Change Objects' Height On Report.

[cyanidem]

Hi All,

In my project I got report that I would like to resize depending on sizes of some elements. Because one picture is worth more than 1000 words,
here's the picture:



Selected textbox PONumber can contain just one 7-character PO number or 10 of them. Its Can Grow property is set to Yes and that works as expected. Now, let's have a look at another picture:





I would like selected "border" around all Supplier information to grow as well. But because it's just a rectangle, it doesn't have Can Grow property.

I tried to read PONumber.Height property @On Format event of report detail but it shows height BEFORE it grows - is it normal? How can I read its property when its grown already and set height of rectangle according to it?
Or is there other way (I bet there is...) to achieve that?

Thanks in advance

[ItsMe]

Certain properties can be managed during Run Time. Other changes to properties need to be done during Design Time. In order to accomplish Design Time changes to an object like a form or a report, you will need to open that object in Design View.

If you want to change the Height property of a TextBox control you will need to be in design view of the parent object. These changes need to be made and saved during Design Time. This is unlike the Can Grow property that is available during Run Time.

[cyanidem]

Ok, I think there's some misunderstanding
So, from the start:
My report is build from few different blocks. I separate these block using rectangle under other controls as a kind of border. One of the blocks is supplier information (as in picture) which contains textbox PONumber. This PONumber usually is only one per report (in format POXXXXX) but on some occasions it can be even 10 or more of them (like POXXXXX, POYYYYY, POZZZZZ etc.). I have textbox height set in design mode but I need it to grow in Run mode. And it grows, no problem, that's how Can Grow property works. What I need now is to determine size of grown up textbox and set height of that "border" rectangle. But when I try to do it in On Format event it shows me height of textbox before it grows up.
I know for sure I can set height of objects during run time (in On Format event) because that's what I do in different part of the same report with pictures. What I don't know is how to get height of grown up textbox and then change size of other controls.

[ItsMe]

... set height of that "border" rectangle. But when I try to do it in On Format event it shows me height of textbox before it grows up...

As far as I know, the Height property is not available during Run Time. CanGrow is something different. So, if the height of an object after Cangrow does its song and dance is 600 TWIPS, you will not be able to assign that value to the Height property of another control during Run Time.

You would have to open the Report in Design View. So something like this ...

DoCmd.OpenReport "ReportName", acViewDesign, , , acHidden
Reports!Reportname.ControlName.Height = 600
DoCmd.Save acReport, "ReportName"
DoCmd.OpenReport "ReportName", acViewPreview, , "[MyIdField] = " & lngMyID

If you cannot apply CanGrow to an object, this is the alternative.

[cyanidem]

As far as I know, the Height property is not available during Run Time. CanGrow is something different. So, if the height of an object after Cangrow does its song and dance is 600 TWIPS, you will not be able to assign that value to the Height property of another control during Run Time.

Well, sorry but you're wrong. I set height property of pictures in report in OnFormat event (which is Run Time, right?)
Here's part of sub that's doing it:

Private Sub Detail_Format(Cancel As Integer, FormatCount As Integer)
    Dim Args() As String
    
    Args = Split(Me.OpenArgs, ";")
    
    Image1.Picture = Args(0)
    If Args(0) = "" Then
        Image1.Height = 1
        Image1.Top = 9466
    Else
        Image1.Height = 4581 'twips = 8.08cm
        Image1.Top = 9466
    End If
.................

And it works, so it's definitely possible to set height in run time. I just can't read height property of grown up text box with Can Grow property set to Yes.

[ItsMe]

OK, I stand corrected and thanks. In fact, here is a reference that explains where and when you can do this.
https://msdn.microsoft.com/EN-US/lib.../ff192846.aspx

I also found a reference that states, starting with Access 2010, you can make Design Time changes to Forms by simply using acHidden in the Open method of the DocmdObject. In other words, no need for acDesignView. Which id very interesting to me.

Having said that, It is not likely you will be able to get the value you desire from the Report Object during the OnFormat event. Apparently, according to the description you provided, Access is doing a black box thing at the same time the OnFormat event is firing. So you would have to retrieve the value after the OnFormat event.

I guess you could open the Report twice. During the first rendering, you could assign the values to a custom Class and have Collections store the necessary information. Maybe use the Report's OnCurrent event and gather page number, control height etc.

[cyanidem]

Thing is when I set heights and positions of pictures in that procedure above I refer to heights and positions of other objects (i.e. Image2.Top = Image1.Top + Image1.Height + 5), so it seems like Access can somehow read those values in OnFormat event. But for that textbox it won't show extended height, only that one set in design...
Anyway, your idea with opening report twice and storing values gave me something to grab on, will see where it ends
Thanks for your time and valuable input!