How to Print Headings Vertically Down Left Edge of .FRX

• Microsoft FoxPro for Windows, versions 2.5, 2.5a, 2.5b, 2.6, 2.6a

SUMMARY

This article shows by example how to create a vertical columnar report in FoxPro that assigns a heading to each line of the report and prints the headings vertically down the left edge of the report rather than printing them horizontally across the top.

MORE INFORMATION

You can't print the headings down the left edge by using the Print When dialog of Report Writer because the 'Print Once Per Band' and 'Also Print' options do not sufficiently control the row headings in the Detail band; these options don't allow you to print the headings more than once per page.

Step-by-Step Example

Work around this behavior and print vertical headings by following these steps:

1. From the Command window, enter the following command lines:

   SET DEFAULT TO C:\FPW26\TUTORIAL USE customer

   NOTE: Replace the drive letter and FoxPro directory name with the actual names from your computer.

2. Enter the following command line in the Command window:

   MODIFY REPORT column.frx

3. Maximize the COLUMN.FRX report when it appears. Grab the Detail band button, and drag the Detail band down to about the three-inch mark.

4. Click Report on the menu bar, and select the Quick Report option. From the Quick Report dialog, choose the vertical Field Layout button, and click OK.

5. Click Report again. Then click the Page Layout option. Increment the column spinner to 3, and set the Print Order so that the report's output will print across the page (that is, select the right button of the two buttons under Print Order:). Then click OK.

6. From the toolbox on the left edge of the report, choose the Field button. Then click the cursor directly under the last field created in the Detail band. If there is not enough room under the last field in the Detail band, open up more detail area by dragging the Detail band button further down the page.

7. When the Report Expression dialog box appears, type coltrac() as the user-defined function (UDF) name in the text box located to the right of the Expression button. Then choose the OK button.

8. Minimize COLUMN.FRX, and enter the following line of code in the Command window:

   MODIFY COMMAND coltrac.prg

9. Insert the following code in the COLTRAC.PRG file:

   nulstrng = "" numocols = 3

   IF (colnum/numocols)=1

         colnum=0
   

   ENDIF

   RETURN nulstrng

10. Save the file and minimize COLTRAC.PRG

        NOTE: numocols should be assigned a value equal to the number of
        columns set up in the .FRX file's Page Layout. If the number of columns
        in the .FRX file ever changes, you'll need to also change the value
        assigned to numocols in this program (COLTRAC.PRG).
    

11. Go back to the COLUMN.FRX report. Click Report from the menu bar and

        choose the Variables... option. Then select the Add button. Type the
        variable name as "colnum" (without the quotation marks).
    

12. In the text box under the Value to Store... button, type the variable

        name (colnum). Now the value in the box under the Initial Value...
        button should be 0 (zero).
    

13. Select the Count radio button, and click two OK buttons to get back to

        the report. Process these steps:
    

        a. Double-click a row heading (for example, cno) within the Detail
           band. When the text dialog box appears, select the Print When
           check box.
    

        b. From the Print When dialog box, select the Print Only When
           Expression is True check box.
    

        c. When the Expression Builder dialog appears, double-click colnum from
           the variables list, and when colnum appears in the Print Text When
           expression box, assign a value of 1 to colnum (that is, colnum=1).
           Then click OK three times to return to the report.
    

14. Repeat step 13 for each row heading in the Detail band. Then select

        Report from the menu bar, and choose Page Preview to view the result of
        this process.