Column and Block Statements
You can use column and block statements to set up an explicit print position, column width, and format for the values contained in the named database column or for a report block (as defined by a .block statement).
For instance, you can use the .position and .width statements to assign the starting print position and column width for a column or block, which are used in conjunction with
text positioning statements (see page
Text Positioning Statements) such as .tab and .right justification. If you do not explicitly specify column print positions, column widths, and column formats with these statements, then Report-Writer
assigns defaults automatically (see page
Automatic Determination of Default Settings) from an analysis of the other report formatting statements.
Use the following column and block statements:
• The .format statement explicitly specifies a print format (such as character string or standard decimal notation) for a column.
• The .tformat statement temporarily changes the print format for a column, only for the next value to be printed.
This statement is used for such functions as printing a value of a column on the first line of a page or of a group only, or including a currency symbol only on the first printing of a column value.
• The .position statement sets up an explicit starting print position for a column, which can be used with the .tab, .right, .left, or .center statements.
• The .width statement sets up an explicit width for a column, to be used with the .right or .center statements.
• The .block and .endblock statements allow you to treat sections of the report as blocks.
This enables you to refer to positions on previous as well as on subsequent lines in the report. These statements can be used in conjunction with the .top and .bottom statements to align blocks of data horizontally adjacent to each other rather than in vertical sequence.
• The .top statement, used while in block mode, moves the current position to the top line of the current block.
• The .bottom statement, used while in block mode, moves the current position to the bottom line of the current block.
• The .within and .endwithin statements allow you to temporarily set the report margins to the confines of a specific column, using its position and width.