ACC: Text Box Formatted as Currency Has a Space on the Right

• Microsoft Access versions 1.0, 1.1, 2.0, 7.0, 97

SYMPTOMS

Novice: Requires knowledge of the user interface on single-user computers.

A text box with a currency format on a form or report displays data with an extra space at the right end of the value.

CAUSE

The space at the right end of the value is required for a closing parenthesis for negative values. The space keeps the decimal point aligned for positive and negative values.

RESOLUTION

Change the text box's Format property to a custom format or to a fixed format with two decimal places.

For example, if you change the control's Format property to $#,##0.00, values in the control will be displayed without the space on the right end. Negative values will be displayed as -$nnn.nn, not as ($nnn.nn).

STATUS

This behavior is by design.

MORE INFORMATION

If you format some text boxes on a form with a currency format and others with a custom format, you may have trouble aligning columns of figures. For example, if you format totals in a report's footer section with a currency format, but use a custom format, or no format, on the text boxes above the footer, the columns may not be automatically aligned.

Steps to Reproduce Behavior

1. Open the sample database Northwind.mdb (or NWIND.MDB in versions 1.x or 2.0).

2. Open the Invoice report in Design view.

3. Preview the report. Note that the Subtotal, Freight, and Total columns are correctly aligned.

4. View the report in Design view.

5. Select the Freight text box and change its Format property to $#,##0.00.

6. Preview the report again. Note that Freight column is not aligned correctly.

7. Close the report without saving the changes.

REFERENCES