Crystal won't supress blank/empty sections 2

[okon3]

Hello all, I see many useful responses here so I thought I'd ask about my dilema.
I'm tring to create a form for someone to fill out if it has not been completed in the last six months.
Fogive me if I don't use the correct terminology, I am new to crystal, using ver 10.
I am using eight fields from two tables.
It set up to pull the names of individuals ordered/grouped by date scheduled, what office they are coming to, then by time, then alphabetically, from there I match the date previously completed from another table), then back to this report to generate the form.
I can get the sorting and grouping so that it only pulls the correct people and information, the problem is I would just like to print only the form in the details area, but I get alot of white space.
The problem is two fold:
1)when I print or preview the report the get white space for the report,page and group headers even though they have no content and the supress blank section is checked in the section expert.
2)I use a subreport to pull the date previously filled out and it too generate white space even with the supress blank section(both when I try it in a group section and the details section) and under the subreport properties suppress blank subreport is checked.
If I select the Hide(drill down OK) option in any of the headers then all my data disappears. I would think that drill down OK would mean simply to hide the current section but allow all under it to complete/display.
Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks for reading.

 

[Madawc]

If some of the details are not wanted, it is best to suppress them in record selection.

If this isn't possible, then use Section Suppression, using a formula. Right-click on the section and choose Format Section. Then choose the formula icon (x+2 and a pencil) for suppression.


Madawc Williams (East Anglia, UK). Using Windows XP & Crystal 10

 

[lbass]

I think that suppress blank section only works if the section contains an object that is conditionally suppressed or sometimes null. So if the sections literally contain nothing, you should simply suppress them. In the case of the subreport, you should have suppressed all sections within the subreport, and then used suppress blank subreport and suppress blank section (this assumes you are using a shared variable to pass the subreport info to the main report).

-LB

 

[okon3]

Thanks guys,
I don't have a right click option for the 'format section', but I assume you mean go into the section editor and put the expression in the x2 section there. Because I always wanted them suppressed (even though there are no contents in the section) I added a:
{table,field}={table,field}
which seemed to work
But please correct me, in the section editor for the suppress(drill down OK) if I check the box it means always supress(even if there are contents), if I click the x2 box and enter an expression, then it conditionally supressed the area based on the expression?
If this is correct is there something I did wrong in crystal by checking the box?? Some type of hidden field. BTW it's mostly footers that I have the problem with.
With this item checked it still left an area for my subreport even when the subreport is empty-no contents because it is supressed in the subreport itself.
Hopefully, if what I have done is OK, then great.
But if you wouldn't mind answering the question on supression check box and X2, I'd appreciate it as I have seen some with both the check bax checked and contents in the x2 field. I always thought why conditionally supress an item with x2 thats already suppressed with the checkbox??
Thanks again for your help!

 

[okon3]

Sorry,
I just noticed I mispoke-I said 'suppress(drill down OK)'. I meant the 'suppress blank section'.
But in my check box question, I see both the check box and x2 contents in the supress(NO drill down) section, but wouldn't it be the same for suppress blank section.
Check box = force supression
x2= conditionally supress?
Sorry for the repost and thanks again,
Tom

 

[okon3]

Ha, sorry again,
The only place I was able to add the:
{table,field}={table,field}
and get it to supress was the supress(NO drill down) area.
I haven't fully tested my report yet, but I am concerned that without the drill down the lower levels will not get processed.
If I put this conditionally in my page header, then none of the contents in my groups or details will get processed. Is that correct. Similar to a 'break' command, it cause the action in the form to jump to the end, or the associated footer then progress from there if there is anything?

 

[lbass]

I'm unclear whether you read my previous post.

You should just be suppressing sections if there is nothing in them, NOT using suppress blank section. Use suppress blank section if the section sometimes contains something, but you want it suppressed otherwise.

A conditional formula in the x+2 area will override the checkbox status, except when the conditional formula does not execute, i.e., if it encounters a null, and in that case, the checkbox status will come into play. Generally, you would NOT check the box, if you are using a conditional formula. You can see this by using a conditional formula like this:

{table.field} <> previous({table.field})

If you check the suppress box, you will see that your first record is suppressed, because there is no previous field in that case, and the checked box "suppress" applies. If you uncheck the box, the default is NOT to suppress, and the first record will still show.

Your formula {table.field} = {Table.field} is the equivalent of checking the box, since it returns "true." It is an unnecessary step.

When you check the suppress(no drilldown) for a particular report section, it only affects that report section, not later sections. Suppress (no Drilldown) has nothing to do with processing later report sections. It simply refers to the fact that if you suppress a section, you can't drill down (except if you conditionally suppress using the drilldowngrouplevel function), while if you instead hide a section, you can.

-LB

 

[okon3]

I'm unclear whether you read my previous post.


I did and I thought I understood at the time, but this clarifies it for me. My apologies, I was still trying to use the suppress blank section as I was concerned that the suppress(NO drilldown) meant it would not process following sections.
I've picked up a few crystal reports books and could not find any that discussed this feature. Not the Peck reference, dummy line or crystal professional result books.
Are there any that you would recommend? The help section has been as much help as anything I've read but I didn't think this area was covered very well there??

This helps tremendously, and thanks again for the prompt responses by all!
Tom

 

[lbass]

I used the Peck book when I was first learning, and the Help files, as well as some of Ken Hamady's materials, but I couldn't find anything in the Help files about "suppress blank section"--I just tested this out. I find it very useful to use the Xtreme database that comes with CR to test out various functions, etc. I probably learned most from this site.

-LB

 

[kskid]

And I will confirm that. It's people like lbass and others like her that has contributed greatly to my knowledge of Crystal Reports.

-lw