Description of Design Mode in Screens, Reports, & Labels

• Microsoft Visual FoxPro for Windows, version 3.0

SUMMARY

Reports, labels, and screens are in a design mode when they are opened through the menu or through the MODIFY command from the Command window. Reports and labels can toggle from design mode to print preview while screens toggle between design mode and tab order.

MORE INFORMATION

The report designer and the Label Designer each have two modes of operation called the design mode and the preview mode. The design mode is shown initially. The Page Header, Detail, and Page Footer bands are displayed so you can modify the fields and layout of the report or label.

Print preview is the second mode and can be accessed through the menu. From the File menu, choose Print Preview, or from the View menu, choosh Preview. There is also a print preview button on the standard toolbar. Print preview allows you to see how the report will look printed without actually sending the report to the printer.

To toggle back to the report design mode, choose Design from the View menu, or choose the Close Preview button from the print preview toolbar. Because design and print preview are two modes of the report designer, if you choose Close from the Command menu or press CTRL+F4, you will close both the design and print preview modes of the report designer.

The form designer also has two modes of operation. As with the report designer, the design mode is initially displayed when creating a new screen or modifying an existing one. The design mode is where objects can be placed on the screen and code entered for different events. The second mode is tab order. The sequence of object selection when tabbing through a screen is set when the form designer is in tab order mode. The first two buttons on the form designer toolbar allow you to toggle between design mode and tab order. The View menu also allows you to choose between the design and tab order modes.