Tab() Function

[hal9k]

Hi again,

I really like to use the Tab function for reports.  I have a text window in which I want to create a report.  Sadly, the Tab function doesn't want to work in my text window.  The docs suggest that it only works in the mainwin or with the LPrint command.  Does anybody know of a way to get it to work in a text window?

Thanks so much!!

[Rod]

Tab() is for mainwin use. Few of us use the text window control. Most everybody that progresses beyond mainwin text display uses a graphicbox to display the text. Here you have pixel perfect positioning as well as color and font changes.

Choose a fixed width font when displaying tabular text. You might be able to print x spaces for your tab position, you just need to keep track of how many characters have been printed in the line.

Have I said this before? Have a look at printform.bas that is in the example files shipped with Liberty. Place x,y sets the tab/drawing point, \text then draws the text, object or graphic within your report. Then you also have great printing options with print size.


With fixed width font the place x is simply a multiple of font width, have a browse and play.

[tsh73]

There is user-written functions to pad string with spaces
Might get handy

by meerkat, here
libertybasiccom.proboards.com/thread/1349/column-print-straight-line
' -------------------------------------
' Align fld$ to left right or center
' of a given width
' -------------------------------------
FUNCTION align$(fld$,width,lrc$)
s = width - len(fld$)
fld$ = left$(fld$,width)
if s < 1 then
align$ = fld$
else
if lrc$ = "l" then align$ = fld$;space$(s)
if lrc$ = "r" then align$ = space$(s);fld$
if lrc$ = "c" then align$ = space$(s / 2);fld$;space$(int(s / 2) + (s and 1))
end if
END FUNCTION

also padl$() / padr$()
'demo
data Jack, "and", Jill, went, up, the, hill, "To fetch a pail of water.", "**"
'Short strings to be paddeed with spaces, long string to be cut by design.

print ">Source<";tab(30);">Pad right <     >  Pad left<"
print "----------------------------------------------------------"

while 1
   read a$
   if a$="**" then exit while
   print ">";a$;"<";tab(30);">";padr$(a$,10);"<     >";padl$(a$,10);"<"

wend

end

'functions
'---------------------------------------------
'adds spaces from the left until 'n' symbols
'if n<len(a$) returns left$(a$,n)
function padl$(a$,n)
   padl$ = left$(space$(n-len(a$))+a$,n)
end function

'adds spaces from the right until 'n' symbols
'if n<len(a$) returns left$(a$,n)
function padr$(a$,n)
   padr$ = left$(a$+space$(n-len(a$)),n)
end function


---

EDIT
also lots of good stuff in this thread
libertybasiccom.proboards.com/thread/623/looking-tips-formatting-printable-format

[Carl Gundel]

There is also the using() function which can be used to pad out columns of data.

[hal9k]

Thanks, guys! I've been doing a MUCH less sophisticated version of the suggestions above. I'll keep plugging away at it. I hope that Carl will note my plea for a future update...