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Wrangle FileMaker Pro Sliding Objects and Container Fields

Say you have a database that uses container fields to display PDF files and you want to print from a list view. In cases where there is no PDF in the container field, you want the next full container field to slide up and take the space occupied by an empty one. Find out how to make this work.

By Chris Moyer, The Moyer Group CEO and FileMaker Advisor technical editor, and Bob Bowers, Soliant Consulting CEO and FileMaker Advisor technical editor

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Q: I have a database that uses container fields to display PDF files. I want to print from a list view, and in cases where there is no PDF in the container field, I want the next full container field to slide up and take the space occupied by an empty one. For some reason, sliding objects isn't working on the container fields. Any ideas how to make it happen?


Figure 1: Set Sliding -- You can only see the sliding effect in Preview mode or when you print the screen. To have subsequent records slide up, you must select "Also reduce the size of the enclosing part."

Q: I have a database that uses container fields to display PDF files. I want to print from a list view, and in cases where there is no PDF in the container field, I want the next full container field to slide up and take the space occupied by an empty one. For some reason, sliding objects isn't working on the container fields. Any ideas how to make it happen?


A: For those of you who aren't familiar with this feature, you can access the sliding objects feature via Set Sliding/Printing from the Format menu (figure 1).

It's a handy feature, but it stops working under specific circumstances. For text fields, setting the vertical alignment to center or bottom causes the sliding effect to stop working. For container fields, setting the graphic vertical alignment to center or bottom causes the sliding effect to stop working.

Your problem is that you have your container field vertical alignment set to center. Setting it to top alignment gives you the desired effect.

Wrangle Sliding Objects and Container Fields

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    Chris MoyerChris Moyer is president and CEO of The Moyer Group, a FileMaker Pro consulting and training firm with offices in Atlanta, Chicago, and San Francisco. Chris is a technical editor of FileMaker Advisor Magazine.

    Robert BowersBob Bowers is CEO of Soliant Consulting, and co-author of three books on FileMaker Pro, including Special Edition Using FileMaker Pro 7. Bob is one of a handful of trainers authorized to teach the FileMaker Professional Foundation Training Series. Bob has been a speaker at several FileMaker Developer Conferences, and was awarded the FileMaker Fellowship Award in 2002.

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    Keyword Tags: FileMaker, FileMaker Development, FileMaker FileMaker Pro, Printing

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    Web Edition: 2008 Week 06, Doc #19359

    Print Edition: February/March 2008, Page 7

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    moyec073-02 posted 02/04/2008 modified 07/21/2008 03:42:01 AM ztfmfd/ztfmfd
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