Can I create “bookmarks” in my report?

[kamweng]

I can confirm that JRB-Bldr’s solution in naming a report output to a pdf file work great. Thank-you JRB-Bldr.

And thanks to this forum, I have learned how to use the report writer.

But my accounting report contained almost a thousand pages, making it difficult to navigate. Is there a way to create “bookmarks” in my report so that I also output it to a pdf file?

All helps and hints will be valued.

 

[Mike Lewis]

You can do this with XFRX (which I mentioned in thread184-1721882). You can insert bookmarks in specified locations (such as at the change of a group). Then, in the report preview, you can choose to generate a table of contents, which is essentially a list of the bookmarks, with links to the locations within the report.

Other third-party report products might have a similar feature. It's very easy to do in Crystal Reports, for example. But the advantage of XFRX is that it works with existing VFP reports (FRXs). You don't have to switch to a different report tool to take advantage of it.

Mike

__________________________________
Mike Lewis (Edinburgh, Scotland)

Visual FoxPro articles, tips and downloads

 

[Olaf Doschke]

At least Bullzip PDF or any PDF printer is not a solution for that problem. Again, Bullzip PDF is just a printer driver and it has no concept of the content it puts into a PDF file, it merely takes VFP output in the form of GDI plus graphic and text and puts it in PDF format, it has no concept of how these grpahicas and texts where created and from underlying table or FRX structure it came from.

You might be able to postprocess a resulting PDF to contain bookmarks, but a printer output is no object having chapters etc. As Mike says XFRX allows you to add bookmarks to your FRX and the resulting document, go for that. What you really need perhaps is automating Word to create a document with all the features word processing offer, eg table of contents, bookmarks, links, interactive content. And then use a PDF printer driver or Words 2007 or later feature to save as PDF.

As a side note: Predefining and reviewing all your needs before starting to solve a problem stops you from having a partial solution you might only force into the direction you need with much effort. Instead you find the right tool for the overall job with all features needed in the first place. In this case it's neither FRX, nor a PDF driver, but Word automation, if you ask me.

Bye, Olaf.

 

[kamweng]

Thanks for the suggestions.