Fields in report detail question

[Dan2kx]

I have 3 fields on a report and wish to know if fields can be split into seperate columns next to each other, (to save paper really)

any suggestions?

cheers guys

[ChipR]

It's in the page setup. This should help:
Multiple column reports

[Dan2kx]

I can't seem to get it to work...

[NeoPa]

Dan, you're not being very clear here.

Can you confirm that Chip read you aright here? Is it multiple column reports you're asking about?

If so, we can help (but you'll have to do better than simply saying it's not working).

[Dan2kx]

I can post a sample 2moro if that might help, i read the article followed the page setup guides with no joy, i wonder if my report is too complicated?

Sorry for being uninformative, i had put it aside temporarily.

Dan

[NeoPa]

But it is a multi-column report you're asking about yes?

[Dan2kx]

yes i have 3 colums in the detail i want to be on a page in 2 sets, excluding footers etc

[Dan2kx]

It seems i cannot post an attachment... is this normal?

Dan

[NeoPa]

OK. Now we need to know where you got up to and what isn't working.

Please open your report for design and open the Page Setup window (File / Page Setup - IE Alt-F,U).

From here, select the Columns tab and post in all the values currently in use.

We'll assume a page size of A4 unless you tell us otherwise.

[Dan2kx]

Columns: 2
Row Space: 0cm
Column Space: 0.635cm
Width: 16.508cm Height: 0.503cm

Down then across

Cheers

[NeoPa]

@Dan2kx
That depends on how you're trying to post it Dan. Do you have any information for me so that I can help.

Certainly I was able to add one yesterday. Having said that my account is an Administrator, so there may be a difference there. Give me some details and I'll follow it up for you.

[NeoPa]

@Dan2kx
It looks like it's too wide for the paper then. Even in landscape there is only 29.7cm (minus the margins and the Row Space). This will not accomodate 2 x 16.508

[Dan2kx]

Ahh yes, that was easy, doesnt work as i expected, which was for detail to be columned not footers etc, is this the way it is designed? i can live with it if so.

Thanks again

Dan

[NeoPa]

All sections (Page Headers; Page Footers; Section Headers; Section Footers; Detail; etc) have the same width (which is the width of the widest of them).

I suppose this means that everything is columned, thus it's not possible to have a footer speading across the space of multiple columns. Sorry.

[OldBirdman]

I have a columned report that prints the Page Header & Page Footer only once and spans the entire page (Footer has Page ... of ... Pages in lower right. Group headers are in the column structure.

THIS IS MY PAGE HEADER
Group Header A              Line 6A
Line 1A                     Group Header B
Line 2A                     Line 1B
Line 3A                     Line 2B
Line 4A                     Group Header C
Line 5A                     Line 1C
17 Feb09       PAGE FOOTER       Page 1 of 7

I don't have time today to experiment with this, but it seems that the columns start with group headers, not page or report headers, which would be correct. Access 2003, Windows XP Home. Actual report 4 columns, paper size 8 1/2 x 11, and columns specified in inches (USA)

[NeoPa]

Curious.

When I change the width of my Page Header by dragging it across, the width of every other visible section follows suit. I can't see how this can possibly work :S

When I look in the properties, the only Widt I see is the one under Report. None associated with either the Detail or the Page Header sections.

[OldBirdman]

Yes, the width is the same in Design View, and it doesn't seem to matter if the Labels or Textboxes .width span the entire width or are smaller than the column width. I can find nothing in the properties of the page or section that is different than the group headers.
When I designed this report, I had just assumed that a Page Header/Footer would apply to the page, not the columns. My assumption was supported, so I never questioned it.

[Dan2kx]

Well i have

Report Header
Page Header
Report Footer

which do span the page

and i have

Name Header 
Detail
Name Footer

which seem to make up the columns (thanks to NeoPa)

my original ideal was for the detail alone to span two columns,

[OldBirdman]

I was thinking about that also. So far, all I have done is open a db with columns reports, and responded to this thread. Having the page header over all columns and with the detail headers as part of the column, I have:

-----Page Header-----
---A---     ---C---
  A1          C1
  A2          C2
---B---       C3
  B1          C4
  B2
  B3
-----Page Footer-----
 

But I could see benefit in another format. I think this is what Dan2kx wants, but I can't do it:

-----Page Header-----
---------A-----------
  A1          A2
---------B-----------
  B1          B3
  B2
---------C-----------
  C1          C3
  C2          C4
-----Page Footer-----
 

I find the following in Access Help

You can use the RepeatSection property to specify whether a group header is repeated on the next...column when a group spans more than one ...column.

This implies that group header is part of the column, if columns exist.

[OldBirdman]

In checking Help "Subreports: What they are and how they work", I think even the alternate shown in my previous post could be made to work. I haven't tried.

[NeoPa]

Sorry. I should have mentioned that. I do have a report that does the columns in the subreport. Essentially, the subreport is designed as column-based, whereas the main report is page-based.

I should have realised this is essentially what's required.

It's fiddly (hard to get working correctly), but can be done. Holler if help required.

[Dan2kx]

@OldBirdman
Exactly that, if you could point me in the direction of appropriate literature ill have a crack, see how i get on... or is it just found in help? do you need 2 reports? or just one with an embedded report?

Cheers so far!
Dan

Dan

[OldBirdman]

OK NeoPa, you're on. We've got the problem defined, and you might have the solution already, and I don't need this solution now. All yours.

[NeoPa]

Thanks OB (such a nice man).

In truth this is something that's quite easy to understand. It's simply quite fiddly to get working properly.

The idea is to have two reports. One is an outer report which has the wider (page width) stuff and also a subreport control for the other report.

The other report is an inner report which is formulated in columns, and fits neatly into the subreport on the outer report.

The complications mainly come from getting the various widths and settings right.

I'm afraid I can't point you in the direction of much in the way of research, as I just did it by trial and error (and with some reference to the Help system of course).

Does that sound like something you could work with Dan?

[Dan2kx]

I will give it a go, if i cant crack it ill just go with hat i have currently,
thanks for the help.

Dan

[NeoPa]

I'm happy to answer more questions on it if you need it Dan.