Modify Show Database Table Format Form

Modify/Show Database Table Format Form

Method 1:

Use any of the commands to display the Choose Tables For {Interactive Editing, Display, Printing, Export to Access, Export to Excel} form.

Expand the tree associated with a table type by clicking on the plus (+) symbol preceding the table type name. Continue expanding the tree until the table appears (Table: {Name}).
Right click on the table name and select Display Table from the resulting drop-down list.
Select In SAFE from the next drop-down list to display the table form.
On that form, select the Format, Filter, or Sort command on the Format-Filter-Sort menu to display the Modify/Show Database Table Format form.

Method 2:

Click the Options menu > Database > Edit Format File command to access the Database Table Formats File form.
Use the Database Table Formats File form to specify the filename and path for a format file (.fmt) to be edited.
After the filename and path have been specified, the Table Format File Data form will display.
Highlight a table name in the Tables in Format File list.
Click the Modify/Show Format Data for Selected Table button to access the Modify/Show Database Table Format form.

The Modify/Show Database Table Format form has Format, Filter and Sort tabs that can be used to specify a format for printing, displaying, or exporting data tables. After the format has been defined, it can be saved to a file that can be used for multiple output operations, ensuring consistent presentation that reflects user-specific requirements.

Format Tab

Display Order and Field Visibility spreadsheet. This area of the form is populated with the tables available based on the selections made on the form that preceded this one (i.e., Choose Tables for form or the Table Format File Data form). Click on a spreadsheet cell in the Field Name column to select a field for review and editing. Double clicking on a cell in the Item column will switch Printed to Not Printed, which means that the field will not be included in the table.

Arrow buttons. Click on an item name and then use the appropriate arrow button to move the selected item up or down in the list. Moving an item up in the list moves it to the left when the table is displayed or printed. Moving an item down the list moves it to the right when the table is displayed or printed.
Reset Display Order to Default button. Click the Reset Display Order to Default button to restore the program default order of the fields/columns in the table.

General

Include Field in Report check box. By default, this check box is checked. To exclude a field and its associated data from the table, select/click on an item name in the Display Order and Field Visibility area of the form and uncheck this check box.
Repeat Field if Table is Split check box. Check this check box and select/click on an item name in the Display Order and Field Visibility spreadsheet to have the selected field (column) on subsequent pages if the table is split. (This is similar to specifying "columns to repeat" when setting up an Excel workbook for printing.) If the number of fields/columns and their associated widths exceed the width specified for displaying or printing the table, SAFE will automatically split the table and specify that the first field in the list repeat. The splits and Repeated item will appear in the Display Order and Field Visibility spreadsheet area. The program splits and repeats cannot be deleted. Use the Force a Table Split After this Field check box and the Field Width edit box as necessary to achieve the desired pagination.
Force a Table Split After this Field check box. Select/click on an item name in the Display Order and Field Visibility spreadsheet and check this check box to specify that the table splits after the selected field.

Field Alignment and Width

Field Alignment drop-down list. Select/click on an item name in the Display Order and Field Visibility spreadsheet and choose the horizontal alignment for the text in the cells under this field/column heading in the table.
Units for Field Width drop-down list. Choose to specify the width of this field/column in the table in inches or millimeters. The width of the column is specified using the Field Width edit box.
Field Width edit box. Select/click on an item name in the Display Order and Field Visibility spreadsheet area of the form. Use the default or type in a value for the width of the selected field/column.

Reset to Program Default Field Format

Selected Field button. Select/click on an item name in the Display Order and Field Visibility spreadsheet area of the form and click the Selected Field button to reset all options on this form to program defaults for that field/column.
All Fields button. Click the All Fields button to reset all options on this form to program defaults for all of the fields/columns.

Filter Tab

Filter Type options. The selection made here determines the appearance of the form and the input requirements.

None option. This is the default. When this option is selected, no filtering criteria have been established for the output.

Quick option. Use this option when filtering depends on a criterion, rather than criteria, to specify the pattern through which matching data is allowed to pass.

Field drop-down list. Choose the field (or column) containing the values to be compared to establish the scope of the pattern.
Operator drop-down list. Choose an operator (that is, a character such as >, <, = and the like), to specify how the comparison of the data is to be accomplished.
Value edit box. Specify the Value to which other values in the Field are to be compared based on the chosen Operator to complete the filter pattern.

Basic option. Choose multiple fields, operators, and values to specify the pattern through which matching data is allowed to pass.

Click in a cell in the Operator column to access a drop-down list of characters such as >, <, = and the like. To remove an Operator, selecting None from the drop-down list.
Type the appropriate text in the Filter Value cell to specify when data should be included in the table.

Clear All Filters button. Click the Clear All Filters button to remove all filters applied to the table.

Advanced option. When this option is selected, the Advanced Filter-SQL String input area becomes available. Use the area to specify an SQL string for filtering the data in the tables.

Sort Tab

Table Sorting - Sort by these Fields: Choose to arrange the records in the table using up to five sequential sorts. Select the first field to sort on from the Sort By drop-down list. Check the Descending check box if the records should be sorted in descending order; otherwise that data will be sorted in ascending order. An additional layer of sorting may be done by selecting another field from the Then By drop-down list.

All Tabs

Apply Format to Table

Apply Format from File button. Click the Apply Format from File button and select a style sheet file (.fmt) to apply to the field selected in the Display Order and Field Visibility spreadsheet. As explained below, create a .fmt file using the Save Table Format to File button.
Apply Program Default Format button. Click this button to apply the program default style sheet file (.fmt) to the field selected in the Display Order and Field Visibility spreadsheet.

Save Table Format to File button. Click this button to access a form for saving the options specified on this form to a .fmt file. After the file has been saved, it can be retrieved and applied to other reports by clicking the Apply Formats from File button and selecting the .fmt file name.