How to Change TAB Spacing in Memo of Report

ID: Q125922

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft FoxPro for MS-DOS, version 2.6a

SUMMARY

When a TAB is printed in a Memo field of a report, the TAB takes up eight characters, but when a TAB is displayed in the Memo field from a BROWSE, the TAB takes up only five characters. This difference makes the output look incorrect. To make both look the same, you can use the _TABS Line-Oriented Output Control variable to change the default TAB Size from eight characters to five.

MORE INFORMATION

To set the number of characters that a TAB takes up in a Memo field when it is displayed from a BROWSE, open the Memo field, and then select Edit, Preferences. Then change the TAB size by using the Tab Size spinner.

To set the number of characters that a TAB takes up in a Memo that is printed in a report, use the _TABS Line-Oriented Output Control variable. The following information comes from the FoxPro help file:

   "_TABS contains a character value that determines where tab stops appear
   in printed output. <expC> represents a tab list which is a series of
   comma-delimited numbers in ascending order. By default, _TABS contains
   the null string, which sets the _TABS spacing at eight character
   intervals (8,16,24,32,40, and so on)."

The following code is an example that uses the _TABS variable to change the tab size from eight to five characters.

   PRINTJOB
      _TABS="5,10,15,20,60"
      REPORT FORM test TO PRINTER
   ENDPRINTJOB

Additional reference words: FoxDos 2.60a KBCategory: kbprint KBSubcategory: FxprintGeneral

Last Reviewed: October 23, 1995