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New Blog Posts: Merging Reports - Part 1 and Part 2

ReportTextFile issues...

edited March 2005 in End User
I've set up a report to print to a Report Emulation Text File... when I view
or print it looks fabulous. Unfortunately the objective is to index into
Metaviewer an imaging/reporting tool.

It is having a a problem reading the file... says it's having a problem with
the page size. (typical unhelpful error message)

When I look at the file using WordPad I notice that the pages drift down...
the header appear lower on each page until the page is spilling over onto
the next page...

If I manually correct the 'drift' metaviewer reads it fine... I don't
understand what is causing it. It appears as if instead of a 'form feed' it
is using line feeds to control the page size and all products are not in
agreement how many line feeds are necessary between the last record and the
bottom of the page.

Maybe there is a way to insert a form feed... metaview is actually looking
for a OC (hex) for a form feed when it indexes... but I'm at a loss.

Can I insert a hex code at the last record that would act as a form feel and
eliminate carriage returns or line feeds so that I can be more in control of
the page layout...

Or do you have some other cleaver idea of how to make this happen.

I am trying to upgrade a report that works fine using paradox for dos
(ancient) and having trouble believing that it does it so readily but
current technology isn't working right on it... your assistance greatly
appreciated.

thank you.
b

Comments

  • edited March 2005
    Hi Betsy,

    What type of objects are you export to the Report Emulation Text File? When
    exporting to text files, you need to be sure your measurements are within
    1/6 inch increments. If your objects fall in between these measurements, RB
    will automatically shift the text to the nearest increment. This could be
    what is causing the shifting in your reports.

    As far as inserting ESC codes into a report, the following article may be of
    some help.

    ---

    ReportBuilder renders to the printer using the Delphi TCanvas class and via
    calls to Windows GDI functions.

    We do not have any direct experience with sending escape codes directly to
    the printer driver. According to the Windows API documentation, the
    ExtEscape function allows applications to access capabilities of a
    particular device that are not available through GDI. Try searching the
    Windows API docs and Google for more information.

    --
    Regards,

    Nico Cizik
    Digital Metaphors
    http://www.digital-metaphors.com

    Best Regards,

    Nico Cizik
    Digital Metaphors
    http://www.digital-metaphors.com
  • edited March 2005
    I'm getting closer... I find using a height for a memo field of .1666 (1/6)
    for a single line is reading in. I've used a custom paper size to bi-pass
    or eliminate the page break problem for the time being.

    The report is simple details with a number of fields... I need the
    wordwrap... I'm finding that when I don't wordwrap everything is hunky
    dory... but when I do wordwrap it won't index... seems that when it word
    wraps it inputs it's one increments for how it will fill the lines and
    smashes things together cause the indexing into metaviewer to fails because
    the lines are not evenly spaced.

    I've just about run out of ideas.... any assistance greatly appreciated.
  • edited March 2005
    It's all good.... I've been fighting this thing for way too many days for
    such a piddly issue.

    Metaviewer just flat wasn't happy with the line depth changing and was
    having issues with the control characters most especially, I think, the page
    break wasn't happening the way that it should... I absolutely was at my wits
    end trying to make it happen in the report builder interface and wasn't up
    to writing the file manually with wordwraps and everything...

    SOLUTION: write the file to the report emulation file complete with
    wordwraps etc... then in the program open that file and read it line for
    stinkin' line and write each line into a new file including necessary
    control character where appropriate and it's finally happy and I win.
    (PARTY)

    Thank you for you assistance!
    b
  • edited March 2005
    Excellent!

    Glad you got it working.

    --
    Regards,

    Nico Cizik
    Digital Metaphors
    http://www.digital-metaphors.com

    Best Regards,

    Nico Cizik
    Digital Metaphors
    http://www.digital-metaphors.com
This discussion has been closed.