Xojo report fields multiline

General
1

Hi. Is there a trick to getting the report fields and/or report labels to handle character returns to be displayed properly?

When attempting the report field with multiline set as on, the result has some strange extra returns present. Taking the following for example, which is what it should look like ideally:

Unregistered software may be returned within 60 days of purchase for refund

  • Unopened, unregistered: Full refund minus S/H
  • Opened, unregistered: Refund minus 20% restocking fee and minus S/H
  • Opened, registered: Software will be returned with no refund granted

The result with the report field looks like this

Unregistered software may be returned within 60 days of purchase for refund
*
Unopened, unregistered: Full refund minus S/H

  • Opened, unregistered: Refund
    minus 20% restocking fee and minus S/H
  • Opened, registered: Software will be
    returned with no refund granted

When trying the same with a multiline label, there are indeed 4 lines showing when the report is run, but there is overlapping occurring. Does anyone know how to get this to work?

2

You’ve run into the fact that reports can’t have variable line heights. You can set the size of the line so that it will show 3 or 4 lines of text but that means that all lines will have the same spacing. It’s not ideal. I don’t know of too many Xojo developers that use the built-in reporting tool due to its limitations.

It’s part of the reason we created Shorts http://www.bkeeney.com/allproducts/bkeeney-shorts/ which has an embeddable Report Designer and Viewer into your application. Exports to HTML and PDF (using DynaPDF from MBS). It’s a commercial product so that might not be on your radar.

3

Bob this is great! I’ve been using the built-in report for years and have not been so happy with the functionality, as I am sure many feel the same.

I’ll be purchasing the tool soon. Is the demo available in project form too? My goal is to have the report run without the designer by just passing in some variables if that’s possible. I see on the demo, there’s the Code Report Examples, and I’d like to see how the reports are produced without use of the designer.

I use various reports for my own business needs, but also have some of my compiled projects using a report generation, and I think having the designer would be confusing to the end users. Is this possible?