Quick question about field sizes from a FileMaker newbie. I have a
field who's field name is pretty long, but the data contained in the
field is relatively short. I'm trying to set a large font size for the
field, but the field keeps making itself too large so it can fit the
font name in the selected font size.

My layout is designed to print labels, so I don't have a lot of real
estate to work with and the inability to specifically specify the
exact field boundary size without having it related to the font size
and field name it contains is rather frustrating. I hope it's a short
coming of the user's knowledge rather than the product itself!!!

TIA... any help would be appreciated.

J-bob

In article <11309c5c.0401111904.15c6773b@posting.google.com>,
off2europe@hotmail.com (J-bob) wrote:

> Quick question about field sizes from a FileMaker newbie. I have a
> field who's field name is pretty long, but the data contained in the
> field is relatively short. I'm trying to set a large font size for the
> field, but the field keeps making itself too large so it can fit the
> font name in the selected font size.
> 
> My layout is designed to print labels, so I don't have a lot of real
> estate to work with and the inability to specifically specify the
> exact field boundary size without having it related to the font size
> and field name it contains is rather frustrating. I hope it's a short
> coming of the user's knowledge rather than the product itself!!!
> 
> TIA... any help would be appreciated.
> 
> J-bob

Normal fields don't need to be the long enough to fit the field name
(in Layout mode), you can make them smaller using the black handles in
each corner. 

Merge Fields on the other hand do expand to the length of the field
name when in Layout mode. To get around this try turning on the "Show
Sample Date" option in the View menu (when in Layout Mode) or if
possible don't use Merge Fields, use normal fields instead.

BUT, both do need to be tall enough to fit the fonts size (unless you
play with the line spacing options).




Helpful Harry                   
"Hopefully helping harassed humans happily handle handiwork hardships"  ;o)

Helpful Harry <helpful_harry@nom.de.plume.com> wrote:

> In article <11309c5c.0401111904.15c6773b@posting.google.com>,
> off2europe@hotmail.com (J-bob) wrote:
> 
> > Quick question about field sizes from a FileMaker newbie. I have a
> > field who's field name is pretty long, but the data contained in the
> > field is relatively short. I'm trying to set a large font size for the
> > field, but the field keeps making itself too large so it can fit the
> > font name in the selected font size.
> 
> Normal fields don't need to be the long enough to fit the field name
> (in Layout mode), you can make them smaller using the black handles in
> each corner. 
> 
> Merge Fields on the other hand do expand to the length of the field
> name when in Layout mode.

A little trick to fit a merge field in a limited space: the merge field
takes its format from the format of the first character (the "<").
Anything after that character may be set to a smaller size. This may
make the field name unreadable in layout mode, of course.
-- 
Hans Rijnbout
Utrecht, Netherlands

J-bob wrote:
> 
> Quick question about field sizes from a FileMaker newbie. I have a
> field who's field name is pretty long, but the data contained in the
> field is relatively short. I'm trying to set a large font size for the
> field, but the field keeps making itself too large so it can fit the
> font name in the selected font size.
> 
> My layout is designed to print labels, so I don't have a lot of real
> estate to work with and the inability to specifically specify the
> exact field boundary size without having it related to the font size
> and field name it contains is rather frustrating. I hope it's a short
> coming of the user's knowledge rather than the product itself!!!
> 
> TIA... any help would be appreciated.
> 
> J-bob

Two points:

1. You can change how the field name is displayed in a layout,
independent of the actual field name. I am speaking here of the field
name outside the field, as it is displayed in the Browse mode, not the
name as displayed in the field in the layout mode. You make the changes
in the Layout mode, where the "external" field name is simply a text
block. You can type anything you want in it, in any format, or eliminate
it altogether, and it has no effect on the actual field name.

2. In the layout mode, the field name is displayed within the field, but
that does not show up in the Browse or Preview mode. You do not need to
have the field big enough to show the entire field name in the layout
mode. Just make the field the size you want, using the handles on the
corners, and format it with the font, style and size of text you want.

Bill

In article <1g7g784.1f3whpb1s8gf5sN%j.b.rijnbout@chem.uu.nl>,
j.b.rijnbout@chem.uu.nl (Hans Rijnbout) wrote:

> Helpful Harry <helpful_harry@nom.de.plume.com> wrote:
> 
> > In article <11309c5c.0401111904.15c6773b@posting.google.com>,
> > off2europe@hotmail.com (J-bob) wrote:
> > 
> > > Quick question about field sizes from a FileMaker newbie. I have a
> > > field who's field name is pretty long, but the data contained in the
> > > field is relatively short. I'm trying to set a large font size for the
> > > field, but the field keeps making itself too large so it can fit the
> > > font name in the selected font size.
> > 
> > Normal fields don't need to be the long enough to fit the field name
> > (in Layout mode), you can make them smaller using the black handles in
> > each corner. 
> > 
> > Merge Fields on the other hand do expand to the length of the field
> > name when in Layout mode.
> 
> A little trick to fit a merge field in a limited space: the merge field
> takes its format from the format of the first character (the "<").
> Anything after that character may be set to a smaller size. This may
> make the field name unreadable in layout mode, of course.

I'd forgotten all about that trick. Thanks for the reminder.  :o)



Helpful Harry                   
"Hopefully helping harassed humans happily handle handiwork hardships"  ;o)