze" as much as it can.

The heading Seat #, for example appears as

Seat
#

I assume this is being done, since the highest number is only two digits and it is trying to converve space in the column.

I guess I just have to live with this and it isn't the worst thing in the world.  

There are two last things that are important to me, though, and unfortunately, I'm not overly optimistic.

First - I would like a space between the seat of one table and the seat of the next table. What I'm getting is:

                10
Table# 2     1

What I want is:

.................10   _{*I only used the dots to properly position the '10'}}

Table #2     1

The other very important thing (and since I keep hearing that HTML doesn't recognize pages per se - I'm sweating this one) is that I don't want the tables to be split between pages. 

I'm getting, for example,  the headings and seats 1 through 8 on one page and then the next page has no headings and just seats 9 and 10.  It is important that the tables be kept together as a "whole."   (In other words, I should have 3 complete tables on the first page ... and the fourth table should start on the next page).  Any hope?

Quote:
This should be the easiest!  Where you add StaticText and ValueBox, there are other elements to choose from.  One of them is SPACE.  After selected, it should up as a Grey colored element, named LEn with internal label saying "Space"

Each of the SPACE elements in the Group Body will take up the same width as the Label in the Group Header.  If you have multiple groups (see below), Spaces in each Group will follow the width of the columns in those Group Headers.
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The spacing between pages will be more difficult, but in this report it sounds like you know how many lines you will have, for example, ten lines per table, so you could fit 5 tables on one page.  You can insert another element in the Group Body, a "NewLine".  You can add multiple NewLines to show up between each table to help spread the distance and help to force a Page Break where you need it. 

And this area also has a PageBreak element that you can add to force a Page Break between Groups.  Right click on the Group Header to open the Report Section Properties window.  This area is where you define how you want the variious breaks to be handled.

To help us here, maybe upload a screen shot of your report layout with the Report Section Properties showing to the left side 

Hi folks -

Sorry that I haven't been responding; however, I have had to contend with a broken shut-off valve that dumped water into 3 of my rooms - office included. In any event, now that I'm a little poorer, that's under control.

Thanks Ray for telling me about the column widths; that took care of spacing between columns - since I couldn't get the "spacers" to do me much good.  The heading "Seat #" now appears on one line (instead of two) the way I wanted it.

Once again, the single and biggest problem remaining is the breaking of groups.  I wasn't aware of "new line" Bob and I haven't tried it.  I am going to assume that it works; however, it would not be a viable solution for my problem, since the # of seats per table fluctuates daily.  

The seat numbers are generated by the records in my database.  When first starting to record reservations there may be only 1, 2 or 3 seats at the table. Ultimately, I strive for 10 per table; however, I may have to go up to 11 or 12. So, having to manipulate the number of lines I add and where I add them - each and every time I run the report - and possibly for as many as 25 table - just isn't the solution I need.

I guess I am just going to have to wait for the new report writer/generator (or whatever new report function they are working on) to be put into place.  I just hope that it's in sufficient time prior to my next reunion for the report to be useful to me.

Once again, folks, thanks for all the help.  Knowing about these additional "tools" will, at least, give me a little more flexibility in designing future reports, until the "real thing" comes along.  lol

One last question, though.  I've used the "line" element in the report header section (next to whatever element I put there - usually a static one) and it works just fine.  The line appears on the report UNDER the Report header.

But when I do the same thing in the group header section, a very short line appears to the right of the group header (instead of underneath it).  Any suggestions as to what I might be doing wrong?

If you still want to "see" the report and or layout, Bob, I'll be happy to make it accessible here.

Quote:


The Group Header is in a table, so the line that you are adding gets it's own column in the table. What you need to do is add another group header so that the line elements line up under the static text in the first group header.

In your report click where it says "Group Header 1". In the Group Management combo box choose "Add New Group After This One". Click Perform Selected Action. Click Ok.

You will now have a second group header. In this header you will want to add line elements next to the static text headers you want to have a line under. If you do not want a line under a title put a spacer element next to it.

For Example if you have the headers.

Table #
Seat #
Last Name
First Name

and you want a line under Table # and Seat # but not under Last Name or First Name. The order of elements in your second group header would go
Line
Line
Spacer
Spacer

-Ray

OK Spencer, just squeezed out some time for you....

I am using @text() with HTML code because that is what the report is written in.  The code for a new line in HTML is "<br>".  So I am inserting some number (vMoreLines) of new lines at the end of each group.  The idea is find the number of lines needed to fill a page and divide them evenly between the groups on the page

1.  Add a  Value Box to your Group Footer for the first Group that breaks (Tables?), LE name is "MoreLines"

2.  Add the following programming to your report:

var vMoreLines as Int

vMoreLines = @ToNumber(@PromptForUserInput("How many extra spacer lines?",""))

MoreLInes = @text(vMoreLines,"<br>") 

The Prompt is only there for you to see the results.  And can maybe actually use this until you have a final working solutions.  Normally vMoreLines will be calculated based on my earlier suggestion about counting records and doing a calculation.  I may be able to get to that section later, but not right now.

Again, my thoughts on calculations:

1.  Assume page lines = 66

2.  Count lines used:
Assume Table1 = 12 lines, total lines = 12
Assume Table2 = 10 lines, total lines = 22
Assume Table3 = 18 lines, total lines = 40
Assume Table4 = 11 lines, total lines = 51
Assume Table5 = 18 lines, total lines = 69

3.  Stop counting lines since over 66.

4  So we want a page break after Table 4
Total lines to fill = Page Lines - Used lines
Total lines to fill = 66 - 51 = 15

5.  Divide lines equally between groups:
Total lines to fill per group = Total lines to fill / (Groups on this page -1):
Total lines to fill per group = 15 / (4-1) = 3 per group

6.  vMoreLines = Total lines to fill per group = Total lines to fill
vMoreLines = 3

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So now we need to get the programming done to do the calculations in steps 2-5 above.

And we need to do the same calulations for next page starting the count for lines used at Table 5
Assume Table5 = 18 lines, total lines = 18
Assume Table6 = 10 lines, total lines = 28
Assume Table7 = 18 lines, total lines = 46
etc....

Could probably do all calcs in one step above and come up with multiple vMoreLines, one for each page, like vMoreLinesPage1, vMoreLinesPage2, vMoreLinesPage3,
etc. and control which ones to use based on group breaking.

We also need to control which groups this is printed after.  Note the spread was between 3 groups although we had 4 on the page.  I wanted to fill the page and have the 4th group on the bottom, that is why I divided by (groups-1).  Did not want to print the extra lines after group 4. 

Again, all of this is a theoritical approach right now, so lots of fine tuning to follow.  I expect we would use a similar approach to printing this field as used to stop printing of value in first column.