Repeat Your Report Header on Every Page
"My Q&A reports have running report headers. How come Sesame can't do this?" Heard this lately from a client or user? We did — once too often. So we dug deep and came up with way to repeat a report header on every page.

Removing Line Breaks and Tabs — and Discovering Regex
While leafing through the Sesame 2.0 User Guide or Programming Guide, you may have stumbled across the term "regex" and wondered if it was another language you might have to learn. This article introduces you to the power, usability, and versatility of regex in database searching. When normal search methods can't find what you're after, there's a good chance regex can.

Create a Classier Prompt Box
Sesame's stock user input box leaves a few things to be desired, such as not being able to place it where you want it or size it to fit. We show you how to create a custom prompt box that you can size, color, label and precisely position to meet your exact data entry preferences.

_______________You ask. We answer.

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• Open Calculator in Sesame — Ever need to do some calculations while filling out a record. Why not put a button on the form that pops up Windows Calculator? It's easy.

• Programming vs. Field Templating — A Sesame field template not getting you where you want to go? You might be better served by replacing that template with a custom program.

• Use @Replace to Mass Update Part of a Field's Data — When you don't want to globally update an entire value, just part of it, @Replace to the rescue.

• Format Report Columns, Not Form Data — If you need your reports to print things a certain way, such as numbers with no decimal places, don't make the mistake of trying to solve the problem at data entry end.

• Change/Remove Field Restrictions — After translating a Q&A database, you might find that the field restrictions are more trouble in Sesame than they're worth. Here's how you change or remove them altogether.

• Basic Retrieve and Report Refresher Course — A new Sesame user, with no experience in Q&A either, is having trouble searching on date ranges. It's back to basics time.

• Checking for Failed XLookups — When an XLookup fails to find what's supposed to be there, you might not know it and it could spell trouble down the road. Here's an easy way to have Sesame alert you to a lookup that couldn't deliver.

• Date Formats and Date Searching — During some operations under certain conditions, Windows may turn your dates around so that 3/12/2009 (March 12, 2009) winds up as December 3, 2009. Disaster. Here's what you need to know about this.

• More on Date Formatting — Sesame doesn't seem to be exporting your dates in the same format as they appear in your form — causing problems at the other end. What's happening and what can you do about it?

_______________Technical tidbits you can use today

 

• Dashed Separator Lines in Reports — 'Just like Q&A' — Would you prefer dashed or double-dashed lines instead of solid lines below your column headings and subtotal breaks? Here's the trick.

A New Slant on Automating Your Apps
Did you know that you can remotely control one Sesame form from another? You can do some real form magic here — and bring a new level of automation to your applications — with these two Sesame 2.0 commands designed just for the purpose.

Make Monthly Local Copy Part of Your Backup Strategy
Keep your backups forever? Why would you want to do that? Here's a backup strategy that could save your bacon should a goofed-up Mass Update go unnoticed for a long period of time.

Backup Your Applications from Within Sesame
Sesame offers a host of built-in backup options. Choose the one or ones that best suit your needs from this comprehensive review.

_______________You ask. We answer.

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• Problems 'Posting' Blank Values with XResultSet — If you've thought about using XResultSet to do your batch posting, here are a few quirks you should know about.

• Make @PopupChoiceList Fill Keyword Fields — Sesame's pop-up pick-list commands use semicolon-separated values. Keyword fields use semicolon-separated values. So, what do you do if you want a pick-list of multiple keyword entries destined to be used in a Keyword field?

• Don't Forget '&' and Space Searches — Some handy tricks you can use when searching on two things in the same field.

• Change Report and LE Name Capitalization — If you try to change the capitalization of a report or LE name, Sesame stops you cold. Here's the workaround.

• Make Fields Read-Only On Demand — A reader wants to know how to prevent users from changing the data in records where the specified closing date has been passed. Sample application included in this month's download file.

• Use LE Labels as Column Headers — If your form is organized into columns of data with no labels on the individual elements, what's the most sensible way to add column headings?

_______________Technical tidbits you can use today

 

• How Unique Values Checks Can Fail — The @IsUnique function is a great way to check for duplicate values across all records in the database, but it can fail you if you don't take a certain something into account.
   

• Totals-Only 'Quick Reports' — Didn't think you could get 'em, did ya?
   

• In-Your-Face Font Sizing — Need a huge font size? Sesame limits you to 72 pixels. Or does it?
   

• Don't Count on @ResultSetCurrentPosition — If your mass update needs to track record position, better read this before running it in a client/server environment.
   

• If @Calendar leaves you wanting, try our new DoubleDate add-in.

Speedier Pick-List Lookups with XResultSet
Ever consider using XResultSet instead of XLookup to retrieve data from external databases? Here's a scenario where you could gain a lot in terms of ease of use and overall efficiency — particularly with large lookup databases — when using pop-up pick-lists to tell Sesame what you want. Sample application included in this month's download file.

Making an Abbreviated Copy of a Form for Another Database
Suppose you want to copy an existing form, remove some fields from it, then attach it to a new database in the same application. Not easy unless you know the ropes.

_______________You ask. We answer.

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• Align Text in Word Merge Documents — You need to WordMerge into perfectly aligned columns, as you would for an invoice or statement. How do you create those columns in your Word doc?

• Print Expanded Fields with WordMerge & Tables — When printing your records in Sesame, you'll loose any text that doesn't actually show when you look at the form. Here's a way to print your records so that all the text shows. Sample application included in this month's download file.

• Use Special Characters in Element Labels — How to use ¶, ¢, © and other special characters in layout element labels.

• Conditionally Print Merge Fields — Did you know that a WordMerge merge document can print data conditionally? Here's how to create an If...Then...Else merge field in Word to augment your merge printing options.

• Copy a Database in Your Application — Follow these seven steps to copy a database along with all its forms and reports for use in the same application.

• Disappearing Records Or Carelessness? — If one day you should find you're missing some records and have duplicates of others, here's what you or your people did.

_______________Technical tidbits you can use today

 

• Update Your WordMerge Programming for New LE Type — The new Text Editor LE just introduced in Sesame won't WordMerge unless you know what to take care of first.
   

• How to Set a Default Sort Order for a Subform — Here's the trick.
   

• Locate that Mystery Layout Element — Does your spec window in runtime show a fieldname that you have no idea how it got there or what it's for? You can solve the mystery in about one minute.
   

• Find All Dates in a Particular Month — Need to find out who gets a birthday card in March? Is this a trick question? No, but it might be tricky retrieving all your contacts with a March (of any year) birth date. We simplify it.
   

• Retrieve Every 4th (or 10th) Record — Need to do a random sampling of your records for a test mailing? We show you how to retrieve every nth record.

Speed-Up Your Custom Parent/Child Programs
Outside of a report/subreport and normal search/update/add operations, custom procedures that require both parent and child data can take forever to run on a large set of records — assuming you can get it to work at all. Here's what you're missing, and how taking advantage of it will turbocharge your custom procedures.

Copying Records Between Databases
This simple pushbutton method lets you copy individual records from one database to another, even when the forms and databases are very different or even in different applications.

XResultSet Speed vs. Report Speed — Why It Matters
Every wonder why, with the same set of records, a report runs so much faster than any custom programmed procedure you can create? The answer to this could make your dog programs run like greased lightning. Find out how to take advantage of Sesame's powerful report engine even when it isn't a report you're after.

_______________You ask. We answer.

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• The Wrong Way to Save Records — Sesame gives you a variety of Save options when working with your database records. Two of them are not only unnecessary during normal data entry, they'll tie up everything and everybody as well. Are your people mistakenly using these options?

• Open Sesame DBs and DSR Files Properly — Here's what can happen if you try to associate Sesame application files with sesame.exe in Windows. Ouch!

• Making and Opening Designer Files — An excellent little primer on creating  and opening DSR files that could save you from inadvertently wiping out a valuable one.

• Make All Text Field Data Uppercase — Here's a global solution to ensuring that all the text in a database is always saved in all uppercase. Unlike Sesame's uppercase format option, this method guarantees all uppercase text in mail merges, exports and reports as well.

• Use Programming to Check Field Content — Some handy little programs that can differentiate between numeric and alphanumeric values to ensure your program proceeds in the right direction.

• Change Field Names in Q&A Win Before Translation — Need to legalize your field names before translating a Q&A for Windows database? Here's how you do it.

• Modify a Report Generated by Wizard — Sesame's Report Creation Wizard is a terrific time-saver for basic report design. But it's likely to leave you with cosmetic work to do. Here, step-by-step, are the most common post-wizard touch-ups you'll need for a great-looking report.

• Version 2.5.1 Available — A brief rundown of fixes and improvements in the latest Sesame release.

_______________Technical tidbits you can use today

 

• Subtracting Dates in a Report — The surest way to get the number of days between two dates.
   

• Report Totals Off By a Penny or Two? — One day a client or user, adding machine in hand, may inform you that your report doesn't correctly total up the column entries. Oops!
   

• Prevent Report Column Headings from Wrapping — Multiline column headings designed to be way are one thing. But it looks awful when they start wrapping on their own. Here's an easy way to prevent the heading label from wrapping without having to change the label text.
   

• Run a Report with No Browser or .htm File  — When you run a report the usual way, you'll always get the browser along with the report's .htm file. But what if you want to run the report without either of these? Why would you? Ah, that's a very good question. Here's why....
   

• 'No Records Returned' — Perfect! (An Alternative to Complex Data Validation) — How a few cleverly designed saved retrieves can rescue you  from having to program a hodgepodge of potentially conflicting data validation rules.

Searching in Add Mode — A New Twist
"Searching in Add Mode!? What are ya — crazy!?" Probably. But this unorthodox technique for looking up the data you need to fill, say, the Bill-To/Ship-To areas of an invoice or sales order has definite advantages. Plus, we'll show you a radically new style of pop-up pick-list that can bring power, flexibility and panache to your apps.

Future-Proof Your Forms with Variable Static Text Elements
Got field and report labels that need updating in Designer at the beginning of every year? Make all that a thing of the past with the simple yet powerful technique explored in this article.

_______________You ask. We answer.

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• Different Ways to Print Reports — Are your reports printing out looking like somebody took a battering ram to them? You probably just chose the wrong printing option.

• Does Sesame Run on 64-Bit Computers — Thinking of buying a new PC soon? Here's everything you need to know about Sesame and 32-bit vs. 64-bit systems.

• Format Boolean (Y/N) Fields & Other Layout Tricks — Did you know that you can globally set the format you want for any type of field? Here's how, plus some tricks that'll save you time and frustration when formatting your form's elements.

• Preview Report vs. Preview Application / Run Report —  A lot of Sesame users don't know that they can quickly preview a report design-in-progress without having to put the entire application into Preview mode. But there's a downside to doing so.

• Import Excel Files Into Sesame — Got an Excel file you need to import into Sesame, but the workbook contains a lot of columns of data you don't need? No need to remove them, just follow these simple steps.

• Remove Unused Lookup Table and Code before Q&A Translation — If you haven't been using it in Q&A (reports, lookup tables, wonky programming) be sure to delete it in Q&A before translating.

_______________Technical tidbits you can use today

 

• Sure-Fire Excel Data Import — We found a handy little VBA program that you can paste into Excel to get a more bullet-proof importable CSV file.
   

• More Initial Caps Solutions — Here's a handy user-defined function that'll apply initial caps correctly to names like "McDonald."
   

• Get More Table View Real Estate — If you like to work with the Commands panel open and regularly switch into Table View, use this trick to automatically toggle the Commands panel off and on as you switch between table and form view.
   

• Color a Form to Match Sesame's Interface  — Make your form blend right in with Sesame's default interface by applying the same background color to it.

WordMerge 3 — Advanced Subform Support
Finally, a subform-friendly WordMerge that automatically extends your merge doc to a second page as needed without the problematic IncludeText or HTML workarounds. Sample application, merge doc and new paste-in WordMerge program included in this month's download file.

Create a Quick 'n' Dirty Duplicate Records Report
Run this report from anywhere in your application with the click of a button and you'll find out how many possible duplicate customer records you have.

Merging Duplicate Customer Records Along with Their Order Histories
In an order processing system, duplicate or near-duplicate records for the same customer can prevent you from finding out all sorts of useful information about your customers' order activities and most-purchased products. Now can not only find and merge two customer records, but re-link the order histories of both to the single retained customer record.

_______________You ask. We answer.

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• Correctly Place and Easily Find Your Programming  — Are you beginning to get up to speed on Sesame programming, but are still a bit confused by where certain programming should go or how to easily find where certain programming is? This introductory-level article is for you. Even you veterans might discover a thing or two.

• Merge Multiple Databases into One Application — An easy-to-digest primer on how to merge additional translated databases into your main Sesame application.

• Insert Space on Your Form with Shift-Enter — A couple of undocumented tricks for quickly increasing the width and height of your forms.

• Automated Daily Application Backup —  A slick little batch file along with Windows Schedule Tasks can ensure that your applications are getting backed up once or more daily.

_______________Technical tidbits you can use today

 

• Print to Your DYMO LabelWriter — In the April 2009 issue we showed how to print a label straight from Sesame to a Brother QL label printer. We now have the same one-click solution for the most popular dedicated label printer on the market — the DYMO.
   

• Radio Button Bug Workaround — So what's up with radio buttons? If you use them, better read this.
   

• Preventing Duplicate Records — Here's a quick and easy way to make a duplicate warning flag pop up when you're about to save a new record that might already be in the database.
   

• Add a Helpful Shortcut Keys Bar to Your Forms  — After translating a Q&A database, you might want to display the main navigation shortcut keys along the bottom of your new Sesame form (like Q&A does) for handy user reference. We show you how create a shortcut keys form footer that self-adjusts for Add, Search and Update modes using a single unbound Text box.

Relational Linking — An Unexpected Advantage
If you haven't already, you might encounter a database project someday where  relational-linking to subrecords might serve your needs better than Sesame's default natural linking. Here are some terrific examples, and you'll learn a few things about relational linking you never knew. Sample application included in this month's download file.

Click-'n'-Pick to Run any Saved Spec or Report
For applications that contain routinely used Saved specs (including retrieves, sorts, exports, imports, mass updates, copy operations, table views, restrictions or quick reports), here's how to reduce finding and running them to utter simplicity. You might like this technique so much that you'll look for more ways to use saved specs.

_______________You ask. We answer.

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• Word Merge Primer — Easier Setup — We go back to basics on adding Word Merge to your database and clear up the most common points of confusion.

• Copy Merge Documents on Startup — Ever had a problem with two users trying to Word Merge to the same document at the same time? Here's your dream solution.

• Run Sesame from the Server for Easy Upgrade Distribution — For companies with multiple workstations all using Sesame, here's how you can upgrade everybody in one fell swoop and absolutely prevent version conflicts.

• Use Quotes to Make @AsynchShell Work —  How's that @AsynchShell command workin' for ya? Not so good? Here's the most likely reason why not.

• Search for Records with '&' or '(' or ')' — What's causing you to have trouble searching on data containing these special characters and how to remedy the situation.

• Set Calendar Popup to Open to any Date — @Calendar always opens with the current date selected as the default. Here's how to make it open to any date you want, including a calculated date.

• Should You Use Sesame on a Wireless Network? — Here's why Sesame and wireless networks don't mix well, and some options you have for connecting through the Internet instead of through the air.

• Simple, Portable Sesame Backup — A reader is a little confused over which Sesame files he needs to backup to his thumb drive and how to go about it. We set him straight.

_______________Technical tidbits you can use today

 

• Create a Multi-line Command Button — Tired of seeing that three-inch command button that says, "Update Today's Web Order Invoices" on your otherwise pretty form? Why not break the label onto two centered lines?
   

• Unbound 'Placeholder" LE Provides Value — We called it a "Home" field in Q&A, and it still has some uses in Sesame.
   

• How to Delete All Subform Records — A little programming routine that clears out your table subform in a hurry. (Make sure you're paying attention when the confirmation prompt pops up!)
   

• Copy a Read-Only LE's Value to the Clipboard  — You can't get into a read-only field to copy it with Ctrl-C or the right-click Copy option. Here's an alternative (and a programming command) you probably didn't even know existed.
   

• Widen Your Pick-List to Fit the Items — Tired of having to scroll right to see the complete item on your @PopupChoiceList? Try this nifty trick.

@XResultSetPrintReport and Subreports
So you dropped a button onto your custom start-up form and programmed it with @XResultSetPrintReport to run the New Orders report. The report runs, but the products subreport data is all missing. Where'd it go? And how do you get it back?

Hide All Forms on Application Startup
A developer's dream here — a simple generic program that hides all the form names on the Commands panel when the application starts. You don't have to know the database and form names. You don't have to update the program as you add databases and forms or rename or delete them. Just drop this into your Application Programming in any application and forget about it.

Backup a Shared Application to Your Own PC
The boss wants a button on his application's startup menu that he can click to put a copy of the application on his take-home USB drive. He wants this backup immediately restorable to the server in case of disaster without having to rename or unlock it. And Sesame must not let anybody but him do this. Can you make the boss happy?

_______________You ask. We answer.

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• Create an 'On-Click' Event in Sesame — Want a Boolean text box to toggle between Y and N when you click on it? Here's how. Sample application included in this month's download file.

• Compile an Updated List from Multiple Selections —  Suppose you've got a bunch of Yes/No survey questions in a form. As you check or uncheck them,  you need Sesame to build a dependent English-language statement that you can then email or merge into a document. Here's how to do it. Sample application included in this month's download file.

• Check Drive Mapping to Speed Up Sesame— The network geeks were in to update some hardware and reconfigure the workstations. Now it seems to take forever for the Sesame application to open. What did they break?

• Make Cursor Land in a Certain field in First Record Only —  When retrieving a batch of records, this reader wants to avoid the cursor landing in certain fields in the first record. Here's a way to do that.

• Better Multi-Line Field Printing — When you Print Form, the printout will show only the data that's currently visible in the field. Here's how to get a printout that shows all the data, even from a field with loads of it.

• Making Labels in Sesame — Just use WordMerge.

• Protect Data by Making it Read-Only — A reader needs to make a few fields read-only when certain conditions in the record prevail. Sesame makes this easy.

• Convert Q&A Write for Windows Merge Docs for Sesame WordMerge — There's a little-known feature in Q&A Write for Windows that can save you some time — that is, if the feature works in your copy of Q&A Write.

_______________Technical tidbits you can use today

 

• Make an XResultSet 'And' Search Support 'Or' Criteria — When a standard "And" or "Or" XResultSet search won't cough up the records you need, think string array.
   

• Stopping a Mass Update — How do you put the brakes on a running mass update? And what should you avoid doing in a mass update so that it can be stopped.
   

• Four Lines (or more) for Your @Msgbox Messages — Need a five- or 10-line @Msgbox? Sesame supports it.
   

• Another Way to Restrict Entries in a Combo Box  — You like the ease-of-use a combo box offers, but you need to restrict entries to those on the dropdown. You can't make it any easier than this.
   

• One-Record Mass Updates Simplified — You can do some useful, time-saving things with one-record mass updates — as long as you make sure they're one record mass updates.

Let's Simplify Simple Merge Printing Tasks
As powerful as WordMerge is, that’s what makes it overkill for the kind of merge printing many companies do — particularly former Q&A companies. Even though it's a drop-in one-size-fits-all program, WordMerge's technical innards and “moving parts” look like a Rube Goldberg machine that can befuddle those new to it. Yet in some ways WordMerge is actually underpowered. This month we offer up an alternative that's sure to discombobulate the WordMerge diehards:

• It doesn't use MS Word or Word files.
• Needs only what every PC already has on it.
• Requires just a few lines of code for most merge printing tasks.
• Gives users runtime option to print the merged doc straightaway or display it first for proofing/editing.
• Retrieves and merges external (@XLookup) data into docs.
• Merges subform data.
• Supports If/Then/Else merges.
• Doesn't require arcane data formatting switches à la MS Word.
• Merges to structured tables.
• Automatically generates uniquely-named electronic file copies of merged docs.
   

_______________You ask. We answer.

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• Beware of Lookups to Fields with Semicolons — Is your looked up data winding up in the wrong fields? Here's what's happening.

• Set or Change Highlight-on-Entry — If your data is getting randomly, mysteriously overwritten, this could be the reason behind it.

• Set Up New PC to Run Sesame Well — The way new computers come equipped these days can explain why client/server connections get dropped. This handy checklist helps you isolate/prevent the problem.

• Problems with Hidden .dat/.db File Extensions — Not having your file extensions show in My Computer/Windows Explorer can lead to Sesame apps not opening.

• 'The Application is Locked and May Be in Use' — Why this happens and what you can do about it.

• Fix Translated Non-Y2K Dates — How to update multiple date fields translated from a non-Y2K-compliant Q&A database.

• Steps to a Successful Reconcile — Or how not to go about redesigning/ reconciling.

• Renaming Reports — The difference between renaming a single report or renaming several at once.

_______________Technical tidbits you can use today

 

• Rename Multiple LEs in One Go — The next time you need to rename a series of layout elements to the same name with an incremented numeric suffix (such as Stock#1, Stock#2, Stock#3) save time and energy by letting Sesame do it for you.

How to Suppress Specific Keystrokes
Are your Sesame users pressing keys or key combinations (such as old Q&A keyboard shortcuts) that are causing problems? Why not simply program Sesame to ignore them?

Storing Subform Records Externally
Sesame subforms are the usual way to link recurring related information to your records. But because subforms can be tricky to work with, might not do everything you need, and can add more bulk than you’d like to the application over time, they might not be the best way to retain and access that related data. But what other choice is there? Check out this radical approach.

_______________You ask. We answer.

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• Make Quick Reports Look Good — Pretty up those Plain-Jane Quick Reports.

• Change Sesame's Default Reports Folder — Make Sesame save your report files to an exclusive reports-only folder.

• Chart Your Sesame Reports in Excel — Would the boss rather look at colorful charts and graphs instead of boring numbers? Here's how to bring your reports to graphic life.

• Sort Sesame Reports By Totals — How can you sort a report by overall totals when the totals aren't known until the report has completed? Try this.

• Add Line Numbers to Notes Fields — A simple technique for auto-numbering and date-stamping new notes as they're added to a multi-line notes field.

• Protect Fields from Changes — You want all users able to view notes, but prevent anyone other than you from changing them. Easily done.

• Load Applications Faster Across a Network — How to keep your anti-virus program from slowing your application loading to a crawl?

_______________Technical tidbits you can use today

 

• Accelerate Subform Calcs — Get 3 to 4 times faster totals on your invoice line-items and other subform calcs.
   

• Merge and Preview Multiple Docs with MergeFilePrint — A clever addition to last month's "Let's Simplify Simple Merge Printing Tasks" that lets you preview (even edit) multiple merged docs before sending them to the printer.
   

• Open a Large App in Designer Faster Without Data — a simple sesame.ini file setting can make your big DSR files open five times faster.
   

• Quickly Find a Tab Group's Layout Element Name — Sesame 2.0 gives you a way to conditionally hide/unhide tab pages using the tab group's LE name. But where is it?
   

• Correction — Fixes a bug in one of the MergeFilePrint routines featured in last month's "Let's Simplify Simple Merge Printing Tasks."

Success with XResultSet
A primer to get you up to speed with Sesame 2.0's powerful XResultSet family of commands. Includes tips and gotchas.

Keeping Backups Under Control
You do regular backups — right? Here's a case study of a company that needs to make backups on demand throughout the day along with an automated nightly backup. But there's a twist. Sesame tells them how many backup sets are currently on the server and the date of the oldest one — reminding them to periodically clean out the oldies.

_______________You ask. We answer.

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• Designer and Runtime Operations Explained — Brings new Sesame users up to speed on the operational differences, similarities and relationship between Designer and Runtime when revising an application.

• Sesame Disaster Recovery — Ideas on how to ensure that you can get back up and running even if the office should burn down.

• Copy a Report Design to Another Database — An undocumented method that enables you to copy report designs between databases.

• Page Break Reports with Changing Pages Headers — You want a report where each customer starts on a new page with a page header unique to that customer. Here's how.

_______________Technical tidbits you can use today

 

• Adding Checkboxes to a Report — Reports can come in handy as checklists to indicate whether certain tasks have been completed. But how do you get the checkboxes in them?
   

• Printing Things From the Startup Form — Formatting Values — You might want to run a routine export or some daily recaps from the application's main menu, but data formatting problems are cropping up. Here's the solution.
   

• Smart Pick-List ID Number Stripping — If you use a pick-list that includes, say, company names followed by their unique ID numbers, here's a simple, intuitive way to grab the ID number from the selected company.
   

• Finally, Real, Reliable Report Page Breaks — Did you add a page break to a report that didn't seem work? Here's what you missed.
   

• Testing Date Programming — How Not to — A simple little thing you can do to make testing date-sensitive programming easier and safer.

Create a Ranked Sales Report
Would you or the boss like to see your monthly or quarterly sales in a report ranked by highest revenue-producing product or service? We show you how to do it.

Create Data Entry Templates with Programming
If you'd like your data formatted consistently, an appropriate data entry template is the answer. But how to you actually design one? We give you the programming you need for a variety of templates, including phone numbers, SSNs, credit cards and more. Sample application included in this month's download file.

Simplify and Control Keyword Field Entries
Looking for like an easier, faster and safer way to fill, update and manage Keyword fields? We found what could well be the ultimate tool. Sample application included in this month's download file.

_______________You ask. We answer.

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• Designer Files Disappear Following System Restore — Poof! and all your recent DSR files are gone for good. How does this happen and how can you protect yourself against it?

• Double-Space Your Reports — Need more vertical white space in those printouts? Here's a way to get it.

• Custom Command Button to Close Form — A programmed button might be the most intuitive way to let users exit the current form.

• Create a Simple Keyword Dropdown Field — Add entries to a Keyword field by selecting them from a combo box-like dropdown.

_______________Technical tidbits you can use today
 

• Format Phone/Fax Fields Automatically On-Record-Entry  — For a database with lots of phone/fax fields, this program applies a proper template to them automatically on-record-entry.
  
   

• Use @SearchStringArray to Extract Multiple Element Ranges — This powerful function supports multiple disparate search parameters. Here's a way to leverage that capability to operate on ranges of layout element names.
   

• Form Change Programming Not Working? — After you've translated a Q&A database with On Form Change programming, how do you get it to run automatically in Sesame so that pressing F8 isn't necessary?
   

• Can't Reach Reconcile Dialog Buttons — If you've ever tried to run Reconcile but couldn't get to the Reconcile Now button at the bottom of that long dialog, here's what you didn't know.
   

• Too Many Merge Docs? Check for Multiline Fields — If you ever wind up with more merged letters than records in your result set, here's your probable cause.
   

• New Money-to-Text Program Fixes Bug — If you do check printing from Sesame, this heads-up is for you.