Working with the OrderDate Header and Footer Sections
In our report, we will use the group header sections to
present the order date and customer information that is contained within the Detail
section. The Detail section of this report is "home" to the
customer order information; the OrderDate header and footer sections
will serve as "containers" from which we can present the OrderDate
groups to which each set of details belongs.
1.
Re-enter the Design
View for the Customer Orders Report, if necessary.
2.
Select OrderDate
from the Field List.
3.
Drag the OrderDate
compound control to the OrderDate header section, dropping it into the
upper left corner of the section.
4.
Reposition the
compound control to be flush to the top of the OrderDate header section,
and at approximately the 1/4-inch point on the horizontal ruler.
5.
Click the text
control (the right control in the pair) for OrderDate, to select it.
6.
Drag the text
control to align to the right of the OrderDate label, at approximately
the 7/8-inch point on the horizontal ruler, flush to the top of the OrderDate
header section.
7.
Ensuring that
the OrderDate text control is still selected, right-mouse click.
8.
Select Properties
from the context menu that appears, as shown in Illustration 20.
Illustration 20: Context
Menu
The Properties sheet for the OrderDate text
control appears.
9.
Select the
Format tab of the Properties sheet, if necessary.
10.
Select Left
in the Text Align setting of the Format tab.
The Properties sheet - Format tab for the OrderDate
text control appears as depicted in Illustration 21.
Illustration 21: Properties
sheet - Format tab for the OrderDate Text Control
11.
Close the Properties
sheet.
12.
Select the OrderDate
compound control by clicking the label control, holding down the SHIFT
key, and then clicking the text control.
The compound control appears as selected.
13.
Click the Bold
button (Illustration 22) in the main toolbar.
Illustration 22: The
Bold Button
14.
Move the
pointer to the bottom of the OrderDate header section, placing it
between the OrderDate header section and the Detail
section.
15.
Hold down the
left button on the mouse, as soon as the "double-arrow" image
appears.
16.
Drag the Detail
section border up, until a tight fit is achieved for the controls we have
included.
17.
Release the
button to fix the border in place.
The relevant portion of the Design View should appear
similar to Illustration 23.
Illustration 23: The
OrderDate Header
The relatively simple setup for the header is complete. Next, we can consider the OrderDate
footer section. The fact that it should be essentially the same as the header
setup will allow us a welcome shortcut, as we shall see in the steps that
follow.
18.
With the OrderDate
compound control selected, press the CTRL-C key combination.
This
copies the compound control into the notepad area.
19.
Click inside
the OrderDate footer section.
20.
Press the CTRL-V.
This
pastes the compound control, together with the adjustments and formatting that
we have already performed in the OrderDate header, into the footer. We
are thus spared at least the tasks of resizing, formatting and re-setting the
alignment property for the OrderDate compound control. We have only to
arrange it as we need it in the footer section, as well as to handle any
differences in its use.
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