Creating a report with null's not showing

[brobb56]

I am creating a report
Name Report ID Tax Period Ending Form Number IRS Use only
I have it set up but for each name there may be multiple tax period and form number lines
Name ReportID Tax Period Ending Form Number IRS Use Only
Brown, John XYZ 2009 1040A
Brown John XYZ 2008 1040C



I do not want null's to show so if blank in Tax period ending and Form Number the line does not show. Can this be done?

[pbaldy]

Likely those records shouldn't exist in the first place, but you should be able to base the report on a query that excludes them.

[Robeen]

Is your report based on a Table or a Query?

If it is based on a query, you can have criteria in your query that exclude all the rows that you don't want to see [the ones that have Nulls in Tax period ending and Form Number].

[brobb56]

It is based on a query. What would I use in Criteria

[pbaldy]

Is Not Null

[brobb56]

I tried that period ending 2 and form 2 and it then does not show anything in that field if it is not null I know I am doing something wrong

[pbaldy]

Hard to debug without knowing your data structure and such. Can you post a sample db to test on?

[brobb56]

sure. how and where? I created it on a network can it be worked outside of thisd network?

[pbaldy]

You should be able to post it here, after compacting and zipping. It should work if it's self contained; it won't if the data is coming from a server.

[brobb56]

Here is the db. I used 7z The report is Ives, query same name

[pbaldy]

In my view the database is not properly normalized, with those repeating fields (form1, form2,...). What are you going to do when they decide to have 5? I think the forms and years should be in a related table. If you decide to keep it like it is, you can get rid of the blanks using the Can Shrink properties of the controls and the detail section.

[brobb56]

The years will always be 4. The report Ives once finished will go to IRS and they only accept 4 years. I am trying to keep it simple. I really appreciate you looking at it. What would you suggest that would not require a complete rewrite.

[pbaldy]

You mean besides:

If you decide to keep it like it is, you can get rid of the blanks using the Can Shrink properties of the controls and the detail section.

[brobb56]

Not sure what you mean besides. I am a frustrated novice stuck and I just do not know where to head. Guess that is why I am relying on the pros to help.

[pbaldy]

Each textbox has a Can Shrink property, as does the detail section. Setting those to Yes (and getting rid of the repeated name and tin fields, since they'll never be blank) will get your look. See attached.