PRB: Changing _ASCIIROWS Modifies a Report

• Microsoft Visual FoxPro for Windows, versions 3.0 and 3.0b

SYMPTOMS

When you increase the value of the _ASCIIROWS system variable, the output of a report to the text file does not look the way you might expect. There are more blank lines in the report. It does not seem that more information is printed on one page if the value of _ASCIIROWS is changed from 63 to 120, but there are more blank lines.

CAUSE

The value of _ASCIIROWS does not control the number of records that appear on one page. This number is the same regardless of the output selected for the report; it does not change when going from a graphical report to an ASCII report. _ASCIIROWS defines the number of ASCII lines that the graphical report is printed to. If the graphical report defines a page with less lines than the ASCII result, blank lines are inserted between detail lines, and the report looks double- or triple-spaced.

WORKAROUND

You can combine increasing _ASCIIROWS with reducing the size of the Detail band to increase the number of lines on one page. You can do this by using smaller font sizes and collapsing the Detail band.

STATUS

This behavior is by design.