Progress
Report Builder
Tutorial


Formatting the Title

After you enter the text field on the layout, you can change the following characteristics:

To apply these formatting characteristics to any type of field, use the Properties menu options, the format bar buttons, or the Field Properties dialog box. The following sections describe each of these techniques.

Editing a Text Field

You have already created a new report title, Accounts Receivable List. However, the word “report” might be a better choice than “list.”

Follow these steps to change the text field:

  1. Select the Accounts Receivable List text field. Note that the text string appears in the status bar.
  2. Choose Properties Edit In Place or press F2 to enter the text editing mode. The field is now highlighted and the edit cursor is at the end of the field.
  3. Press BACKSPACE to delete “List.”
  4. Type Report.
  5. Press ENTER. Report Builder exits the text editing mode; however, the field remains selected. To deselect the field, click on a blank part of the layout.

Figure 3–5 shows the edited report title.

Figure 3–5: Layout with Edited Report Title

Changing the Font

When you use the Instant Layout option, Report Builder assigns a default font and point size to every field. The default font and point size are specified with the Default Settings option of the Options menu. To make the report title stand out from the rest of the report information, change its font.

Follow these steps to apply a different font and point size to the report title using the Properties menu and the format bar:

  1. Select the Accounts Receivable Report text field.
  2. Choose Properties Font. The Font dialog box appears:
  3. Select Times New Roman from the Font selection list, then choose OK. Times New Roman is a TrueType font available on most PCs. If you do not have Times New Roman, select another font, but be aware that your report output will look different than the one shown in the examples.
  4. Select the Accounts Receivable Report text field again.
  5. Choose 18 from the Size drop-down list on the format bar.

Figure 3–6 shows the report title in 18-point Times New Roman.

Figure 3–6: Layout with 18-point Report Title

Making the Title Bold

To really make the report title eye-catching, follow these steps to use the Text Properties dialog box to make the field bold:

  1. Select the Accounts Receivable Report text field, then press F4 or double-click on the field. The Text Properties dialog box appears:
  2. If this field is a database or user-defined field, the Field Properties dialog box appears.

  3. Choose the Font button. The Font dialog box appears.
  4. Choose Bold, then choose OK. Report Builder applies the new style and returns you to the Text Properties dialog box.
  5. Choose Close to exit the Text Properties dialog box and return to the report layout.

The text field is now in 18-point boldface Times New Roman. Figure 3–7 shows how the report title now appears on the report layout.

Figure 3–7: Layout with Bolded Report Title

The changes you made to the report title made a difference in how it appears. It definitely is more noticeable in the larger, bold font. However, you can still do more to emphasize it, such as drawing a shaded rectangle around it.


Copyright © 2004 Progress Software Corporation
www.progress.com
Voice: (781) 280-4000
Fax: (781) 280-4095