ACC: How to Shade Every Other Detail Line on Reports

ID: Q114086

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Access versions 1.0, 1.1, 2.0, 7.0, 97

SUMMARY

Moderate: Requires basic macro, coding, and interoperability skills.

This article shows you how to shade every other detail line on a Microsoft Access report.

This article assumes that you are familiar with Visual Basic for Applications and with creating Microsoft Access applications using the programming tools provided with Microsoft Access. For more information about Visual Basic for Applications, please refer to your version of the "Building Applications with Microsoft Access" manual.

NOTE: Visual Basic for Applications is called Access Basic in Microsoft Access versions 1.x and 2.0. For more information about Access Basic, please refer to the "Introduction to Programming" manual in Microsoft Access version 1.x or the "Building Applications" manual in Microsoft Access version 2.0.

NOTE: This article explains a technique demonstrated in the sample files, RptSampl.exe (for Microsoft Access for Windows 95 version 7.0) and RptSmp97.exe (for Microsoft Access 97). For information about how to obtain these sample files, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q145777
   TITLE     : ACC95: Microsoft Access Sample Reports Available on MSL

   ARTICLE-ID: Q175072
   TITLE     : ACC97: Microsoft Access 97 Sample Reports Available on MSL

MORE INFORMATION

The following example uses an event procedure to alternate the background color between white and yellow. On black and white printers, yellow typically appears as light gray.

1. Open the sample database Northwind.mdb (or NWIND.MDB in versions 1.x

   and 2.0), and then open the Alphabetical List Of Products report in
   Design view.

2. Add a new text box control to the report's detail section and set

   the following properties:

      Name: LineNum
      ControlSource: =-1
      RunningSum: Over All
      Visible: No

   Note the equal sign in the ControlSource property setting.

3. Add the following code to the Print event of the detail section. To

   do so, follow these steps:

    a. With the properties box open, click the detail section header.

    b. In the properties box, click the OnPrint property and click the
       Build button. Click Code Builder, and then click OK.

    c. Enter the following code between the Sub and End Sub lines in
       the module:

         Const WHITE = 16777215
         Const YELLOW = 65535

         If (Me![LineNum] Mod 2) = 0 Then
            Me![ProductName].BackColor = YELLOW
            Me![CategoryName].BackColor = YELLOW
            Me![QuantityPerUnit].BackColor = YELLOW
            Me![UnitsInStock].BackColor = YELLOW
         Else
            Me![ProductName].BackColor = WHITE
            Me![CategoryName].BackColor = WHITE
            Me![QuantityPerUnit].BackColor = WHITE
            Me![UnitsInStock].BackColor = WHITE
         End If

       NOTE: In Microsoft Access 1.x and 2.0, type spaces in the Product
       Name, Product ID, Category Name, Quantity Per Unit, and Units In
       Stock field names.

    d. On the Run menu, click Compile Loaded Modules to compile
       the event procedure code.

    e. Close the report module.

4. Preview or print the report by clicking Print Preview or Print on

   the File menu. Note that every other detail line on the report is
   shaded to the extent that the line is covered with a text box.

Additional query words: greenbar green bar

Keywords          : kbusage RptLayou RptProp 
Version           : 1.0 1.1 2.0 7.0 97
Platform          : WINDOWS
Hardware          : x86
Issue type        : kbhowto

Last Reviewed: November 21, 1998