It's always the things that
should be really simple that drive me crazy. If it's me, someone PLEASE
enlighten me, but I've been through all the documentation and tried everything I
can think of and I simply can't make reports print in draft quality no matter
what I do.....although the PRNSETUP command documentation indicates that either
DRAFT or LOW are options of the QUALITY option.
I have a client who
routinely looks up records in his contact list. There's a little one page
report that can print to screen fine. When he notes that a change is
needed (new address for example) he prints this one page report, scribbles the
new info on it and sends it off to the person who handles data entry for the
client database.
I've previously asked for
help with this from the point where the report prints to screen, and the user
tries to click on the printer icon to print the report. (first
click) That brings up the printer dialog box. The default printer is
shown and from there he has to select the "properties" (second click) then he
has to click "draft" (third click) then he clicks on the first "OK"
(fourth click) and then a second "OK" (fifth click). It's driving him
crazy. When he first opens the printer properties dialog box it indicates
that it's already set to draft, but it still prints in letter quality unless he
specifically selects draft quality AGAIN. Then it defaults back to letter
quality and he has to go through this for every single record he wants to
print.
He complains bitterly about
this every time I see him (as I said, it's always the little
things).
The form from which he
selects printng the report automatically sends the report to the screen and to
get it to print to the printe in draft he has to go through all of the
above. I figured it must be a Windows thing....because every other
software program he uses allows him to use the default (printer is set to
default to draft) except RBase.
So then I got the idea of
putting an additional button on the form that would print right from the
form (without a screen display first) to the printer. Documentation seems
to indicate that I should be able to do this with the PRNSETUP and PRINT
ReportName OPTION PRINTER commands in the EEP for the button.
So I tried it in every configuration of order of commands I could think of and
absolutely nothing works. The report will print to the printer without
going to the screen, so the OPTION PRINTER works but it ALWAYS prints in
letter quality.
Because these are just
being used to scribble on and give to data entry staff, DRAFT mode is
what he needs -- both for speed and to save printer
ink.
I simply can't believe that
RBase (which can do almost everything and lots of things I haven't thought of
yet) can't do this.....
The EEP I've tried is as
follows:
PRNSETUP QUALITY DRAFT
PRINT FullBioSheet where idno =
.vidno OPTION PRINTER
Return
This prints the report but
ALWAYS in letter quality.
AAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!
Paula
Stuart
Community
Development Strategies
70 Summer
Street
Somerville, MA
02143
617-776-3367
617-776-4554
(Fax)
617-388-1331
(Cell)
