Printing from within a form

[jfaust]

I am using A5v4 Build 266 and have the following problem.

I want to use a button to print the current record(s) to a report (Packing List). I am in a form that uses a set and an embedded browse.

I can select FILE, PRINT LAYOUT, and select current record and it works great. But if I try to record a script, or use the button genie to do the same thing, it wont work.

I have been told by Alpha support that I can copy and modify the code from another button, but I am not sure just what they mean.

can anybody help????

[Tom Cone Jr]

RE: Printing from within a form

John, sure.

The form layout print routines in Alpha Five are rudimentary. Suitable mainly for testing during development and documenting the appearance of a form layout in your development notes, in my opinion.

If I were you I'd build and save a simple report layout that contains the fields of interest. Then I'd drop a new button on my form and let the button genie help me print or preview the report. The genie will let you specify that the print range will be 'current record' only. This is a 'built in action (perform single task)', and is a piece of cake to set up.

-- tom

[jfaust]

RE: Printing from within a form

Tom:

Thanks for the help. I am familiar with the button genie and how to print a report, but because the form that I print from uses a set AND I have an embedded browse, it will not allow me to print the report using the Current record only. It reverts back to the first record of the database every time.

I was told by Alpha tech that I cannot just make a button to print a report using the current record because I have an embedded browse in my form and I am printing a report from within a form. They said that there was a work around by copying some code from another button in another form and making slight modifications to it. I did not understand that they were talking about.

I also tried to record a script to print a layout, but was unsuccessful as it refused to record a script in this form.

If you know of any fix to this, I would greatly appreciate it.


Thanks,

John Faust

[Tom Cone Jr]

RE: Printing from within a form

John, I'll be glad to lend a hand. Please clarify something. What do you mean by the 'current record' ?

I ask because when you have a form based on a set with a one to many embedded browse, you are seeing multiple records at one time. There is a single current record in the parent table. There is a single current record in the linked child table. But there is no single current record for the form. Which (or what) do you want to print?

-- tom

[jfaust]

RE: Printing from within a form

Tom:

Thanks For the help..

My set is a one to many set as follows

Header----->Sub Header--------->Detail
(One rec) (> than one rec) (> than one rec)

I am printing packing slips for orders..

The Header file is the sold to information
The Sub Header file is the different ship to addresses.
The detail is the detail for each sub header.


CURRENT RECORD relates to the current HEADER record and all associated children databases that share the same ORDER number.

WORKS:::
If I am in my form that uses this set, I can use the FILE, Print Layout, Report, Use Current Records, and it will correctly print my report for the currently selected record(s).


WILL NOT WORK:::
If I am in my form that uses this set and use the button genie to print the report for the current record, I just get the first record number in the database and all associated records.


I hope that this helps explain it...


Thanks,

John Faust

[Tom Cone Jr]

RE: Printing from within a form

John,

I'd run a query to narrow the scope of available records in the parent table to the current record;

then I'd based the report on the 'currently selected' records;

then I'd put the child table records in a subreport inside my report layout;

then I'd put the grandchild table records in a subreport inside my report layout.


If you don't want to run the query, then I'd pass a unique key describing the current parent record to a global variable, and then use the same global variable in a report filter embedded in the properties of the report.

-- tom

[JerryBrightbill]

RE: Printing from within a form

John,

Here is some code which will print the current parent and all related child records to a report called "PrintScreen"

dim recno as c

recno = alltrim(str(recno()))

:Report.preview("PrintScreen","recno()="+recno,db_order_get(db_current()))

This sets the report filter to the current record number and the order to the current order for the set.

Jerry

[jfaust]

RE: Printing from within a form

Thanks Jerry:

I tried your code but it still will only print the first record in the set and not the currently selected record. The only way it will print the current record is with FILE, PRINT LAYOUT while I am in the form. Any other method that I try just prints the first record in the database.

Thanks,


John Faust

[JerryBrightbill]

RE: Printing from within a form

John

I don't know what method you are using, but here is a little sample database which shows how it works. Unzip the file into a location where it won't mix with other work. Open the database, and open the form TestForm. Move to a record other than the first one and press the button. A preview with only the current record will display. Now go directly to the report and preview it. All records will preview.

If you open the report in design mode and select detail properties, click on the records tab. You will see that the report filter and order are NOT set, but will base the report on current selected records. This is set by the button.

Jerry