can grow, can shrink tutorials?

[wiklendt]

hi,

can anyone point me to really good sources/tutorials to learn the basics (and more) about "can shrink" and "can grow" in reports? i've never used these before but will need to (possibly) use them now.

edit(
actually, i'll need to display certain fields if there is data in them, and not display them if there's not, IN ADDITION to allowing them to grow or shrink - is that a possibility?
)end edit

cheers,
agnieszka.

 

[Dennisk]

just set the properties of the text box to can grow yes and can shrink yes

 

[fearoffours]

As mentioned above, they pretty much do what they say on the tin.

If the field is empty, and it is set to can shrink, then the field will not display at all.
If the field is set to Can Grow, then it will grow and grow to fit in whatever data is in the field.
The behaviour of other fields in relation to those set to Can Grow is a bit of a problem. Sometimes they move when you don't want them to, and sometimes they don't when you do. How this affects you depends a lot on the type of report you are printing.
The best thing to do is set them the fields in question to both can grow and can shrink and see if it gives the desired results!
You may find this thread here of some interest

 

[wiklendt]

thanks :-D

wow, that simple! thank god - for once something simple in access!! LOL

(but yes, i did see the other thread fearoffours, thanks - i MAY run into the same problem).

is it possible to 'group' sections, and then make the group container grow/shrink? this may avoid any problems like in that thread....

 

[georgedwilkinson]

wow, that simple! thank god - for once something simple in access!! LOL

Almost everything in Access is simple. You can right click and do almost anything.

 

[fearoffours]

is it possible to 'group' sections, and then make the group container grow/shrink? this may avoid any problems like in that thread....

Yes this is possible, and in most cases necessary to get the desired effect. However, with the case I reported in the other thread, I could not set the container to grow as it was a label report and would have knocked the printing out of whack with the sheet of labels.