Print to a file?

[Ron]

Hi All,

Is it possible to have Access print a report, identical to one that would
print to a printer, only print to a "standard" text file? I can't find it
in help and when I try to just print to a file (in the printer selection
screen of the print routines) it gives me a file named what I wanted, but is
just garbage. Can't read it.

TIA
ron

[Bob Quintal]

"Ron" <ro********************@verizon.netwrote in
news:d_HNg.11755$OI1.5681@trnddc05:

Hi All,

Is it possible to have Access print a report, identical to one
that would print to a printer, only print to a "standard" text
file? I can't find it in help and when I try to just print to
a file (in the printer selection screen of the print routines)
it gives me a file named what I wanted, but is just garbage.
Can't read it.

TIA
ron

No you can't "Print" to a file because the file will contain all
the printer formatting codes.

You can, however "Save As" text the contents of the report.

--
Bob Quintal

PA is y I've altered my email address.

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

[Smartin]

Ron wrote:

Hi All,

Is it possible to have Access print a report, identical to one that would
print to a printer, only print to a "standard" text file? I can't find it
in help and when I try to just print to a file (in the printer selection
screen of the print routines) it gives me a file named what I wanted, but is
just garbage. Can't read it.

TIA
ron

Hi Ron,

Will this do the trick? It's not "standard text", but it is identical to
what the printer would see. It simply creates a PDF of anything you care
to print, from any application:

http://sourceforge.net/projects/pdfcreator/

P.s. I love that thing...
--
Smartin

[Ron]

"Bob Quintal" <rq******@sPAmpatico.cawrote in message
news:Xn**********************@66.150.105.47...

"Ron" <ro********************@verizon.netwrote in
news:d_HNg.11755$OI1.5681@trnddc05:

>Hi All,

Is it possible to have Access print a report, identical to one
that would print to a printer, only print to a "standard" text
file? I can't find it in help and when I try to just print to
a file (in the printer selection screen of the print routines)
it gives me a file named what I wanted, but is just garbage.
Can't read it.

TIA
ron

No you can't "Print" to a file because the file will contain all
the printer formatting codes.

You can, however "Save As" text the contents of the report.

--
Bob Quintal

PA is y I've altered my email address.

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

Hi Bob...thanks for the response.

Possibly I don't understand. I've tried "save as". What I get after I run
the report (to preview) and click on File/Save As is I get the file name for
the report, which of course I can change, but then I can't get down to "as",
which is at Report. If I change the name, and click save, I get another
copy of the format for the report--the one I designed. Not the data I need
in the text file. Am I missing something?

ron

[Ron]

"Smartin" <sm********@yahoo.comwrote in message
news:25******************************@giganews.com ...

Ron wrote:

>Hi All,

Is it possible to have Access print a report, identical to one that would
print to a printer, only print to a "standard" text file? I can't find
it in help and when I try to just print to a file (in the printer
selection screen of the print routines) it gives me a file named what I
wanted, but is just garbage. Can't read it.

TIA
ron

Hi Ron,

Will this do the trick? It's not "standard text", but it is identical to
what the printer would see. It simply creates a PDF of anything you care
to print, from any application:

http://sourceforge.net/projects/pdfcreator/

P.s. I love that thing...
--
Smartin

Thanks for the response, Smartin.

Unfortunately, I do need just a text file, not a PDF. I'll look at this for
another purpose but for the one I'm butting up against now, I need just a
straight text file that looks identical to the report I've laid out.
Unfortunately, it's needed to print a pre-printed form but I've got a
company that can transfer a text file I send (that looks like that report)
to something else that's needed.

ron

[paii, Ron]

"Ron" <ro********************@verizon.netwrote in message
news:d_HNg.11755$OI1.5681@trnddc05...

Hi All,

Is it possible to have Access print a report, identical to one that would
print to a printer, only print to a "standard" text file? I can't find it
in help and when I try to just print to a file (in the printer selection
screen of the print routines) it gives me a file named what I wanted, but

is

just garbage. Can't read it.

TIA
ron

2 things to try, Not tested. Both will need text friendly report formatting.

1) Export the print preview to Word (Will remove lines, graphics ect) then
save the Word doc as text (Will remove tabs).

2) Install the Generic Text print driver in from Windows. Format your report
for text. Check "Output to file" in the printer dialog box.

[Bob Quintal]

"Ron" <ro********************@verizon.netwrote in
news:wqVNg.9006$xC3.913@trnddc06:

>
"Bob Quintal" <rq******@sPAmpatico.cawrote in message
news:Xn**********************@66.150.105.47...

>"Ron" <ro********************@verizon.netwrote in
news:d_HNg.11755$OI1.5681@trnddc05:

>>Hi All,

Is it possible to have Access print a report, identical to
one that would print to a printer, only print to a
"standard" text file? I can't find it in help and when I
try to just print to a file (in the printer selection screen
of the print routines) it gives me a file named what I
wanted, but is just garbage. Can't read it.

TIA
ron

No you can't "Print" to a file because the file will contain
all the printer formatting codes.

You can, however "Save As" text the contents of the report.

--
Bob Quintal

PA is y I've altered my email address.

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

Hi Bob...thanks for the response.

Possibly I don't understand. I've tried "save as". What I
get after I run the report (to preview) and click on File/Save
As is I get the file name for the report, which of course I
can change, but then I can't get down to "as", which is at
Report. If I change the name, and click save, I get another
copy of the format for the report--the one I designed. Not
the data I need in the text file. Am I missing something?

ron

New versions of Access have Export.... instead of Save As....
--
Bob Quintal

PA is y I've altered my email address.

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

[Ron]

"paii, Ron" <pa**@packairinc.comwrote in message
news:S7******************************@athenet.net. ..

>
"Ron" <ro********************@verizon.netwrote in message
news:d_HNg.11755$OI1.5681@trnddc05...

>Hi All,

Is it possible to have Access print a report, identical to one that would
print to a printer, only print to a "standard" text file? I can't find
it
in help and when I try to just print to a file (in the printer selection
screen of the print routines) it gives me a file named what I wanted, but

is

>just garbage. Can't read it.

TIA
ron

2 things to try, Not tested. Both will need text friendly report
formatting.

1) Export the print preview to Word (Will remove lines, graphics ect) then
save the Word doc as text (Will remove tabs).

2) Install the Generic Text print driver in from Windows. Format your
report
for text. Check "Output to file" in the printer dialog box.

The Generic Text print driver suggestion above did the trick. Still a bit
off but I think it'll do the trick. The differences in how it prints to a
printer and a file using this driver seem to be associated with previous
data on the same line of print (it prints some of the following fields on a
line, every time, one character to the left). Dunno why that would be, but
there it is. I'll see if the receiver of the file can get around that
problem as no sort of adjustment I make to the data and/or positioning will
change where the following fields are placed. No adjustment except take the
previous stuff on a line completely out, which I can't allow.

Thanks for the tip!
ron