CanGrow problem / bug

[larryww]

Is everyone aware that Access reports will show 800 instead of 1,800? That's right - no asterisks or warnings. This WILL happen if a field width is not wide enough ... or you didn't remember to set CanGrow. In fact, the report wizard often burns me - and I suspect many of you - on this on report total fields.

At least that's the case in my version of Access (2000): CanGrow is turned OFF by default. I have to remember to set it to true on each and every report* ... or play Russian Roulette in guessing whether adequate field widths have been set.

The problem/bug/"feature" is that HIGH ORDER DIGITS ARE DROPPED!! Thus, having CanGrow false in that situation is a deadly effective career KILLER.

So I'm wondering ... is that all there is to it? Do others live in fear like I do, or blindly ignore it! Is there a defensive tactic?

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* footnote to above: Nay, every value field on every report!

 

[LarryDeLaruelle]

Larry:

Only suggestion I can make is to do what I do, test the display/output against lowest and highest values expected in the field and size accordingly.

I generally do not like to use can grow/shrink because it can mess up the formatting I spend hours (well minutes) setting up.

Hope that helps. Larry De Laruelle
ldelaruelle@familychildrenscenter.org