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When you send a report for preview is there a way of eliminating the command

box that appears in the upper left corner that allows the closing or

printing of the report?? The reason is that I first let the user preview the

report and then after they close the preview I bring up a message box that

asks if they want to print the report. It appears that some users print the

report to close it and then print the report again. Some user get confused

easy.

Thanks for any suggestions.

TonySper


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Wouldn't it be better to offer the option(s) BEFORE showing the preview?

Most windows apps allow you to click either File, Print Preview or File,

Print. If I'm a user and I just want to print something, why bother me with

a preview window everytime that I'm just going to close anyways only to have

more clicks afterwards to get my printout? In addition, I allow users to

Right click on the printer icon on the toolbar in my app and then a menu is

displayed to Preview, Print, Print Dialog. Saves several steps this way.

This eliminates your problem, improves your user interface and creates less

clicks for your users to get what they want. Also, they should always have

the option to Cancel at the printer dialog.



Mike







"TonySper" <tsperduti@nospambellsouth.net>wrote in message



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Okay - I just ran a test and you can remove the report toolbar

programmatically but again, I don't recommend it and I think it's much

better to offer them the choice as per my previous reply. But, if a person

really wants to do it - here's how: Throw a timer on your form and in the

timer event ever second or so have this routine execute:



* set the interval on the timer to a second or 250 milliseconds or so

right before the Report Preview command



* Run the Report .....Preview command



* Test for the printer toolbar

if wexist("print preview")

* Release the toolbar

release window "print preview"

* Stop checking with the timer now that we have closed the toolbar

this.interval = 0

endif



Then you would need to create a common method or subroutine that you send

all your report commands to so that you don't have reproduce the code for

all the report commands. I recommend a common routine anyways but I still

would not recommend removing the toolbar. I subclassed my form and created

a simple method where I pass my report commands to.



Mike







"MikeA" <appell@appellsoftware.com>wrote in message



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Mike,

I hear what you are saying. I did give them the option of print or preview

but some users still clicked the print icon on the preview and printed the

report anyway. You are correct to give them the option first but I wanted to

inhibit the user from printing when they just request the preview.

Thanks for the idea.

Tony



"MikeA" <appell@appellsoftware.com>wrote in message



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Okay - I misread your post. I do not think you should give them the option

to print the report after closing the preview window. It's an extra

unnessary step and if you think about it, all standard windows apps such as

Microsoft Word, or any other do not have a prompt to print after closing a

preview window. So, I would say to take that prompt out. Allow them to

print or preview first and then they can print in the preview if they like.



Either way, you can use the code I wrote below to close the toolbar on the

preview window, but if users don't know to click the X in the upper right

corner of the preview or click the door to close the preview without

printing and click the printer icon and then click your Yes to print again

after closing the preview then it sounds like a training session might be

recommended. Either way, I vote no prompts to print after closing a preview

window. Rather, put the print, print dialog, preview question first or on

the toolbar or allow them to click File, Preview or File, Print.



Mike



"TonySper" <tsperduti@nospambellsouth.net>wrote in message



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Almost forgot -



you should allow them to print in a preview as all other apps allow printing

in previews. I say start by allowing them to print or preview and if they

preview then they can still print. But, take the additional questions out

after they close the preview window.



Mike



"TonySper" <tsperduti@nospambellsouth.net>wrote in message



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It can be done by manipulating content of Foxuser.dbf.

You should read an article in MS kowledge base:



http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">support.microsoft.com/default.aspx=kb;en-us;317466







"TonySper" <tsperduti@nospambellsouth.net>wrote in message

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I read through this thread and I have some questions ...



First of all, what version of FoxPro are you using?



Secondly, after the preview you ask them if they want to print. My question

is WHY are you asking them if they want to print? In other words ... what

else are you doing in that code that requires you to ask the question

yourself vs just letting them hit the print button from the preview window.



Cathy Pountney







"TonySper" <tsperduti@nospambellsouth.net>wrote in message

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On Fri, 21 Sep 2007 07:46:54 -0400, "Cathy Pountney"

<cathy@frontier2000.com>wrote:





...and even consider giving the user a Print button AND a Preview

button? If the user decides to print from the preview toolbar,

he/she/it would probably not double-print by clicking on the Print

button also (admittedly, with some of my users, that's a distinct

possibility).

Steve

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Thanks, good article.

Tony



"Gvi2" <gvi2@takas.lt>wrote in message



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Hello Cathy,

I guess as the man said "This is just a matter of training" The problem

raised when the user has the option to either print the report or preview

the report. They can do either whether I allow them the option before the

printing or preview or after the printing or preview. The user just

commented that some users where printing the report twice as they selected

the print icon from the preview and then wanted to know why do we have the

print option. I just thought it would be a good idea to inhibit the print

icon from the preview. I am using VFP8.

Tony



"Cathy Pountney" <cathy@frontier2000.com>wrote in message



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Steve,

Yes you are correct that is a distinct possibility and is happening each

time this guy gets a new user. He seems to be getting a new one each month.

The training is getting to be full time.

Tony



"Steve Meyerson" <stevemeyerson@cox.net>wrote in message



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Cathy,

The real problem is the user wants the option to select the printer when

printing the report and when you use the preview the prompt does not work

and then the printing goes to the default printer. Also the user runs this

program from GOTOMYPC.COM and prints from a remote site.

Tony



"Cathy Pountney" <cathy@frontier2000.com>wrote in message



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MikeA wrote:

Wrong. Close print preview in Word and the print button is still there on

the standard toolbar. NO application removes the ability to print just

because you've done a preview.



Dan





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Dan - I think you may have misinterpreted what I have said. I'm saying that

after one closes the Print Preview in Word, there is not a question/dialog

box that pops up and says "Do you want to Print Yes/No" Read the OP. Of

course one may always click the printer on the toolbar or click File, Print.



In any event, one may remove the toolbar in the print preview as per the

code I provided but I don't think it would be good practice to do so.



Mike





"Dan Freeman" <spam@microsoft.com>wrote in message



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That is what I have been saying all along. Fix the UI (user interface) and

the problem goes away on its own.



Mike



"Steve Meyerson" <stevemeyerson@cox.net>wrote in message



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Ahhhhhhhhh ... that's what I wanted to know ... What is the REAL problem

which appears to be that you developed the Print or Preview mechanism so

that you can prompt because the preview wasn't letting them print. The

answer is below:



REPORT FORM xyz TO PRINTER PROMPT PREVIEW



If you run the report with the above set of clauses, it previews the report.

If they pick the printer button on the preview, they get the dialog that

lets them choose what printer to go to.





To answer your original question of how to get rid of the printer button ..

in VFP 8 .. you can do it with a resource file. The resource file remembers

what buttons are on the toolbar. Modify the toolbar and save that in a

resource file. Make the resource file read-only. When you run reports, swap

over to this special resource file that does not have the printer button on

it, run the report, and then restore the resource file to your normal one

after the report.



Cathy Pountney







"TonySper" <tsperduti@nospambellsouth.net>wrote in message

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Cathy,

Where did you dig that up from? In the help it says "SYSTEM VARIABLES ARE

IGNORED WHEN YOU INCLUDE PREVIEW". That's why I never tried to use the

prompt when I did the preview. Should not have questioned you but I just

tried it and it works. It did not work when I tried PREVIEW PROMPT.

Thanks again.

Tony



"Cathy Pountney" <cathy@frontier2000.com>wrote in message



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Tony,



If you've ever had a report question, it has been answered in Cathy's book:

"The Visual FoxPro Report Writer: Pushing it to the Limit and Beyond"

available direct from the publisher at

www.hentzenwerke.com/catalog/vfprw.htm">www.hentzenwerke.com/catalog/vfprw.htm - and it's worth every dime.

Highly recommended!



You can learn directly from the Queen of the VFP Report Writer herself at the

Southwest Fox conference next month in Mesa, Arizona. Also highly

recommended (the conference)! www.SWFox.net">www.SWFox.net



HTH,

Randy Bosma

_____________________________________

TonySper wrote:

--

Message posted via DBMonster.com

www.dbmonster.com/Uwe/Forums.aspx/foxpro-general/200709/1">www.dbmonster.com/Uwe/Forums.aspx/foxpro-general/200709/1



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Randy,

I have purchased her book and after just reading the VFP8 updates I see the

command she is talking about using the preview after the prompt. I guess the

first thing to do is read her book and then the help files.

I would like to go to Arizona but unfortunately I am sort of semi retired

and just use VFP to support a few local companies as well. I have some

applications that we sell for Private Investigators. We call the Program

PIMP which is Private Investigators Management Program. I am working on a

Travel Agency program right now but have not released it yet. The limited

funds just keeps me going. Need to hook up with a sugar daddy to send me to

Arizona.

Tony



"RandyBosma via DBMonster.com" <u17281@uwe>wrote in message



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Funny you ask where I "dug that up from". I currently work for a company

that writes cemetery software! ;-)



The help file isn't that helpful on this trick. It's very touchy on the

exact order of the clauses in order to make this work.



Cathy



"TonySper" <tsperduti@nospambellsouth.net>wrote in message

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