How To Format Numeric Fields And Numeric Variables

This topic discusses formatting numeric fields and numeric variables.

Numeric codes can be justified and spaced as described in the topic How To Format Text Fields and Text Variables. Refer to that topic for information regarding right and left justifying and padding of fields. In addition to these basic formatting symbols, there are other formatting options, listed below, that apply to NUMERIC fields and NUMERIC variables.

The following formatting information applies to numeric variables as well as numeric fields.

<t>	Print Numbers as Text. Numeric fields will be printed as words. Example: @de.pr<t> prints 1056.13 as 'One Thousand Fifty Six'. This can be used in check-writing.
<.>	Print Fractional Part of Number Only. In numeric fields with decimal points, you may want to print only the fractional part. (for example, pennies in currency fields) Example: @de.pr<.> prints 1056.13 as '13'.
<!>	Print Whole Part of Number Only. In numeric fields with decimal points, you may want to print only the whole part. (for example, dollars in currency fields) Example: @de.pr<!> prints 1056.13 as '1056'.
<.nn>	Print Fractional Part in nn Spaces. In numeric fields with decimal points, you may want to print only the fractional part, padded with spaces if needed. Example: @de.pr<.04> prints 1056.13 as ' 13'.
<!nn>	Print Whole Part in nn Spaces. In numeric fields with decimal points, you may want to print only the whole part (for example, dollars in currency fields.) This code will only print as many as (nn) places, padding with spaces if needed. Example: @de.pr<!03> prints 1056.13 as '056'.
<0nn>	Zero Fill-In nn Spaces. Remove decimal point and commas and pad to nn spaces. Examples: @de.pr<010> prints 1234.56 as '0000123456'. @de.pr<05> prints 1776.13 as '77613'.
<n.0>	Print in n Spaces and Print 0 rather than a blank if the number is zero. Spaces are counted including '$' and ',' Zero currency fields are shown as 0.00. If the number is larger than n spaces, the # symbol is printed instead. Examples: @de.ow<10.0> prints $1,234.56 as ' $1,234.56'. @de.ow<10.0> prints 0.0 as '0.00'. @de.ow<5.0> prints $1,234.56 as ##### since the actual space count is greater than n (5).
<n.nn>	Print in n Spaces to nn Decimal Places. Print 0 rather than a blank if the number is zero. Zero currency fields are shown as 0.00. If the number is larger than n spaces, the # symbol is printed instead. Examples: @de.ra<10.01> prints 333.123 as ' 333.1'. @de.ra<10.03> prints 333.123 as ' 333.123'. @de.ow<6.01> prints 1234.56 as ###### since the total number of spaces needed to display the number is greater than nn (06). This includes the decimal point.
<0>	Print in the Default Field Width and Print 0 rather than a blank if the number is zero. Zero currency fields are shown as 0.00. Examples: @de.ow<0> prints 1234.56 as '1234.56'. @de.ow<0> prints 0.0 as '0.00'.
<s>	Causes everything but numerics to be stripped from a CURRENCY $$$ field before printing. Collect! retains the "." and, in negative balances, the "-" This is good for cleaning up currency (when ' Multi Currency' is switched ON in Company Details.) Examples: @de.ow<s> prints $1,234.56 as '1234.56'.
>n.nn>	Right Justify and print in n Spaces to nn Decimal Places. Print 0 rather than a blank if the number is zero. Zero currency fields are shown as 0.00. If the number is larger than n spaces, the # symbol is printed instead. Examples: @de.ra>10.01> prints 333.123 as ' 333.1'. @de.ra>10.03> prints 333.123 as ' 333.123'. @de.ow>6.01> prints 1234.56 as ###### since the total number of spaces needed to display the number is greater than nn (06). This includes the decimal point.
<n.nn<	Left Justify and print in n Spaces to nn Decimal Places. Print 0 rather than a blank if the number is zero. Zero currency fields are shown as 0.00. If the number is larger than n spaces, the # symbol is printed instead. Examples: @de.ra<10.01< prints 333.123 as '333.1 '. @de.ra<10.03< prints 333.123 as '333.123 '. @de.ow<6.01< prints 1234.56 as ###### since the total number of spaces needed to display the number is greater than n (06). This includes the decimal point.

Dollar Signs

If you would like to automatically control currency signs when you display currency fields, switch ON the ' Multi Currency' switch in the Company Details form. When this is switched ON, Collect! uses your Regional Settings in your Windows system. First, you would set up your Regional Settings to show the currency symbols, (e.g. dollar signs), or not, as you wish. Then, when the 'Multi Currency' switch is ON, Collect! would use the regional settings to determine how to display your numbers. With this switch OFF, you manually control how you display your numbers in reports and letters. This means you would have to manually type in the dollar signs in your report body. You can switch this ON or OFF, as needed, for a particular report.

Select OPTIONS from the top menu bar and a list of choices is displayed. Select COMPANY DETAILS to display the Company Details form.

Assigning Formatted Numeric Fields To A Variable

You can also assign a formatted numeric field to a variable. This works for any printable information numeric field. Any of the numeric formatting operators may be used.

Example:

@varStr* = @de.pr<010>

If the Debtor's Principal is 1234.56, then @varStr now holds '0000123456'.

And you can apply formatting when assigning one variable to another.

Example 2:

@varStr* = @(de.pr+de.fe)
@varStr2* = @varStr<015>

The first string totals the Debtor's Principal and Fees. The value in @varStr2 is the value that was in @varStr plus now it is padded with zeroes up to 15 spaces.

If the Debtor's Principal and Fees total 1834.56, then @varStr2 now holds '000000000183456'.

This is very useful when creating special reports for electronic processing where data must meet special formatting requirements.

Summary

Reports that ship with the demonstration database use these formatting techniques. Please view the Report Definitions list to find reports and letters.