Extra space every 10 lines on a Microsoft Access report - ms-access

Question

I'd like to add some extra space every 10 lines on each report page for readability.
I've tried counting lines and changing the height of the detail section in the Detail_Format event routine but that didn't seem to do anything.
Then I tried using a tall dummy field with just a space char that was made visible every 10 lines (along with the proper CanShrink settings), and the extra space was visible but not on the correct lines. Instrumentation showed that the event routine was calculating properly but the effect seemed to be out of sync.
But there must be a straightforward way to do this, right? Any suggestions?

Answer 1

Such a result is only possible at print layout as far as I know.
That's how I did it:
The sample counts the printed rows for each page and uses the Print event of the Detail section to add an empty row if necessary by setting PrintSection and NextRecord properties of the report.
To assure a resetting of the counter for each page and prevent that the first row of a page will be blank the Format event of the PageHeaderSection is used.
Use the constant INSERT_BLANK_ROW_EVERY to set when a blank row should be inserted.
Const INSERT_BLANK_ROW_EVERY As Integer = 10
Dim insertBlankRowNext As Integer
Dim pageLineCount As Integer
Private Sub Detail_Print(Cancel As Integer, PrintCount As Integer)
If PrintCount = 1 Then pageLineCount = pageLineCount + 1
Me.PrintSection = Not insertBlankRowNext
Me.NextRecord = Not insertBlankRowNext
insertBlankRowNext = (pageLineCount Mod INSERT_BLANK_ROW_EVERY = 0)
End Sub
Private Sub PageHeaderSection_Format(Cancel As Integer, FormatCount As Integer)
pageLineCount = 0
insertBlankRowNext = False
End Sub
Regarding the PrintCount parameter Microsoft writes:
Microsoft Access increments the PrintCount property each time the OnPrint property setting is evaluated for the current section. As the next section is printed, Access resets the PrintCount property to 0.
See details here: Report.PrintCount property

Answer 2

You can also add dummy fake records that are blank.
Assuming your report is based on query e.g. Query1, instead of your using it as RecordSource for the report, you could use it as source for a table (Make Table) and create a table that holds the information you want but with the extra records (lines) for readability.
Just after the "dumping" of the Query1 to table..you load it on a RecordSet ...you iterate the records and according to your needs you .AddNew records.

Answer 3

Based on the information in UnhandledException's answer, this is how I did it, and it's it's actually very easy to do.
Step 1: Add a text box of the desired height on the detail line. I think CanShrink must be set for both the text box and the detail line.
Step 2: Add these to your event handling:
Private Sub Detail_Format(Cancel As Integer, FormatCount As Integer)
LineFormatEvents = LineFormatEvents + 1
Me.txtExtraSpace.Visible = (LineFormatEvents Mod 10 = 0)
End Sub
Private Sub PageHeaderSection_Paint()
LineFormatEvents = 0
End Sub
Note that I'm using Access 2016; I don't know how many versions back this will work.