Memo field hangs report

[Paul Fenton]

I have a report that prints client records from a query and the
records include a memo field. Almost all records have something in
that memo field and the contents of the field would rarely exceed
1500-2000 characters. We usually print the report for specific date
ranges, such as a calendar month.

The memo field is used to update status on the customer's project and
staff makes individual entries in the field as work progresses. Each
entry is date stamped with the date and time and the field might have
anywhere from 1 to a dozen separate entries.

The problem we're having is that certain records with something in the
memo field will hang the report. For example, there are 2 records for
October 8 that will not print and 4 records from November 16 that
won't print. Any date range that includes those dates hangs with the
message "Formatting page..." etc. If I try to print just those days,
it hangs. I can print other date ranges in those months or any other
month just fine.

We've been running this report for years and this problem just cropped
up. I can't see anything particularly unusual about the contents of
the field in those 6 records (out of 17,000 in the db).

Compact and repair doesn't fix it and the query that report runs from
does get the records.


Paul Fenton
(e-mail address removed)

 

[John Spencer]

I suspect that the contents of the memo field is longer than will fit on a
page.

I have had a similar problem with long memos with Can Grow set to Yes
Keep Together for a detail section or was it setting the group's keep
together property to Whole Group?

Sorry, can't exactly recall. I suggest you try experimenting with the
settings.

What I remember was the program seem to hang when it couldn't fit
everything on one page. It seemed to search for a page that would hold all
the data I told it I wanted on one page.

 

[Paul Fenton]

John, that's exactly the problem. The text in the memo field in those
records is too much for one page. The memo field is in the detail
section of the report and I have Can Grow set to Yes.

I'm going to post a new message to see if anyone has a solution.


Paul Fenton