How To Use Headers And Footers

Headers and Footers are standard information repeated on additional pages of a multi-page report. For example, use these to display column headings, notices, or disclaimers. The information is typed into the Header and/or Footer sections of your report definition.

Header

The Header is standard information that is displayed at the TOP of each additional page of a multi-page report, for example, column headings. Information that you want to repeat at the top of every page that you print after Page 1 is entered into a Header. Any codes that you use in your Header follow the same rules as the codes that you use in your report body.

After you design your report and test it and are satisfied with it, click the HEADER button while in the Report Definition. Type in the information for your header line by line into the Header form.

Because Collect!'s report writer was designed to be an efficient method for merging data on a printable form, it can be tricky to get a header to line up properly with the data. The best way to do this is to copy and paste the header that you created in your Report Body for the first page. There are two methods to do this.

Method A

When you are satisfied with the appearance of the header on page 1 of your report, you can copy this into the Header form, line by line. Make sure you copy only one line at a time from the header in your Report Body into the Header form. Test the results. You may need to use trial and error to manually fine tune the alignment.

Method B

This is actually the easiest method, however you have to be familiar with Collect!'s Report Import/Export feature and with using Word Pad or Notepad.

1. Export your report. Please refer to How To Export A Report if you are not familiar with this process.

2. Open the report in a simple word processor. At the top you will see the following lines.

Report definition
Name : Debtor Letter Template 1 - 1000.rpt

Destination : 1
Printer Number : 0
Width : 0
Height : 0
Top Margin : 0
Left Margin : 0
New Form : 0
Start On : [Debtor]
Init String : [@*PA]

Deinit String : [@AP*]
*Report header
*Report body

3. Scroll down further to where you actually see the header that you designed in your report body. Highlight all the text and lines of the header and copy it right below the line at the top that reads *Report header. Make sure you copy to a new line after the words "*Report header".

4. Save the report in the same format, (i.e., .rpt extension) and import it back into Collect! Please see How To Import A Report if you are not familiar with this process.

This is the easiest way to get identical alignment and formatting for your header.

When your report is printed, your Header will appear at the top of each page of the report.

Footer

A Footer is standard information that is displayed at the BOTTOM of every page of a report or letter, for example, a notice or disclaimer. The codes that are used to create a Footer follow the same rules as your report body code. To design a Footer, click the FOOTER button in the Report Definition form. Enter the information that you want to appear, line by line, in the Footer form.

You can force a page break by placing the code @fo at the point where you want your Footer to begin. This will cause the Footer to be printed and a new page to start. You can also insert this code from the Choose Report Item form that opens when you press F2 while in the Report Body.

If you are printing "Default Printer Stream" you can start your Footer at a particular line of your report. After the @fo symbol use the line number where you want your Footer to print.

Example: @fo55 will start your Footer at Line 55.

The use of a line number only works when you are using the "Default Printer Stream" setting in your Report and Printer Setup. To check this, pull down the Print menu and choose Settings, then choose Report and Printer Setup. This will display the Report and Printer Setup dialog.