Borders/Gridlines on Reports

[Winston]

We are working on an Access report that will, in the end,
look like a spreadsheet, with many rows and columns of
data. It is much easier to review the data if there are
gridlines or borders around each data field. However, we
find it VERY difficult to draw all the lines that we need
to be straight and even, or to put borders around the
fields and have them line up nicely. Is there some
easier/faster way of putting lines around each data item?

Regards!
Winston

 

[Rick B]

Just use the line tool and put the vertical lines in the detail section of
your report between each column of data. Put your horizontal lines in the
details, headers, and/or footers depending on how the report should look.
This should be pretty easy to do.

I have had a problem with drawing a horizontal line at the bottom of the
page if the section carries across more than one page, but basically have
gotten this type of report to look pretty good with a little tinkering.

Are you having specific problems?

Rick B


We are working on an Access report that will, in the end,
look like a spreadsheet, with many rows and columns of
data. It is much easier to review the data if there are
gridlines or borders around each data field. However, we
find it VERY difficult to draw all the lines that we need
to be straight and even, or to put borders around the
fields and have them line up nicely. Is there some
easier/faster way of putting lines around each data item?

Regards!
Winston

 

[Marshall Barton]

We are working on an Access report that will, in the end,
look like a spreadsheet, with many rows and columns of
data. It is much easier to review the data if there are
gridlines or borders around each data field. However, we
find it VERY difficult to draw all the lines that we need
to be straight and even, or to put borders around the
fields and have them line up nicely. Is there some
easier/faster way of putting lines around each data item?

It can be easy to align the text boxes by manually setting
their Top and Height property. This can be done by clicking
in the left ruler area to select all the controls across the
report and setting the properties of all the controls at
once. If you need do this to a bunch of controls at various
locations in the section, you can select them by holding
down the shift key and clicking each control.

Setting the Format menu's Snap to Grid option can also be a
big help in aligning each text box's Left with the right
edge of the previous text box.

If the text boxes do not grow, then you can use their border
as the "cell" outlines. If you have some text boxes that
can grow, then it gets tricky and I suggest you try using
Stephen Lebans' PrintLines download at www.lebans.com