How to print all tabs - 1 layout

[dmontano]

I have a 8.5 x 11 layout that has three scripted print buttons that allow:

1. Print current record

2. Print Found Set

3. Print all Records

 

I just discovered two things:

 

1. I have more content that I want to put on this one "layout"; and

2. I have found the tab control feature.

 

My dilemma is this:

If I create a 3 tab "Tab Control" that allows me to fit in what I need, I do not know if it is possible to script a button that will print all of the content of the 3 tabs. I doesn't seem like this is possible and I can kinda see why.

 

The only solution I have come up with is:

Duplicate each of the three tabs' contents to another layout that is laid out one after the other over say, 2 or 3 pages. Then create a scripted button on the original "Tab Control" layout that allows the "print all content layout" to be printed?

 

Before I plunge head first in this design - I was hoping to get some ideas and suggestions.

 

Thanks,

David

[LingoJango]

That's pretty much the way to it, as far as I know.

[AHunter3]

Is your desired output paper or PDF? For paper you can do this:

 

Print Setup [restore, no dialog]

Go to Object ["Activate Tab one"]

Print [no dialog]

Go to Object ["Activate Tab two"]

Print [no dialog]

Go to Object ["Activate Tab three"]

Print [no dialog]

 

 

The three objects are named objects that are in the tab-specific area of the layout; when the script obeys the instruction to Go to Object, it makes that tab the active tab as a consequence.

 

If you're printing to PDF, though, this would output three different PDFs.

[LingoJango]

With FM 9 you could append the new PDF to the old one, but I see you have 8.5.

 

With either solution, you still get one page for each tab, though. If you want to save trees, perhaps you'd be better off with a separate print layout (with the added advantage that you can optimize it for printing).

[dmontano]

AHunter and LingoJango - thanks for your help.

 

I like the script that allows printing the tabs as separate pages. For my particular case, I wanted to make sure that all content was printed when someone executed the print command. I could forsee the complaints that users are tired of having to manually trigger the tab window and hit print three times (in the example I gave) to have a printed copy of all content.

 

This certainly throws another possiblity into what I am trying to do. I can also see the advantage of creating the print layout as well. I like to append to PDF option as well. More toys for me to get bogged down with trying to figure out how they work and then how to implement them usefully.

 

Really appreciate the help,

David