Using the Can Shrink option for Currency - ms-access

I am creating a report in Microsoft Access 2019.
Using the code: =IIf(Trim(Nz([TextBox],""))="","","TextBox"), I have been able to use the can shrink option to save space, and make the report easier to read. Using this and similar codes, I have been able to shrink text boxes, dates, and check boxes.
I am having trouble with currency though. Since the currency boxes are already filled as $0.00, I can't use the code above.
When I tried these two codes: =IIf(Trim(Nz([Base Cost],"$0.00"))="","","Base Cost") or =IIf(Trim(Nz([Base Cost],""))="$0.00","","Base Cost") I got an error saying "The control has a reference to itself"
Along the same lines, how would I code the unbound box label for the Currency if I want it to shrink.
In Essence: I have two boxes: Base Cost and $0.00. I'm having trouble figuring out an If/Then statement for the currency to display ONLY if it has value greater than 0. Then how would I code the Base Cost label to display ONLY if the currency if greater than 0.
Thanks.

I got an error saying "The control has a reference to itself"
warns you, that the control (textbox) has the same name as the bound field (if you use add existing fields, they are named equal) what only is valid, if control is directly bound to the field.
You should always rename those controls, to prevent side-effects (like the circular-reference).
Empty controls can be made invible, instead of shrinking. To format by condition, use conditional.formatting (no visible property, but setting background and textcolor to to forms color hides too).
To check for= ""as condition only catches empty fields. Check the unformated value!
Trim(Nz([Base Cost],""))="$0.00"
can't get true, as[Base Cost]is empty or 0. It just displays $0.00, because of formatting!
Nz([Base Cost],0)) > 0
Sets[Base Cost]to zero if empty and then compares if greater zero.

Related

Making checkbox size bigger in MS Access

I am trying to increase the size of checkbox in MS Access and I know that the default checkbox size cannot be increased.
However, I tried to achieve this by creating an input box and following what is listed here:
http://allenbrowne.com/ser-52.html
I am confused about this step:
Hold down the Alt key, and type 0168 on the numeric keypad (the character for False)
Holding alt key and typing that does not give me a "X" in report view. It gives a very small question mark.
Can I no longer use the method described in the blog above to create a bigger checkbox?
Technique from that blog is simply setting format on a numeric value where character shown depends on whether number is positive or negative. First position is for positive number and second position is for negative. Since True is -1 in a Yes/No field, second position character will be displayed.
If Alt+ is too difficult or other symbols are preferred, another way to get special characters is to copy/paste from Windows Character Map utility.
Instead of using Wingdings font to display symbols, can show alpha characters by setting Format property of textbox with:
To show Y or N: \N;\Y
To show X or nothing: ;\X
Same result can be achieved with an IIf() conditional expression in textbox ControlSource or query calculated field. Difference is the calculated result is the alpha character whereas setting format property does not alter what is actually in the field/textbox.

Hide multiple rows or columns in SSRS report with same Expression at same time

I have a report containing a Tablix/table with sets of rows and columns which I am hiding conditionally using Expressions, via the Column/Row Visibility dialog.
If for example I have 3 columns which I want to all have the same Expression to determine their visibility, is there any way for me to achieve this without opening the Column Visibility dialog for each Column and entering the appropriate Expression?
I've tried selecting multiple columns, but then the right-click context menu no longer offers the Column Visibility option (it's greyed out) and I have also tried out the Hidden property of the columns (which can be amended in bulk by selecting multiple columns), but this only stops the columns from being rendered, leaving a blank space where they used to be (rather than how Column Visibility works, where columns to the right of the hidden columns are moved across to fill the gap, like hiding columns in an Excel sheet).
Is it possible to achieve what I'm after, or will I have to continue opening the Column/Row Visibility dialog for each column/row I wish to conditionally hide/show?
If the columns you want to control the visibility for are next to each other, you can create a Column Group for them and manage the visibility via the Group.
Add a new column group at the appropriate level so that only the relevant columns will be included.
If you already have Column Groups this will likely be a Child Group or an Adjacent Group.
If not, you can create an initial Column Group by dragging a Dataset field from the Report Data into the Groups pane.
Insert new columns inside the new group, and move the data from your existing relevant columns into the group.
The new group does not need to repeat, so in it's properties window set Group on: to a plain text value, e.g. "1".
Input the desired visibility settings into the Visibility page of the properties window.
For each of the individual columns inside the group set the Hidden property to False, to remove any other expressions or settings that might interfere.
Not exactly what you are looking for but perhaps a midway point - and this can apply to many things other than visibility (e.g. background colour, tooltip) - edit the RDL directly using View Code. This has the added benefit of being able to implement changes that are almost identical per column instead of identical with a minimum of mouse usage.
Typically I have set one column up the way I like it in the designer and then copy/paste under the other columns. In the case of visibility look for <TablixColumnHierarchy><TablixMemebers>. You will see a list of empty <TablixMember /> items along with the expanded <TablixMember><Visibility><Hidden>=... block where you have set up one column. Simply copy paste that block over the empty items at the position of interest (you will need to count it out unfortunately as there are no identifiers).
Bonus Tip: If you make a mistake or want to change something later, you can do a replace on all expressions at once (optional regex allowed).
Remember to backup or check in your work first because the designer may not open that report again correctly if you make a mistake :-)
Select the columns you want to conditionally hide and press F4 to see the Properties Window. Look for the Visibility node and use the Hidden property to set the conditionally expression.
The expression should evaluate to True for hiding and False for showing.
Let me know if this helps.

Changing properties for multiple fields at once in SSRS Designer

This is very similar to the post on Formatting multiple fields at once in RDL, but there are still issues with setting properties like Size.Width and Font.FontSize when the underlying data is different between selected cells.
Here's the accepted answer:
Select all the controls in the designer and press F4 for properties. Change the background color
But if falls short when there is a property that is made up of several child properties. Here's an example using font and size, each of which are comprised of several properties.
This is what it looks like when a single field is selected or when multiple fields are selected that all have the same value:
But if I highlight several cells that have different font sizes, or widths, I lose the ability to edit them all simultaneously. For example if I wanted to make consistent column widths across an entire report.
Here's what the properties look like when multiple fields are selected and any of them have a different value:
It's not ideal, but in the case of the size property, I can enter the shorthand value which includes both width and height separated by a comma and it will apply that change to all the selected cells.
But for some reason, in the Font section, I can't even do that.
Other things I've tried:
Using the Formatting Toolbar - which seems to be always greyed out for SSRS:
Using the Formatting Menu Item - which doesn't expose the FontSize property:
Using the Context Menu to enter the Properties Form, which is disabled:
They will be greyed out if they are not identical in all fields selected. This can depend on a related formatting field being different.
One workaround is to create an internal text parameter:
With default value of the value you want to use for the property:
Then set the property for each cell that should have the same formatting to this parameter individually:
Repeat this for each of the relevant child properties, you will then be able to change formatting across the report by changing the parameters.

Access 2007: Conditional Formatting not working for control based on lookup value

I have an Access 2007 report with a control based on a lookup field which has a list of values. The field values are strings:
0. Late
1. Critical
2. Urgent
3. Normal
4. Low
5. Closed
6. Draft/On Hold
In the conditional formatting box, I use:
Field Value Is equal to "0) Late"
and choose a different color background and text color. This should conditionally change the background and text color of the textbox when it's value matches "0) Late", however instead of showing up as expected, the report simply doesn't print that value.
Access help says "When you apply conditional formatting to a lookup field, the condition must be based on the lookup ID, not the value returned by the lookup field."
I'm not sure what it means by Lookup ID. Is that a number based on the position in the lookup value list? I've tried using 1 instead of 0) Late, but that doesn't work either.
The fields in the report were set with background "Transparent"; the backgrounds needed to be set to "Normal" for the fill colors to show up.

Access 2007 - Display text fields in drop down list while bundling to an ID

in Access 2007 how can I display text fields in drop down list while bundling to an ID? not while selecting (we can do this by plying with the width field. but what I need after selecting?
Do we create a hidden field that stores the ID?
Your description of how a combo box works is correct. Keep in mind that while you're setting the first column and display length to zero, that means the combo box will then search by the second text column. The combo box will display by that second text column after you select a value. In fact in all cases for typing in a value, even partial matching as you type, a simple select of a value will ALL BE done by the displayed text column but in ALL CASES it will save the actual ID (the first column) into the table that the form is bound to.
So no additional coding or anything if need be done on your part to achieve the above goal and in fact this is pretty much the default as to how combo boxes work inside of ms access.
What makes the combo box is somewhat unique inside of Access is you can have more then 2 columns. And, in the combo box settins you can choose what column is to be selected and saved into the table. And, the combo box has both before update (with a cancel), and after update and also a Not in List event that fires in the case of a user tyring to type in a value that not in the list.
So, the Access combo box is quite flexible. The source for the list or members displayed in the combo box can be based on a table, on a query, or you can even type in a value list that is saved inside of the property sheet. And, another option is to fill the combo box is by using call backs (so, again quite a few ways to fill out the list of memebers for selectiogn).
So, keep in mind there is two aspects to the combo box. There's a so called row data source or how you feed the members that will display in the combo box. Then there is the underlying column (field) that you bind that control to when you select a value. That is in the case when the combo box is bound.
As mentioned, the bound column setting is another property in terms of inside the combo box, and you don't need to write any additional code to achieve that above goal in your question.
Albert Thank you for this excellent explanation.
I found out that the bound column has no effect. Acces take the first visible field and bound to it regardless of what you have in the bound column property.
All good thanks
Omar ( hostitwise.com)