ACC: How to Print a Variable-Length Character String

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

SUMMARY

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

This article describes how you can print a variable-length character string. You can use this method to print a dotted line (or a line composed of the character of your choice) between two fields of variable length on a report.

MORE INFORMATION

The following example demonstrates how to print a dotted line between a variable-length name field and a phone number field:

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

2. Create a blank, new report based on the Customers table.

3. Create two unbound text boxes in the report's detail section. Modify their properties as described below so that the first text box will display the name and the dotted line, and the second text box will display the phone number.

   NOTE: In the following example, an underscore (_) at the end of a line is used as a line-continuation character. Remove the underscore from the end of the line when re-creating this example.

         Text Box 1
         --------------------------------------------------------------
         Name: NameDotString
   

         NOTE: In Microsoft Access version 1.x, the Name property is called
         the ControlName property.
   

         ControlSource: =[CompanyName] & _
                       ".............................................._
                        .............................................."
   
         NOTE: In Microsoft Access versions 1.x and 2.0, type a space in
         [Company Name].
   
         CanGrow: No
         CanShrink: No
         Left: 0.3 in
         Top: 0.08 in
         Width: 2.8 in
         Height: 0.17 in
         FontName: Arial
         FontSize: 8
   
         Text Box 2
         --------------------
         Name: Phone
         ControlSource: Phone
         Left: 3.1 in
         Top: 0.08 in
         FontName: Arial
         FontSize: 8
   
   

4. Create two label controls with the following properties in the report's page header section:

         Label 1
         ----------------------
         Name: CompanyNameLabel
         Caption: Company Name
         Left: 0.3 in
         Top: 0.08 in
         FontName: Arial
         FontSize: 8
         FontWeight: Bold
         FontUnderline: Yes
   

         Label 2
         ------------------
         Name: PhoneLabel
         Caption: Phone
         Left: 3.1 in
         Top: 0.08 in
         FontName: Arial
         FontSize: 8
         FontWeight: Bold
         FontUnderline: Yes
   

5. Set the page header section's Height property to 0.25 in.

6. Preview the report. Note that the report looks as follows:

         Company Name                             Phone
         ------------                             -----
   
         Alfreds Futterkiste......................030-0074321
   
         Ana Trujillo Emparedados y helados.......(5) 555-4729
   
         Antonio Moreno Taqueria..................(5) 555-3932
   
         Around the Horn..........................(71) 555-8248
   
   

REFERENCES

For more information about reports, search the Help Index for "Designing reports," or ask the Microsoft Access 97 Office Assistant.