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HTML Memo does not print correctly, why?

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    HTML Memo does not print correctly, why?

    I have an HTML Memo field in a table, where a varying amount of text is entered. I have a report on that table, that simply needs to print the contents of the HTML Memo field. There are no images in this particular field, just text, and nevertheless it does not show correctly on any output, neither a preview on the report, neither the print preview, neither pdf nor RTF export.

    The problem is, I can not sort out WHY it does not print correctly.

    The text actually shows just not completely. The part that is printed starts at the beginning, but stops somewhere in the middle.

    The length of the part that is printed, is different in the various output modes: what is printed in a pdf is more text (but again not all) then in print preview.
    It also changes when you apply font changes in size for instance.
    I simply can not sort out why the report does that.

    There is no fancy HTML in the text, just <br> at the point that I need a break, nothing really complex.....

    What did I already do:
    1- Compact the database, re-index it;
    2- Remove the formatting (right mouse click menu);
    3- Copy the text to Wordpad, delete original text, save record, re-copy the text from Wordpad
    4- Manually check the HTML, nothing there that seems to cause the problem.....
    5- The HTML field object properties on the report show "Allow Growth when printing" checked on, and "Allow Shrinking" checked on so it should move with the length of the contents and not just stop halfway.....
    6- The Detail Section Properties show on the Region tab that "shrink contents of band" is checked ON.
    7- The text in the plain table field is correct when you look at the contents of the table through the standard table browse: it's all there. When I look in the form I created for the field, also in the form the complete text is available, with all nice formatting. Just when I start printing it into some output mode, it just stops somewhere printing it.

    I hope someone can help here, because fairly, I don't have a clue........

    Greets,

    #2
    Re: HTML Memo does not print correctly, why?

    Remarkable... no one answers.
    I must have forgotten to hand over some information.
    Please let me know if I came short on information about this problem.

    I am using:
    Edition: standard edition
    Version: version 9, Build 2095
    System Addins: Build 3264
    Windows Vista Ultimate

    I am really stuck here and would be grateful if someone could at least point me in the right direction why this does not work as it should. As for now, the whole solution does not work, where the text seems to be there but just does not want to be printed as a whole.

    Someone from Alpha Software perhaps to help?

    Comment


      #3
      Re: HTML Memo does not print correctly, why?

      Originally posted by MRichard View Post
      Remarkable... no one answers.
      I must have forgotten to hand over some information.
      Please let me know if I came short on information about this problem.
      It's a new feature and I don't have much experience with it. It would be very helpful for us to help you if you would provide an example of what you are experiencing.

      You've explained your issue well, but an example is much more helpful.
      Al Buchholz
      Bookwood Systems, LTD
      Weekly QReportBuilder Webinars Thursday 1 pm CST

      Occam's Razor - KISS
      Normalize till it hurts - De-normalize till it works.
      Advice offered and questions asked in the spirit of learning how to fish is better than someone giving you a fish.
      When we triage a problem it is much easier to read sample systems than to read a mind.
      "Make it as simple as possible, but not simpler."
      Albert Einstein

      http://www.iadn.com/images/media/iadn_member.png

      Comment


        #4
        Re: HTML Memo does not print correctly, why?

        Seems there are a number of problems with this control, but only with one of my forms.... so it doesn't seem to be a problem with the control itself.

        1. On a report, the first record on each page, the entire contents of the control do not print. Every other record on the control contents print correctly, including the last record which is orphaned to the next page (which is correct).

        2. Sometimes, when I move to a record, via an embedded browse control, the HTML control does not work/activate when you click into it. The little edit icon never appears. If I exit the form, open the form and move to that record, it works.

        3. I have to click twice on the edit icon before it will open the edit window. Not a double-click, two single clicks. The first click will turn the cursor into a pointing hand, the second click with display the edit popup. The 1st click seems to set focus to the control. Once the control has focus, the 2nd click will open the edit popup window. If you were to close the edit popup, you can click the edit icon just once and the edit popup will open. If you were to click into another field, you need to click twice on the edit icon to open the edit window. This is the behaviour on all forms, all tables/sets.

        4. Once in the edit popup, select the text with the mouse and click on the Copy icon and then click the Red X of the popup window to close it. Now, open the edit window again, hold the shift key down, and with the down arrow key, highlight the text (or hightlight the text with the mouse). Now do a Ctrl-C to copy the text and then click the Red X close button... A5 will shut down. It's the Ctrl-C that makes A5 fail, not the method of text selection.

        I've compacted my database, but still problems. The form with the problems runs ok, but these behaviours do exist with this control. Can a form be bad, but still run? I've taken out all my OnInit code, but still problems. Will have to look further.

        I've built a quick form on the same set and I don't see problems, so it must be the form - but that wouldn't produce problems with a report... would it?

        Confused.

        Comment


          #5
          Re: HTML Memo does not print correctly, why?

          Hi Al, thanks for stepping in!
          I am not sure however what kind of an example to show and how.....

          I just have a table with an HTML type Memo field.
          On that, to begin with, I have not been able to find anything in the extensive webhelp database. It is not even mentioned in the field types section as an option, so that information is obviously outdated.
          Which is not surprising considering the large amount of extra features that have been added to Alpha Five scince the v6 or v7 product.

          What happens is, that I enter like 100 words in the table in the HTML Memo field, and it will just show less words in the report where the field is implemented. And it even varies depended on the type of output you use, howmuch words are shown.
          It just stops somewhere, and I can not pinpoint why it stops.
          When you open up the table in browse, the full text is there. When you look at the source of the html text, it is also there in full, without anything that rings a bell with me.

          This looks like a bug to me. When you open the Alpha HTML editor, put the 100 words in there, and copy the HTML produced into the HTML Memo type field, it does not even show the produced HTML of Alpha itself right! Now, that can't be true. It must be me doing something wrong, or something else that interferes.

          I am wondering what interferes with this feature. Does the installed independed browser influence the results because it is needed for interpretation of the HTML? I always thought it has its own HTML interpretor bound to the editor used. In my case, I have Chrome and IE both installed.

          Somehow it seems to stumble over the HTML code. Sometimes, words after a <br> are not shown anymore, sometimes there is not even a html command after the last word printed (preview or pdf).

          This is rather one of those enormously frustrating things for a developer, because I get stuck in something which is not even a programming issue to begin with, and it is sucking up major time. Frustration only becomes more when one can not even find it in the documentation.

          What is the field type HTML Memo?
          What does it depend on to work properly?
          How come that what it Shows is not what you finally Get?

          Can someone of Alpha PLEASE step in here and help me out......

          Comment


            #6
            Re: HTML Memo does not print correctly, why?

            Can someone of Alpha PLEASE step in here and help me out......
            The Alpha staff sometimes monitors these boards and sometimes not. This is mainly a peer to peer effort.

            If you are convinced you have things set up correctly and are not getting the proper results, you could try submitting a bug report.
            There can be only one.

            Comment


              #7
              Re: HTML Memo does not print correctly, why?

              Hi Stan,

              I am aware of that, hence my request to help should they read it.
              You never know if someone else has already encountered the same probs or even found a solution so a post on this forum to start with is better then at once report a bug, especially when, as in my case, you are not sure it is a bug to begin with. It looks like it however.

              Does anybody have any experience with the HTML Memo field type, and the way it behaves on a report?

              Comment


                #8
                Re: HTML Memo does not print correctly, why?

                I am still without a solution for this problem.
                I am surprised that nobody seems to have one?
                Did anyone of you ever use the HTML Memo type field?

                Comment


                  #9
                  Re: HTML Memo does not print correctly, why?

                  Originally posted by MRichard View Post
                  I am still without a solution for this problem.
                  I am surprised that nobody seems to have one?
                  Did anyone of you ever use the HTML Memo type field?
                  Originally posted by Al Buchholz View Post
                  an example is much more helpful.
                  Al Buchholz
                  Bookwood Systems, LTD
                  Weekly QReportBuilder Webinars Thursday 1 pm CST

                  Occam's Razor - KISS
                  Normalize till it hurts - De-normalize till it works.
                  Advice offered and questions asked in the spirit of learning how to fish is better than someone giving you a fish.
                  When we triage a problem it is much easier to read sample systems than to read a mind.
                  "Make it as simple as possible, but not simpler."
                  Albert Einstein

                  http://www.iadn.com/images/media/iadn_member.png

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Re: HTML Memo does not print correctly, why?

                    MRIchard, I don't use HTML memo fields. However, it was easy to cobble together an example which seems to include all the memo field text, with formatting, in a report. Maybe the attached example will help you to spot what's going on in your own situation. Hope it helps. -- tom

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Re: HTML Memo does not print correctly, why?

                      Hello Tom !

                      To start, let me express my gratitude for the work you put into this, trying to help me out of my `cornered` situation!
                      It is much appreciated!

                      Your example however shows the same problem!

                      NOT in the way you have made it, BUT, I could replicate the problem by:

                      1 > Open the table
                      2 > Copy the HTML contents of the first record
                      3 > Create a new record
                      4 > Give it another ID (01002)
                      5 > Paste the contents in the "Notes" field of the second record.
                      6 > Now, go to the report section, select the report and choose a 'preview' of it......

                      Now notice, that half of the text of the report seems to have disappeared, already in the FIRST RECORD which you DID NOT CHANGE AT ALL.........

                      HOWEVER

                      When you advance 1 page, and then turn back 1 page....... the contents are shown FULLY again......

                      This behavior is repeatable....

                      Now, this is very strange behavior, and my own problem COULD be of the same source.

                      Can you acknowledge the same behavior when You try it?

                      Kind regards,

                      MRichard

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Re: HTML Memo does not print correctly, why?

                        MRichard, I don't work with HTML memo data and can't spend any more time on it. If you have something that's not working and is repeatable, I suggest you submit a formal bug report using the Help menu in Alpha Five. Be sure to include a zipped attachment containing a sample database. Be sure to include step by step instructions for them to follow in order to see the problem. -- tom

                        Later on ...

                        Against my better judgment I decided to take another look. I suspect what you're seeing is a problem with how the report engine is breaking the pages for long HTML memo text. The missing text doesn't disappear, it gets shifted to the next page.

                        Take a look at the attached zip file. I've inserted a group break based on IDNUM and have specified that each "group" begin on a new page. The report previews fine even after the lengthy memo text is pasted in for new records.

                        Incidentally, I've done the copying and pasting using the WYSISYG editor, and have been careful to save the record after saving the memo field text (two saves required).

                        Maybe this will help you.

                        -- tom
                        Last edited by Tom Cone Jr; 04-13-2009, 02:18 PM.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Re: HTML Memo does not print correctly, why?

                          Hi Tom.

                          Well, I can only say "Thank you" for helping, I can totally understand your problem with investing the time. I know you have been contributing to this forum for years, and that all adds together.

                          If I may say, you are wrong about the first example, the text is NOT shifted to the next page. Please look at the screenprints I attached: the first print shows a large white area, with below the ID of the NEW record. So, the next page only shows the text of record 2 NOT of record 1. However, if you turn the page back, the complete text of record 1 re-appears (screenprint 2).

                          I have studied your second example, and the effects indeed do NOT show there.

                          Hence, I believe this to be a bug, which gets surpassed by either breaking the records into groups, or, by having each record print on a new page.

                          I will supply a bug report to Selwyn first thing tomorrow.

                          Again, thanks for your help. I can't offer you much in return, but it was appreciated much !

                          Regards,

                          MRichard

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Re: HTML Memo does not print correctly, why?

                            Originally posted by MRichard View Post
                            I will supply a bug report to Selwyn first thing tomorrow.
                            Or you can supply the bug report here and many users will confirm or show you an alternate and Selwyn won't get bugged unless it's really a bug....... (kinda of we asked for awhile ago..)
                            Al Buchholz
                            Bookwood Systems, LTD
                            Weekly QReportBuilder Webinars Thursday 1 pm CST

                            Occam's Razor - KISS
                            Normalize till it hurts - De-normalize till it works.
                            Advice offered and questions asked in the spirit of learning how to fish is better than someone giving you a fish.
                            When we triage a problem it is much easier to read sample systems than to read a mind.
                            "Make it as simple as possible, but not simpler."
                            Albert Einstein

                            http://www.iadn.com/images/media/iadn_member.png

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Re: HTML Memo does not print correctly, why?

                              MRichard,

                              As Al suggested posting an example of the problem in the form of a stripped down version of the program with dummy data goes a long way in getting help / verifying a bug. When it is an easy question or a small code sample then people can usually get you an answer. It is hard to expect people on this forum to spend their time setting up a sample database and a form or report to test out someones problem and then it works just fine only to find out that it was a coding issue or some option / property setup wrong. By suppling a stripped down version of your application that shows how it is broken and notes telling us how to see the problem goes a long way in getting one of these great "alphaholics" to look at the problem and try to help solve it. They have even been known to change/add code and post back the application solution for you.
                              Jeff Ryder

                              Comment

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