Removing empty space at the top of a section

[egag21]

Hello I've been lurking on tek-tips for a while now and thought I'd finally join. Thanks in advance for all your help.

In Crystal Reports it is easy to adjust the space at the bottom of a section so that there is no white (empty) space between the last field and the end of the section. Is there a way to reverse this so that I can remove the white (empty) space at the top of the section. I'm not looking to suppress anything, I just want better control over the margins between sections.

Note: I know I can select all the fields in the section and move them up, but this is unreliable and time consuming.

 

[lbass]

If you right click in the gray area to the left of the report canvas->select all section objects->->format objects->format (in tool bar)->make same size->same height. Then add a guideline and while all fields are still selected, attach them to the guideline. Then move the guideline up and draw the bottom of the section up.

Not sure there is a simpler way. You can right click on the gray area and select fit section, but it doesn't seem to minimize the section height of items are not aligned.

-LB

 

[egag21]

Thanks for the reply, lbass, but from what I can tell, you can only attach an object to a guideline if they're directly connected. This doesn't help me keep my fields together relationally.

I was thinking/hoping there was a key/mouse combo that would make the divider between sections change the space at the top of the next section rather than at the bottom of the previous section.

 

[lbass]

What? There are both vertical and horizontal guidelines, and the fields don't have to be connected to each other--unless you want a good export to Excel without intervening columns.

-LB

 

[egag21]

I'll try to give an example.

Below, {Name field}, {Address field}, {SSN field}, {Date field}, and {Phone field} are separate fields that are tediously arranged in relation to one another. Yes, I could select them all and move them up in the section, but it is difficult to get them the to exactly butt up against the top of the section the way I need them too.

Before:
|
| [empty space]
|
_________[section break]__________
|
| [empty space]
|
{Name field} {SSN field}
{Address field} {Date field}
{Phone field}

Desired after:
|
| [empty space]
|
_________[section break]__________
{Name field} {SSN field}
{Address field} {Date field}
{Phone field}

 

[lbass]

You could attach them to both vertical and horizontal guidelines for ease of movement, or even better, place each "line" in a separate inserted section detail_a, detail_b, where all fields are snug against the section borders, and use additional sections for desired spaces.

-LB

 

[egag21]

Is there a way to do what I need that doesn't involve guidelines? I find guidelines to be quite annoying. If it doesn't exist, is there a way to precisely place a guideline (down to the thousandths)?

 

[lbass]

Go to file->options->grid size and set it to .011. This is as fine as you can get I think. You can also hold down the alt key as you move a guideline to release it from the grid and allow you to more exactly place the guideline. You also might want to do this with a magnified view (view->zoom->magnification factor).

-LB