Maximum of printable controlls on forn/report

[MarcoBechthum]

Hello all,

I have designed a database for keeping up all our equipment we have on site for our fire brigade. In total we have 386 hydrants throughout our area. All these hydrants are placed in a database (together with other equipment) providing details of the equipment and X-Y location on a map (simple but big JPEG picture on a form with maximum width and height.

I have made code that makes a new form, puts the big image of the map on the form and places little images on the form to make clear where on the map the equipment is located. This results in a detailed map with 386 little pictures (image controls) on a form.So far this works perfectly.

I know access forms and reports have a maximum numer of controls of 754, so I'm not at the maximum yet. However and here comes the problem.

If I want to print the form (form with the big map and 386 little images for the equipment locations) the printer prints only the first 256 controls(images) and thats it. Also in print preview the first 256 controls are printed from left to right.

When I check the property form.control.count it says 386 wich is the correct number. When I expand the form.controls property in the watches screen (Shift F9) and expand on form.controls you get the complete list of all the controls but this list stops at control nr. 256...


I am confused and do not understand why:
- Access has only limitations of 754 controls on a report or form, my form has les but does not print all of the controls
- When i open the form normally on screen it shows all the controls.
- when i open the form (that does show all controls) in print design mode +- 100 controls are not shown anymore.

Does anybody know if there are also limitations on the printable number of controls? If so, is there any way to bypass this?

Thanks in advance and sorry for the long text.

Regards,

Marco

 

[Galaxiom]

Hello and welcome to AWF. Nice piece of work you have done with the map by the sounds of it.

Your description strongly suggests that you have discovered the limit to something not encountered by most developers. The number of 256 (one byte) strongly suggests that Access has not allowed enough memory addresses for this variable.

Looks like a bug. What version of Access are you using?

 

[MarcoBechthum]

thank you very much for you reply!

I am using Access 2003 on windows XP with all the latest servicepacks and updates. the computer itself is reasonably new (6 months).

I am affraid you're right about the possible maximum of 256 because the digit equals a bite. On the other hand all 386 controlls are there, are managable with code and properties. So it might just be a printout thing where the maximum of 256 is for.

Hope you know a way around this.

 

[Galaxiom]

Try running it on Access Runtime 2007. It is free to download at Microsoft.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...d9-9dc6-4b38-9fa6-2c745a175aed&displaylang=en

A lot of other limits were enlarged for the 2007 version. Hopefully they fixed this print bug and it might just get you out of trouble.

Ideally install runtime on another computer. Switching between Access and the runtime is a pain. If you do run it on your machine don't cancel the program registration window. It runs for a few minutes each time you change version.

 

[MarcoBechthum]

I would like to use access 2007 if this would sove the problem. The only thing is that our company, a verry big company with milions of standards, regulations and a pain-in-the-ass IT department lets me use only access 2003 and it is not possible to use the 2007 version. Installation will simply be blocked and not possible due to 'safety standards' as they so simply say.... So I have to use access 2003 and find a way around the limitations.

 

[PNGBill]

http://www.access-programmers.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=192631

Here is an issue with charts in a report and it was caused by a currency field / control.

May not help you but just a thought.

 

[boblarson]

What "resolution" are your images currently at? I know I had a problem with only a certain number of images showing if the resolution was too high.

 

[MarcoBechthum]

@ PNGBill: I have checked the thread but for the datasource I use a plain and simple table, thats it. Can't find a way to make it more easy for access. Also tried printing the first and then separately the secondd page. No luck.
@ boblarson: I use .bmp images with a resolution of 24bit. Size is 18X33 pixels

Loading all images on the form works fine on screen. Printing is the only problem. It looks like the array that is used for form.controls is too small. When checking in the watch window the first 256 controls are expandable to see more properties. The other controls are not expandable in the watch screen but are there and managable by code. Somehow I have to find a way to get the form.controls array bigger but haven't got a clue how.

 

[MarcoBechthum]

When reading Bob's question I just tried a little bit. Maybe it could be a resolution and therefore print/memory issue.

I changed the little pictures from .png to .bmp (the Fire Hydrants were .png images) and tried again. Now the report prints all 386 controls (fire hydrants) on the map so you could say my issue right now is resolved!

But... I still don't understand why I can see the first 256 controls in the watch-screen and not the other 100-something. This still remains a question for me because maybe later I will add more and more equipment to the database and somewhere it's bound to stop printing ok I gues..

Thanks so far for all your replies by the way!!

 

[boblarson]

Glad you got it so far. I don't know where the limit occurs, but glad you were able to make it work.